Summerset · Installation

Summerset Griddle Pro Setup and First Season

The Griddle Pro is a cold-rolled steel flat-top griddle on a knock-down cart. Setup is cart assembly plus a required three-pass seasoning on the plate before the first cook. Plan on about 90 minutes total — 45 minutes for the cart, 45 minutes for the seasoning cycles.

By Reed · Updated November 8, 2026

Editorial review · November 8, 2026

What you need

Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers
Adjustable wrench
Rubber mallet
High-smoke-point oil (flaxseed, grapeseed, or Crisco)
Paper towels and a bench scraper
Pipe thread sealant and leak-test spray

Griddle Pro install reference

Cart assembly time: ~45 minutes
Griddle head weight: 85 lb
Gas: LP via 20-lb tank in cart bay
Seasoning passes: 3 before first cook
Plate material: Cold-rolled steel
Optimal seasoning oil: Flaxseed, grapeseed, or Crisco (smoke point 420°F+)

Step by step

Assemble the cart from the knock-down kit
Follow the Griddle Pro cart assembly manual's hardware-bag sequence — leg frame, cross brace, caster plate, side panels, tank bay. Hand-tighten every bolt, then torque in sequence. Expect about 45 minutes on this step.
Mount the griddle head to the cart
Lift the griddle onto the cart's receivers with two people (the head is about 85 pounds). Align the mounting posts and drop straight down. Verify level — a tilted plate pools oil to one side and uneven seasoning follows.
Connect LP and leak-test
Slide the 20-lb tank into the tank bay, attach the regulator, and soapy-water test every union before lighting. Griddle Pro is LP-only in its current config — NG conversion is not supported.
First seasoning pass
Wipe the plate dry with paper towel to remove the shipping oil. Light every burner and bring the plate to 400°F (about 10 minutes). Pour a tablespoon of high-smoke-point oil on the plate and spread it edge-to-edge with a wadded paper towel in the bench scraper (the towel will smoke — that is the correct smoke point). Wipe off excess. Let the plate cool for 10 minutes.
Second and third seasoning passes
Repeat the oil-spread-wipe cycle two more times, bringing the plate back to 400°F between each pass. After the third pass the plate should carry a glossy dark patina. This is the base seasoning — the plate will build on it with every subsequent cook.
First cook: eggs or vegetables, not bacon
The first few cooks should be low-moisture to let the seasoning cure. Eggs, bell peppers, onions, and lightly oiled sliced vegetables are ideal. Bacon's water content strips young seasoning and causes the plate to go blotchy — wait until the fifth or sixth cook before running a bacon batch.

Common mistakes

Cleaning the plate with soap before seasoning. The shipping oil wipes off dry. Soap and water remove the pre-rust layer and the plate flash-rusts overnight. Seasoning is step one, cleaning is never necessary on a cold-rolled plate.
Using olive oil for seasoning. Olive oil's smoke point is 390°F — too low. The seasoning never fully polymerizes and the plate goes gummy instead of glossy. Use flaxseed, grapeseed, or Crisco.
Running bacon on a young plate. Bacon's water content strips seasoning that has not fully cured. Blotchy sticky zones follow and the plate reads as 'broken' when it is just under-seasoned. Wait until 5-6 cooks before bacon.

Hands-on tips

Store the Griddle Pro covered. A rain soak between cooks strips seasoning and starts the whole cure cycle over.
After every cook, scrape the plate while warm with a bench scraper, wipe with a paper towel, and apply a thin film of oil before cooling. This is the entire cleaning routine — no water, ever.
Keep a dedicated set of paper towels for the griddle. Cross-contamination from kitchen towels (fabric softener, detergent) can leave residues on the plate.

Questions people ask

Why can't I use soap and water on the Griddle Pro?

The plate is cold-rolled steel, not stainless. Water and soap strip the seasoning layer that makes it non-stick, and the exposed steel flash-rusts. The entire cleaning routine is bench scraper + paper towel + thin oil film.

How do I know if the plate is seasoned enough?

After three initial passes plus 3-5 cooks, the plate should carry a glossy dark patina across the whole surface. An egg should slide across the plate with light oil. Patchy or dull zones mean another seasoning pass.

Can I use the Griddle Pro in a built-in?

The Griddle Pro is cart-only in its current config. For a built-in griddle station, Summerset's side burner cutout works with aftermarket griddle plates, but the Griddle Pro head itself is not built-in rated.

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Summerset Griddle Pro Setup and First Season

By Reed · Updated November 8, 2026

Editorial review · November 8, 2026

Step by step

Assemble the cart from the knock-down kit

Follow the Griddle Pro cart assembly manual's hardware-bag sequence — leg frame, cross brace, caster plate, side panels, tank bay. Hand-tighten every bolt, then torque in sequence. Expect about 45 minutes on this step.

Mount the griddle head to the cart

Lift the griddle onto the cart's receivers with two people (the head is about 85 pounds). Align the mounting posts and drop straight down. Verify level — a tilted plate pools oil to one side and uneven seasoning follows.

Connect LP and leak-test

Slide the 20-lb tank into the tank bay, attach the regulator, and soapy-water test every union before lighting. Griddle Pro is LP-only in its current config — NG conversion is not supported.

First seasoning pass

Wipe the plate dry with paper towel to remove the shipping oil. Light every burner and bring the plate to 400°F (about 10 minutes). Pour a tablespoon of high-smoke-point oil on the plate and spread it edge-to-edge with a wadded paper towel in the bench scraper (the towel will smoke — that is the correct smoke point). Wipe off excess. Let the plate cool for 10 minutes.

Second and third seasoning passes

Repeat the oil-spread-wipe cycle two more times, bringing the plate back to 400°F between each pass. After the third pass the plate should carry a glossy dark patina. This is the base seasoning — the plate will build on it with every subsequent cook.

First cook: eggs or vegetables, not bacon

The first few cooks should be low-moisture to let the seasoning cure. Eggs, bell peppers, onions, and lightly oiled sliced vegetables are ideal. Bacon's water content strips young seasoning and causes the plate to go blotchy — wait until the fifth or sixth cook before running a bacon batch.

Common mistakes

Cleaning the plate with soap before seasoning. The shipping oil wipes off dry. Soap and water remove the pre-rust layer and the plate flash-rusts overnight. Seasoning is step one, cleaning is never necessary on a cold-rolled plate.

Using olive oil for seasoning. Olive oil's smoke point is 390°F — too low. The seasoning never fully polymerizes and the plate goes gummy instead of glossy. Use flaxseed, grapeseed, or Crisco.

Running bacon on a young plate. Bacon's water content strips seasoning that has not fully cured. Blotchy sticky zones follow and the plate reads as 'broken' when it is just under-seasoned. Wait until 5-6 cooks before bacon.

Hands-on tips

Store the Griddle Pro covered. A rain soak between cooks strips seasoning and starts the whole cure cycle over.

After every cook, scrape the plate while warm with a bench scraper, wipe with a paper towel, and apply a thin film of oil before cooling. This is the entire cleaning routine — no water, ever.

Keep a dedicated set of paper towels for the griddle. Cross-contamination from kitchen towels (fabric softener, detergent) can leave residues on the plate.

Questions people ask

Why can't I use soap and water on the Griddle Pro?

How do I know if the plate is seasoned enough?

Can I use the Griddle Pro in a built-in?

What you need

Griddle Pro install reference

Step by step

Assemble the cart from the knock-down kit

Mount the griddle head to the cart

Connect LP and leak-test

First seasoning pass

Second and third seasoning passes

First cook: eggs or vegetables, not bacon

Common mistakes

Hands-on tips

Questions people ask

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Was this guide helpful?

What you need

Griddle Pro install reference

Step by step

Assemble the cart from the knock-down kit

Mount the griddle head to the cart

Connect LP and leak-test

First seasoning pass

Second and third seasoning passes

First cook: eggs or vegetables, not bacon

Common mistakes

Hands-on tips

Questions people ask

Gear for your Summerset

Summerset Grills Sizzler Pro 32-Inch 4-Burner Built-In Gas Grill with Rear Infrared Burner

Summerset Grills Sizzler Pro 40-Inch 5-Burner Built-In Gas Grill with Rear Infrared Burner

Summerset Grills Pro Series 30-Inch 2-Burner Freestanding Gas Commercial Style Flat Top Griddle

Summerset Grills Countertop Hybrid Gas & Wood-Fired Outdoor Pizza Oven

Was this guide helpful?