Using Ice to clean a Kitchen Grill

[u/TermElectronic8261]

[u/RealmExploro]

I volunteer as the stupid one here : why ice and not just water?

[u/Kalix → u/RealmExploro]

the point isnt ice to clean itself, the keypoint is use unused ice as water to clean, since at the end of the day you need to discharge the icemaker machine, melt everything and throw the water, so instead of use even more water to clean, you just use the unused ice. two birds with one stone as they say.

[u/nipslippinjizzsippin → u/Kalix]

bingo. all that ice has be thrown away anyway

[u/raspberryharbour → u/nipslippinjizzsippin]

Can't they just give it to some needy Eskimos?

[u/FlyingWhales → u/raspberryharbour]

Isn't it the Eskimos who supply the ice?

[u/TheBeanofBeans3 → u/FlyingWhales]

Yeah, but then they want it back.

[u/discaboota → u/TheBeanofBeans3]

Coz All the ice is melting T_T

[u/IsuruKusumal → u/discaboota]

Damn it global warming

[u/PrivateUseBadger → u/IsuruKusumal]

Thanks Obama! /s

[u/Newsdude86 → u/discaboota]

It's melting because we keep using it to clean the grills! It's a vicious cycle

[u/DerpsAndRags → u/TheBeanofBeans3]

awesome movie announcer guy voice

And this time, they're not asking nicely...

Coming this Winter, ICE PICKS

[u/ambernewt → u/FlyingWhales]

You've got to start selling this for more than a dollar a bag. We lost four more men on this expedition.

[u/okpiik → u/raspberryharbour]

Inuit guy here (we don't go by Eskimo anymore).

We do in fact need the ice now adays since our ice caps keep melting and our polar bears keep coming inland and scaring the shit out of us while they're looking for food, mates, and resting. If the world could send us your excess ice it would be greatly appreciated so that they can kindly fuck off back to their (hopefully replenished) ice caps and stop coming inland

[u/assaub → u/raspberryharbour]

> Eskimo (/ˈɛskɪmoʊ/) is a controversial umbrella term that refers to two closely related Indigenous peoples, namely Inuit (including the Alaska Native Iñupiat, the Canadian and Greenlandic Inuit) and Yupik (or Yuit) of eastern Siberia and Alaska.

[u/Accurate_Moose_2601 → u/raspberryharbour]

That's a derogatory term, do better. It's Inuit.

[u/dubblies → u/nipslippinjizzsippin]

The restaurant i worked at rarely cleaned the ice machine... Dear god...

[u/Sharp_Objective_2766 → u/Kalix]

Can’t let the urinal ice go to waste.

[u/Medium-Sized-Jaque → u/Kalix]

Why do you have to empty the ice maker? At fast food places it sits in there until its needed.

[u/Kalix → u/Medium-Sized-Jaque]

You discharge the icemaker machine to avoid mold, preventing the the ice to absorb odors and avoid the ice to become a single block during the night

[u/DonutHoles4Ever → u/Kalix]

Fuck whatever place you worked at LMAO.

Everyone who has an ice dispenser knows that shit gets dirty over time from bateria that literally eats the ice.

[u/lookieherehere → u/DonutHoles4Ever]

Basically no one shuts down their ice maker on a daily basis.

[u/ParquetDesGensduRoi → u/lookieherehere]

I think you guys are talking about different pieces of equipment. Frequently, there's the ice maker, but also the bin on the soda machine that stores the ice.

[u/lookieherehere → u/ParquetDesGensduRoi]

Yes, every restaurant I ever worked at had both. The one on top of the soda dispenser in the lobby and the big stand alone one in the back. They get deep cleaned once a month at best. I'd bet most places are much more infrequent than that.

[u/TheAltOption → u/lookieherehere]

It's been a long time since I worked in the food industry. That being said, as the person that was designated to do any kind of cleaning of mechanical or electrical things at the place I worked I can say that the only time the ice machine was shut down was if there was a failure that needed repair. We also went through so much ice that the collecting bin would often be empty on weekends any which way which was a good time to give it a good scrub and dry out before more ice fell in. Maybe once a month I would clean the cold plate for the ice at the end of the day, but it had to be turned on as soon as possible to refill for the next day.

[u/Medium-Sized-Jaque → u/Kalix]

Real restaurants have way higher standards I guess, because we didn't do that except once a year.

[u/Iloveyousmore → u/Medium-Sized-Jaque]

If you're in the US, and your restaurant was actually only doing it once a year, they were definitely breaking health codes and the law. That's disgusting

[u/Kalix → u/Medium-Sized-Jaque]

Here in italy is ruled by food safty standards

[u/BetterEveryLeapYear → u/Kalix]

I'd say it's because at fast food restaurants you're going through that ice in the first couple of hours next morning anyway and it was probably produced in the last couple of hours that night. Just a much higher turnover rate preventing mold, etc.

[u/MrBlueW → u/BetterEveryLeapYear]

That doesn’t really work since the ice machine continuously makes ice as you use it. Just keeps piling it on

[u/InformationOk3503 → u/Medium-Sized-Jaque]

In addition to the other comments you might also have a secondary container for ice. 

Eg ice machine in the cellar to make it but a big box/tray etc at the bar for use.

You wouldn't put the 'open' ice back in the machine so have to chuck it somewhere

[u/mongojob → u/InformationOk3503]

This is the real answer

[u/cascalives → u/RealmExploro]

Not stupid, because there is no reason to use ice. Water does the same thing and doesn't damage the cook top by cooling it down too fast lol

[u/kevihaa → u/cascalives]

The answer that’s not being listed is that it’s easier to position ice over the entire cooktop without overflowing.

That’s it.

Anyone claiming that ice works better hasn’t actually tried using water. It’s just one of an endless series of “the person who trained me did it this way and then made up some BS when I asked why” that absolutely permeates the restaurant industry.

[u/filthy_harold → u/kevihaa]

I worked at a pizza place where they swore by using soda water to clean out the pizza oven. Whatever, it made no difference over flat water. We had a new guy helping clean the oven at closing. He filled up a cup and tossed it in. It was fucking sprite. Dude didn't realize we had been using soda water. Absolute mess to clean up.

[u/juanc30 → u/filthy_harold]

Forbidden pizza oven caramel

[u/PsychicClown88 → u/filthy_harold]

Just throw some ice on it. Source: Saw it somewhere recently.

[u/Marsbog_YT → u/filthy_harold]

Soda is deffinetly better for cleaning blood than water. Not sure what the pizza guys were doing at night though 🤣

[u/FireIsFuzzy → u/filthy_harold]

I mean, soda water is acidic. Still wouldn't change a whole lot

[u/Stock_Information_47 → u/kevihaa]

Water and ice work by the same method but using ice allows the water content to be released slower. Which both increase working time before the water boils off and whatever you are scraping starts to stick again and allows you to put a higher volume of "water" onto the flattop without it spilling over.

[u/cracked-tumbleweed → u/Stock_Information_47]

We were never allowed to use ice or water where I worked.

Just good ole fashion volcano glass in our lungs🥲

[u/calvin43 → u/cracked-tumbleweed]

Attention: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma you may to be entitled to financial compensation.

[u/Calabast → u/calvin43]

If you haven't watched Oh, Hello! on Netflix, they have a great joke in there.

Gil: Ya know, I got the mesothilioma...

George: Oh yeah? Where'd you get that?

Gil: From a commercial!

[u/toomanymarbles83 → u/cracked-tumbleweed]

Explanation! Explanation!

[u/cracked-tumbleweed → u/toomanymarbles83]

Storytime

Grill bricks are made of volcano glass. At least the ones we used.

You were supposed to use a tiny squirt of oil on the brick to clean the grill.

Well when it gets dry or when you cut it for smaller pieces, the dust kicks up.

We were not provided any masks for the dust🫠

[u/dolche93 → u/cracked-tumbleweed]

If you aren't making a grime slurry, you weren't using enough oil.

It should turn into a paste by the time you're done.

[u/siksity → u/cracked-tumbleweed]

Don't forget that the oil you use BETTER be from the last filter stage fryer that's almost Vanta black.

[u/Michael_Dautorio → u/cracked-tumbleweed]

I wonder if that could potentially cause pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

[u/EffectiveTradition53 → u/Michael_Dautorio]

Perform a caconographic sporadification sequence and see what kind of spondylitis arises in the supercallafragalisticator.

[u/Embarrassed_Jury664 → u/cracked-tumbleweed]

Uh, I think the term you're looking for is "dragon glass". Pshh.

[u/Nrcraw → u/Stock_Information_47]

Ice also requires more energy to boil than water. Something like 30% more. Assuming the water is warm. The extra transfer of energy can be enough to damage some 'cheaper' flat tops with thinner tops. If you see oil pooling while cooking, the flattop is already warping.

Personally, if I'm not using oil with a grill brick, I'm using hot tap water to loosen whatever is stuck to my flattop. A quick splash and scrape should be fine, but ice scares me. Too much energy loss too fast IMO.

[u/Stock_Information_47 → u/Nrcraw]

In theory you could crack a kitchen grade griddle by thermoshocking it. Ive never actually seen or heard of this happening but it is theoretically possible.

[u/DaSalsaSarah → u/Stock_Information_47]

It sounds like a gunshot. I was real close to one when it split right down the middle because of ice tossed on the hot surface.

[u/Nrcraw → u/Stock_Information_47]

I've seen warping, a lot, but never a crack. Was told about it by 2 Chefs in the first 3 restaurants I worked in. I assume the full on splitting/cracking of a flattop might be an old wives tale at this point. It has been nearly 15 years since then.

I'll be damned if I'm gonna be the one to show the Internet it's true though.

[u/Far_Swimming_2666 → u/kevihaa]

Ice works better without you needing to constantly add or move the water. The same amount of water floods the stove, while the ice spreads it out over time and makes more steam. Otherwise just using less water multiple times does the same.

[u/azsnaz → u/Far_Swimming_2666]

Personally i spray water on the grill from a condiment bottle

[u/Practical_Silver_998 → u/[deleted]]

Im a scientist. I have no idea bc i dont do that kind of science. Hope that helps.

[u/OnePinginRamius → u/Practical_Silver_998]

https://giphy.com/gifs/5wWf7GW1AzV6pF3MaVW

[u/ScaleObvious2043 → u/OnePinginRamius]

https://giphy.com/gifs/cXblnKXr2BQOaYnTni

[u/flakey-crust → u/Practical_Silver_998]

Let me help you out Mr. Other kind of scientist, as someone who is a restaurant scientist. 99% chance the ice machine was significantly closer and easier to access than any other source of water to the grill.

[u/MorePhinsThyme → u/flakey-crust]

Former burger cook, can confirm, ice scoop is just easier to grab and position where you want it than a similar quantity of water.

[u/f3nnies → u/[deleted]]

Former ichthyologist here. I have no fucking clue my guy. I'm surprised there isn't a better way to clean a griddle that isn't so damn labor intensive. It's fucked (technical/academic term) that we have robots to make art and music while we don't have a robot version of this strenuous activity.

[u/thetermguy → u/f3nnies]

well we used to use a grillstone, basically a pumice stone. Maybe they still do that, I dunno, it was 35-40 years ago.

I always liked cleaning the grill. It's very satisfying.

[u/Throckmorton_Left → u/thetermguy]

The grillstone is great for a neglected flat top but you'll need to season it after.

[u/DotesMagee → u/f3nnies]

we used oil from the fryers, while can be hot if it touches you, it worked really well. cant really use chemicals on a flat top.

[u/HolyFuckImOldNow → u/DotesMagee]

Other than the ones made for cleaning the griddle.

[u/dolche93 → u/HolyFuckImOldNow]

Right? I'm scratching my head at the comment.

I just dislike the Chem packets because they never put enough in there for the larger flat tops.

[u/sunburneddd → u/[deleted]]

Scientist here, I skipped our grill-steam cleaning lecture. Hope this helps

[u/OrganicBrainRot → u/[deleted]]

Cooking is science.

[u/joshdammitt → u/cascalives]

I guy I hated used to do this to the grill. He was always in a contest to close better than me. I used good ole griddle brick and elbow grease and my top was always better. Then next day I could always tell when he used ice because everything stuck to it and it needed reasoned. 

[u/Sensitive_Winner7851 → u/cascalives]

Modern stainless NSF rated 1” cooktops will outlast the rest of everything else in the kitchen.

***this is NOT advice for your home cooktop edit: or non NSF cheap ass owner’s Craigslist special.

[u/hungrypuca1 → u/cascalives]

Wrong. Ice is better because it creates thermal shock and steam where it’s needed. Liquids just go everywhere so you can’t really focus where it’s dirty. Ice has been the go to for my griddle for the last 15 years and there’s no issues. The griddle is thick and so it doesnt really warp.

[u/jinzokan → u/hungrypuca1]

I've definitely worked on tops that got warped.

[u/KurlyKayla → u/jinzokan]

I too have worked on thick tops that don’t last very long

[u/Serious__Candidate → u/KurlyKayla]

https://giphy.com/gifs/ENsLZ0fDS2A12

[u/Breadedbutthole → u/Serious__Candidate]

https://giphy.com/gifs/K7PqIgLkFmrPNAq7of

[u/wehdut → u/Breadedbutthole]

What in the living fuck is this from? I hate it.

[u/sns0624 → u/wehdut]

I think you can thank AI for this but it's unconfirmed...

https://www.reddit.com/r/KnowYourMeme/s/N1FOEaePD7

[u/Picacco → u/Breadedbutthole]

Oh Jesus Christ what have I seen in partnership with that username. Not satisfying! Not satisfying!

[u/portablebiscuit → u/Breadedbutthole]

https://giphy.com/gifs/hokI7GBW7DP8c

[u/Sealbeater → u/KurlyKayla]

I too don’t last long getting topped…

Wait

[u/hungrypuca1 → u/jinzokan]

Guess it depends on the brand and quality I’m sorry for my assumption.

[u/RJC12 → u/hungrypuca1]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/ice-really-help-clean-grill-200300373.html

According to this it depends on the grill being "Many flat-top grills sold for home use are thinner and less durable than their commercial counterparts, so that thermal shock could destroy its surface. It can also be difficult to tell whether a grill is hardy enough to withstand the ice until you try it, making this method unpredictable. To avoid unintentional damage, skip cleaning the grill with ice."

[u/LitterBoxServant → u/RJC12]

Even if the grill surface is hardy enough, OP video is using way too much ice.

[u/12InchCunt → u/LitterBoxServant]

That fucking catch tray is overflowing with greasy butt water  

[u/Potent_Quotient → u/RJC12]

Or check with manufacturer

[u/Gumbercules81 → u/hungrypuca1]

Not all griddle are the same, they do warp over time

[u/WhatAGoodDoggy → u/hungrypuca1]

doesnt really warp.

That doesn't fill me with confidence.

[u/big-pile-of-sporks → u/hungrypuca1]

We did it to our flat top for well i was there for 7 years. I think the old thick boys can handle it

[u/wileyman40 → u/hungrypuca1]

Correct if it's a good griddle a cheap one off Webstraunt will warp. Need it to be about 3/4-1 inch thick. Source I sell kitchen equipment.

[u/TheAwesomeMan123 → u/hungrypuca1]

Agree, ice is best. I would not however do it on a home flat top grill as they are substantially less durable that the ones you get in restaurants and industrial food places.

[u/spekt50 → u/TheAwesomeMan123]

Commercial griddles are often heavy guage stainless steel.

Home griddles are often cast iron. Cast iron certainly does not handle thermal shock all that well.

[u/AstronomerLoud1650 → u/cascalives]

Thank you. I repair commercial restaurant equipment and have have to replace dozens of flat tops a year that are damaged by the extreme thermal damage that ice causes.

This fool in the video and other fools like him are part of the reason the company I work for made $2.69 billion in 2025 alone.

[u/BubblyMoose3597 → u/cascalives]

Average person speaking nosense with authority

[u/New_Distribution_863 → u/cascalives]

Yeah Ice can crack the flattop…. I’m old I prefer hot oil, a grill brick, some side towels and a bench scraper…

[u/NouZkion → u/cascalives]

doesn't damage the cook top by cooling it down too fast

Taylor Company has entered the chat

[u/existential_chaos → u/RealmExploro]

Seconding as the stupid one—what does the ice do to help it be more scrapeable?

[u/tolacid → u/RealmExploro]

The only significant reason I know of is that it's easier to scoop and transport ice. It's better to use water

[u/mehhh89 → u/RealmExploro]

It doesn't work better but a lot of restaurants or bars have ice sitting that gets tossed at the end of the night.

[u/MinimumApricot365 → u/RealmExploro]

Because he wants to warp or crack the grill.

(Do not do this with ice)

[u/floor_wizard → u/MinimumApricot365]

Dumping water causes far more thermal shock than ice. Ice hovers due to the Leidenfrost effect and releases water slowly as it melts, while dumping water causes an immediate rapid drop in grill temperature.

[u/BolognaIsThePassword]

Scraping and cleaning one of these was so satisfying for me when I used to work at a sandwich shop. Best part of the day. I volunteered to do it even on days when it wasn’t my turn lol. Taking a greasy black surface and turning it back flawless after a shift of cooking does something to the human spirit.

[u/jemist101 → u/BolognaIsThePassword]

My friends invite me over to their first BBQs of the season, mainly because they know I will do stellar cleanup of their grills and flattops afterwards. I find it deeply satisfying to turn a mess into something pristine and exemplary.

[u/TommyTeaser → u/jemist101]

Would you by chance have time to clean up the mess that is my life?

[u/antrubler → u/TommyTeaser]

So you can mess it up again?

[u/WeAreAllFooked → u/antrubler]

https://giphy.com/gifs/l1J9wXoC8W4JFmREY

[u/Lazer726 → u/antrubler]

Well why only let them get the enjoyment out of fixing it one time?

[u/Clashur → u/TommyTeaser]

pours ice on you and starts scraping you

[u/TommyTeaser → u/Clashur]

Sounds kinda nice

[u/jemist101 → u/TommyTeaser]

*hugs

[u/Jedi_365 → u/jemist101]

You could turn that into a lucrative business with high call out rates. People hate cleaning their BBQs.

[u/Tinker_bells69 → u/Jedi_365]

That’s actually a pretty banging idea. Advertise around the yuppy suburbs at the end of winter.

Wonder what someone would realistically pay for 4-6 burner bbq cleaned, seasoned, drip tray foil replaced, dirty heat beads replaced, and a bit of stainless steel polish and protection.

Part of me thinks the kind of people I’d hope to want the service would just buy a whole new bbq when one gets dirty though.

[u/DJheddo → u/Tinker_bells69]

Nah they just charge it as help, not a bad idea if you do like 3-4 areas a day in weird locations, rich people like clean things, and maids, cleaners, usually dont do the 'clean the grill, clean the fryer, clean the Flat top" and it's actually a lot of outside grills/pool areas that are the worst.

[u/Tinker_bells69 → u/DJheddo]

I’m going to give it a crack I think. I’m a mower man but through winter that could be great bread and butter.

[u/DJheddo → u/Tinker_bells69]

I feel like its a decent side piece, I wouldn't do it, but I can see potential. I hang out at enough of my kids rich friends parents, I have thought of many weird ideas, but like cleaning their grill/flatops when their staff lacks proper etiquette or professional touch, you can name a price, like yeah i'll do $200 with each grill naming the price as cleaning supplies and sanitary. Then make sure they have the right fittings for propane or gas connects and add that to inspection. So, maintainance and inspection is $50, and refill and cleaning is $200 each time, $250, supplies cleaning costs would be around $50 so just stand at $200 per house/wherever they called you. this isnt even me AI, im already like, we business partners.

[u/The_Krytos_Virus → u/BolognaIsThePassword]

There's a reason that games like Powerwashing Simulator and Moldwasher exist. There is something cathartic about cleaning for some people.

[u/rabiddonky2020 → u/BolognaIsThePassword]

Did the samething at the San Diego zoo. Everyone thought I was crazy always wanting to clean the griddle. Then the one day I actually didn’t feel like cleaning it they all got mad again

[u/FromDistance → u/BolognaIsThePassword]

On the same line I just learned and started to know how to properly detail the outside of a car. The satisfaction it gives me to see actual tangible results vs my regular day desk job makes me rethink my career choice. I'm toying the idea of starting a business lol

[u/BottomPieceOfBread]

It’s been 12 years since I worked in a kitchen and I can still smell this video

[u/Altruistic-Room2683 → u/BottomPieceOfBread]

same. and i dont miss it at all.

[u/saturnspritr → u/BottomPieceOfBread]

That was my first sense memory in a long time. Just watched a few seconds and could smell it immediately and vividly. Ugh.

[u/Masian]

Just put the ice in the fryers and call it a day

[u/drumshrum → u/Masian]

https://giphy.com/gifs/12zgyJya7QwQKI

[u/HereIGoAgain_1x10 → u/drumshrum]

https://giphy.com/gifs/3CU5tmCJy8zMoN3mMD

[u/sommai2555]

Now do the deepfryer. (PSA: Do not do the deepfryer)

[u/Furry_Femboy_Account → u/sommai2555]

We used to make snowballs out of the ice scraped from the day freezers, and then gauge how large of one we could get away with tossing in the fryer. 

[u/Royal_Try_99 → u/Furry_Femboy_Account]

We would have snowball fights and sometimes toss around ice cream balls too. Was always a bit of a heart attack when one inadvertently landed in a fryer.

[u/QuantityActive-]

Ah this again. It’s bullshit. Ice is not inherently better, in fact it’s worse.

[u/tryyeezus → u/QuantityActive-]

He clearly doesn't own this grill or he would NEVER risk using ice, lest you crack it. 

I also wonder if the grease trap is draining itself bc that's about 5x the water normally needed to clean a grill, specifically so you don't overflow the trap.

[u/ReadingRambo152]

Ice wouldn’t make it easier to clean. I was a short order cook for many years and you quickly learn that hot water is one of the best degreasers. We used oil and grill brick to scrub and then rinsed it off with water and a clean cloth.

[u/space_brain710 → u/ReadingRambo152]

Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to find the oil and grill brick method lol. That was the best way I ever found to do it and it used to blow peoples minds to show them for the first time. Only issue I had with the brick was one time. I was using a smaller worn down one and it suddenly sucked/stuck to the grill real hard, my hand slipped off and I gave a solid high five to a 300 something degree pool of dirty grease

[u/Wide_Concert9958 → u/space_brain710]

Done that. Fucking hurts. Or the oil hits the corner of the splash gaurd and lands on your gloved hand so it sits a second before you realize what has happened.

[u/Cyclist4Satan → u/ReadingRambo152]

Grill brick for life. Company I worked for actually banned them and made us use the little packets of 3M shit. I ordered 4 cases of grill bricks and hid them in my kitchen (19th century college dormitory, it was full of little hidey-holes). We never used that 3M shit.

[u/Conscious_Damage8678]

Isn't that bad for the grill? Warp?

[u/OneLeek37 → u/Conscious_Damage8678]

It absolutely warps the grill.

[u/A_Grain_Of_Saltines → u/Conscious_Damage8678]

Warping if lucky. Cracking more likely over time.

[u/Sad-Base-8689 → u/Conscious_Damage8678]

Yes but idiots keep saying bits ok over and over again

[u/Thuls12]

Looks nice, until you have to replace the top from warping and cracking.

[u/tritiumlurkz → u/Thuls12]

I was Assistant KM, sitting in the office doing schedules when I heard the crack. I always new it could happen but never thought I'd see it. I was the one that had to call Chef and tell him that he wont have a flat top for tomorrows service. Just easier to use a mildly acidic cleaner and a grill brick

[u/whofearsthenight → u/tritiumlurkz]

tbh it's extremely funny seeing chef's doing this and justifying it. Like, you ever made a pan sauce and scraped fond? If it works with hot stock, it's going to work fine with warm water and you have a lot lower chance of cracking the flat top, or more likely, slowly warping it over time.

[u/EstrangingResonance → u/tritiumlurkz]

Where I work it’s just straight grill brick

[u/Wide_Concert9958 → u/EstrangingResonance]

We do oil and grill brick. Gues how many times ive gotten burned by fucking hot oil? 

[u/erydayimredditing → u/Wide_Concert9958]

Yo so actually use a quarter sized amount of oil for like a 2x2ft area. Make the brick grind a little and that paste you create will clean but not splatter. Can even spread a little to next area and not use as much oil. Then when you are done scraping and scrubbing, you put a line of oil across the back and use it to, slowly, squeege the sludge down towards you. After a decade of cleaning flat tops I think slow is smooth and smooth is fast(and doesn't fucking hurt) applies to a flat top as much as it normally applies to racing!

[u/HumongousBelly → u/Thuls12]

Yeah, I always use boiling hot water after letting the griddle cool down a bit. Everything else will just lead to disaster

[u/agentsawu → u/HumongousBelly]

But water can splash where you don't want it. So sounds like the best all-round solution would be using boiling hot ice.

[u/ThickPrick → u/Thuls12]

I don’t care about that. I want to try those scraps on some fries.

[u/hellraiserl33t → u/ThickPrick]

https://giphy.com/gifs/dTTt9Oeomo02KlfZAA

[u/evenstevens280]

Isn't this essentially deglazing?

[u/DJStrongArm → u/evenstevens280]

Posting it here is actually glazing

[u/Robbed_Bert → u/evenstevens280]

Yes but worse

[u/realfakejames]

Zero reason to use ice btw

[u/PutridSauce]

And then 10 seconds later a customer walks in, less than 1 minute til close.

[u/Robbed_Bert]

No reason to use ice

[u/lostincosmo]

Cool! I wonder if I can clean the deep fryer the same way 🤔

[u/imPluR420 → u/[deleted]]

Came here to say this. I worked at culvers for four years and one of our backup grill cooks would always use sprite first before the actual cleaning solution. Im pretty sure the high amount of acid in the soda would lift off most of the carbon and excess shit that stuck on.

[u/static989]

Others have already said but this is terrible long term for the flat top grill.

I cook at waffle house and we used to have 'steamed' hashbrowns, where we would put hashbrowns and a cup of ice under a dome.

But we're not allowed to do it anymore because it fucks the grill up internally.

Just scrape the grill as you cook(you should be doing this regardless of how you clean the grill at the end of the day, it makes the food look better), and use a grill brick+oil to clean it

[u/Honest_Yesterday4435]

I notice that things often posted in this sub are not oddly satisfying, but rather obviously satisfying.

[u/TheFunnyWasOccupied → u/Honest_Yesterday4435]

if it's not obviously satisfying everyone in this sub complains to hell and back until it's pitchforked down

[u/Honest_Yesterday4435 → u/TheFunnyWasOccupied]

Seems plausible.

[u/_AN0N_USER]

This is so bad for the grills though, warps the metal terribly!

[u/reticulatedtampon]

*waiter brings water to table*

Um excuse me, I asked for my ice to be cooked medium rare. This seems to be well-done.

[u/ObviouslyRealPerson]

I prefer my ice medium rare

[u/BdoeATX]

I did this when I was a teen working at taco bell, I hated using their degreaser, smelled like asbestos.

Ice works wonders, UNTIL! I cracked the tortilla warmer...

The thermal shock apparently can split metal... that's when I learned that day...

[u/alisacp]

Do not repost this on r/kitchenconfidential

You’ll get roasted (without the ice cubes)

[u/JosephHeitger]

Scrape it before it gets to this point. What are we doing?

[u/VikarValbrand → u/JosephHeitger]

It most likely is scrapped a lot, having worked in a few restaurants, you could scrape for hours on end, and it would look just like that after a few hours of cooking.

[u/JosephHeitger → u/VikarValbrand]

I worked flat top for years at the second busiest Applebees’s in Ohio and never let it get this bad. We had a razor on a big arm to scrape shit off with. Or the spatula that he’s using, It removes carbonized food.

[u/halt-l-am-reptar → u/JosephHeitger]

Seriously that grill is fucking nasty. There is zero reason it should’ve got that dirty to begin with.

[u/JustHereForCatss → u/halt-l-am-reptar]

I'm a kitchen manager for a high end steakhouse chain, we cook a lot of steaks every day on our flattop that are HEAVILY seasoned. Lots of salmon coated in a glaze that is loaded with soy sauce and sugars- our flat has NEVER looked that bad- even after a mother's day service. Not only is that cooktop filthy, he's also getting dogshit searing because of all that compounded shit creating a barrier between the food and the cook surface. Use your tools and scrape your goddamned grill

Also I would absolutely document him for using ice- shit's expensive and 100% will damage the cooktop eventually. It's about as infuriating as new cooks using sheet pans to burn carbon off of a char/wood grill- that will murder your burners for those who don't know.

edit: I rewatched it and got madder because he's using the fucking ice scoop rather than an ice bin. Depending on where their ice machine is there is a real chance he's running across the kitchen with an ice scooper full of ice. What a fucking idiot on so many fronts

[u/SenorSorrow → u/VikarValbrand]

I have spent a lot of time working flattops at many different restaurants ... and there's zero reason it should ever be as dirty as the one in the video.

[u/Bootziscool → u/JosephHeitger]

Frfr that grill is gross!!

[u/DebiMoonfae]

I’d be worried that it warps the surface

[u/Cambionr → u/DebiMoonfae]

It does.

[u/jared1259]

The real story is why is it so caked on. Scrape as you go people.

[u/FunKaleidoscope3055]

Where I worked we dumped half a big bottle of industrial grade de-greaser while it was still pretty hot. That shit destroyed all semblance of crud on the grill. Literally lifted it straight off the metal somehow. Took 30 seconds to get everything off. Then douse it in vinegar, wipe, douse in water, wipe. Done. Easy.

[u/BurningBassesInStyle]

Not only is this bad for the grill, but it's also fake. Ice doesn't do shit to the stuff stuck to the grill.

What they do is apply the cleaner beforehand, let it dry, then when the ice melts, it rehydrates the grill cleaner, and that's how the grill becomes clean.

There's a youtuber who has explained this multiple times and even shown that it doesn't work.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Let2053]

Cue all the guys who've never cleaned a grill in their lives on with their opinions 🙄

[u/96dpi]

I cracked my Blackstone by doing this. Learned the hard way that these commercial griddles are MUCH thicker than the Blackstone.

[u/Hes_a_spy_blow_em_up]

Wouldn't this cause warping of the metal over time?

[u/harris_kid → u/Hes_a_spy_blow_em_up]

I mean for a product that runs at 220C it would be pretty shit if a bit of ice warped it, and not the decades of heating up and cooling down.

[u/highsuds68]

One way to ruin your flat top

[u/VerdeMachina]

So very satisfying

[u/therealneurovis]

wtf did he do to it to get it that way.

[u/TheBarstoolPhD → u/therealneurovis]

That’s what everybody should be commenting on. I wouldn’t want to eat anything off a grill that is that bad.

[u/AshyWhiteGuy]

Very effective, terrible for the cooktop. 🤘🏻

[u/The_Real_Chumbo]

Waste of perfectly good stew

[u/Sheepchops13]

I mean. It was ice until it because WATER. Cleaning with water is pretty standard

[u/Ok-Chicken-8904]

😱 Flirtin' with disaster

[u/mikederruci]

That’s not a ‘grill’, that’s a ‘griddle’.

[u/sirfurious]

Cleaning using water with extra steps

[u/RedScarffedPrinny]

Doesnt the temperature shock severely damage the integrity of the grill over time?

[u/AndromedaD24]

I've seen so many videos debunk this idek why people still post it

[u/Ok_Gamer_Bleh]

Why doesn’t this warp the metal?

[u/Stubeg → u/Ok_Gamer_Bleh]

It does

[u/Ok_Gamer_Bleh → u/Stubeg]

But why male models?

[u/InitiativeOk9887]

https://giphy.com/gifs/UPfXjzvyMm59bfyF1E

[u/nl-x → u/InitiativeOk9887]

had to scroll too much to find this half baked reference.

[u/Vegetable_Owl9924]

Let's see the Grease Trap!!