Best practices when cooking on your Flatrock grill.
Important Safety Precautions
- Do NOT close the lid of the Flat Top Grill when operating or hot. Let the Flat Top Grill cool completely before closing.
- Never leave the Flat Top Grill unattended when young children or pets are present.
- The Flat Top Grill cooking surface and surrounding areas are extremely hot during and after operation. Use caution when loading food onto the cooking surface and when inserting, removing, or adjusting your meat probes.
- Never move the Flat Top Grill when it is operating or hot. Let the Flat Top Grill cool thoroughly and close the Flat Top Grill lid before moving or attempting to transport. If you are transporting your Flat Top Grill in a vehicle after cooking on it, make sure the fire is completely out and the Flat Top Grill is cold before placing it in any vehicle.
- Adding a large amount of cold or frozen food (or food with significant water content) to a hot Flat Top Grill may cause Flat Top Grill to warp.
Flatrock Burn Time
On a full tank, the Flatrock will burn for approximately 10 hours.
- Propane tank levels may vary depending on purchase location.
Before Each Cook
- Perform needed maintenance:
- Check EZ-Clean Grease Keg. Remove keg liner (if full) and replace it with a new grease keg liner.
- Check fuel level.
- Check the power cord for twists, damage, or fraying.
- Check that your propane tank is properly connected and the valve is open.
- Before using the Flat Top Grill, make sure it is correctly assembled with all parts present, including the following:
- Flat Top Grill cooktop
- Grease chute
- EZ-Clean Grease Keg and keg liner
- Propane tank
- Make sure the Flat Top Grill is a safe distance from combustibles.
- Make sure the Flat Top Grill is on a level surface.
- Always keep the Flat Top Grill lid open when preheating and cooking. Make sure to always open and close lid with control.
During Each Cook
Choose the Right Kinds of Food to Cook
Your Flat Top Grill excels at cooking foods you would normally cook in a sauté pan, wok, or skillet. Though you can cook over low heat, Flat Top Grills are not the place to cook big hunks of meat like pork shoulder or whole chickens—save those for your Traeger® Pellet Grill.
- Thin foods need high heat and shorter cook times, while thicker foods need low heat and longer cook times.
- Vegetables take longer to cook than meats at the same cooking temperatures.
- Always check that the internal temperature of the meat that you are cooking reaches a safe temperature for eating.
- Your Flat Top Grill can be used to warm sauces or even melt butter by placing a thin-walled pan in the corner of your Flat Top Grill, with that zone set to medium.
Preparation
Have the food you plan to cook prepped and any tools you need handy. Use one Flat Top Grill shelf for raw ingredients and utensils that touch them, and the other for cooked food. This helps prevent any cross-contamination as you cook up your feast.
Searing
If you want to give your food a nicely browned crust, be sure to leave space between pieces to encourage a good sear. (If packed too close, foods can steam in their own juice.) Then wait until one side is nicely browned before flipping.
Using TruZone™ Regions
Your Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill comes with three independently controlled zones with heat lock heat shields. You can set the zones to different temperatures throughout your cook, from low to high. Zones are perfect for cooking with multiple food types. For example, when cooking fajitas, you can sear the steak in a high zone, brown the peppers and onions over medium, and warm the tortillas on low.
You can utilize multiple zones at one time by keeping food warm in one zone, and searing in another!
Since TruZone™ consists of three independently controlled zones, there won't be an even spread of heat throughout. This is completely normal and won't affect cooking on the grill
After Each Cook
Clean & Re-Season
Re-season Flat Top Grill after every cook for best performance.
- While the Flat Top Grill is still hot, use a Traeger® Scraper to scrape any cooking residue off the Flat Top Grill into the grease chute.
- Lightly oil the cooktop with canola oil or another cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as flax or grapeseed, in a thin layer so that it covers the entire cooking surface.
- TIP: Be sure to condition the side walls of your cooktop for added protection and rust prevention.
- Turn all knobs to the OFF ( ) position, close the lid, and turn the propane tank valve closed. Closing the propane tank valve after every cook is best practice for safe storage.
- If needed, empty the EZ-Clean Grease Keg and throw away the keg liner.
- Once the Flat Top Grill is completely cool, cover it with a Traeger® Flat Top Grill Cover.