Mastering Your Fusion Griddle: Cooking and Cleaning Techniques

If you're new to cooking on a Fusion Griddle, there's a short learning curve — and once you get past it, you'll wonder how you ever grilled without one. A few quick cooking and cleaning techniques can make a big difference in how your griddle performs and how long it lasts. Please try these techniques and watch the videos below to get better acquainted with your griddle.

A Quick Word on Fusion Griddle's French Roots

Fusion Griddles are handcrafted in France from 304 stainless steel, using the same patented dual-plate cooking system — a stainless steel cooktop bonded to a cast-iron subplate — that put Le Griddle on the map. Le Griddle and Fusion share that same French origin and factory heritage. Today, Le Griddle has moved its manufacturing to Texas and produces the Le Griddle Pro line at a higher price point, while Fusion Griddles continue to be handcrafted in the original French factory.

1. Cook on Medium or Medium-Low — Most Foods Don't Need High Heat

Most cooks on your Fusion Griddle only need medium heat, and often medium-low is plenty. Give the griddle at least 20 minutes to preheat before you start cooking. Resist the urge to crank it to high — it doesn't cook food any faster, it just scorches the center while the rest of the surface lags behind. When in doubt, start lower than you think you need. You can always add heat, but it's hard to undo a burnt sear.

2. Understand Your Hot and Cool Zones

Every griddle has a hot zone (typically the center, right over the burners) and cooler zones toward the edges. This isn't a defect — it's how flat-top cooking works, and it's actually an advantage once you know how to use it.

In this video, skip to 4:58–6:48 to see the hot and cool zones explained, and 12:38 for a bread test that shows heat is naturally highest in the center. Notice how he uses the cooler side zones as resting areas for food rather than trying to cook everything dead center.

3. Cook Hot Foods in the Center, Use the Sides to Hold and Melt

Here's the technique in practice: sear your burgers, steaks, or proteins in the hottest part of the griddle, then slide them to a cooler side zone to rest, hold, or melt cheese — while the next batch goes on the hot zone.

At 8:04, watch him cook burgers on medium-low — plenty of heat for a perfect burger — using the hottest area to sear and the cooler sides to melt the cheese.

Note: these videos feature a double-burner griddle, but the same heat pattern applies to single and multi-burner Fusion Griddles — heat is more concentrated around the burners, and the same zone strategy works no matter the size.

4. Learn Your Griddle

The Flat Top King, who appears in both videos above, always reminds viewers to learn your griddle — every one behaves a little differently. It's also worth remembering that cooking on stainless steel is a different experience than cooking on cast iron. Give yourself a few cooks to get a feel for how your Fusion Griddle heats and responds.

5. Cleaning Your Fusion Griddle

One important thing to understand: you do not season stainless steel the way you would cast iron or a Blackstone. There's no oil layer to build up and maintain on a Fusion Griddle. Before you cook, preheat the griddle and use the water test to confirm it's ready — a few drops should bead up and roll around rather than soaking in. After you're done cooking, clean the griddle while it's still hot; it holds heat for a good while even after the burners are off, and cleaning it hot is what keeps it hygienic. Because there's no seasoning layer sitting on the surface, stainless stays far more hygienic over time than a seasoned griddle like a Blackstone, where old food residue and bacteria can build up in that seasoning layer.

Watch this video for a simple cleaning routine you can run through after every cook to keep your Fusion Griddle in top shape.

Shop Fusion Griddles

Ready to put these tips to work, or shopping for your first Fusion Griddle? Browse the full Fusion Griddle lineup at NTX BBQ Supply, including the GFE75 2-Burner Gas Griddle, carts, lids, and accessories.