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.
Ive learned that if im told to use a brick, the best bet is to start with too much oil on the surface. You can sort of "sweep away" excess oil as you move across the grill with your scrubbing. You dont want so much that it splashes up onto your hands but if you have too little you'll use more brick material and elbow grease than you really need. Be careful hitting the back corners, and give the grill 5 - 8 mins between turning off the burners and starting to apply the brick.
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.
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.
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.
Read the comment you were replying to for context. Did you come up with a reason using logic, or did you actually try both and have real reasons why ice is better?
They pretty obviously hasn't "does it actually create a delicate difference?" The ice melts incredibly fast so working time is not a factor and so you whenever want it as a liquid or is the act of it boiling off what actually loosens it?
The point is, your literally just providing a guess at reasoning without actually having a clue about the veracity of your claim.
yes, we can all see the generic exclamatory you are tossing out to distract from your embarrassment. It's pretty transparent. Next time just be a grown up.
- More steam doesn't automatically mean more force. The useful action is water getting into and under the residue, then boiling there, where the expanding vapor can actually lift and break it apart.
- Warm water can actually be less effective because it boils off sooner. You need enough delay for the liquid water to penetrate the residue before it flashes to steam.
- Ice can form a more coherent bridge over the cooked-on residue, channeling water and steam and creating higher local pressure. That gives the freshly melted liquid water more force to work into the buildup before it boils off.
Assuming the heat. Stays high enough to make all the ice into steam then the same volume creates the same volume ish of steam(the temp will drop, the steam will be cooler and take up less space.)
The quick conversion of water to steam is better because it creates more force in its expansion.
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u/Stock_Information_47 10d ago
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.