A good flat-top lasts for years. A neglected one cooks unevenly in months.

Every burger and pancake leaves grease and bits behind. Left alone, they bake into a dark, gummy layer.

That layer causes problems:

• It holds heat unevenly, so food cooks in hot and cold spots.
• It carries old flavors into new orders.
• It smokes, and it can catch fire.
• It hides damage to the plate.

Scrape the surface with a griddle scraper after each batch. Push the waste into the grease trough. A quick scrape now saves a hard scrub tonight.

Keep the trough from overflowing. Hot grease spilling onto the floor is a burn and slip risk.

1. Turn the griddle down, but keep it warm. Grime comes off a warm plate easier.
2. Scrape the whole surface, front to back.
3. For stuck-on grime, use a griddle brick or screen. Rub with the grain of the metal, not across it.
4. Wipe it down with a squeegee or cloth.
5. Empty, wash and dry the grease trough.
6. Wipe the outside, the knobs and the backsplash.

Use only the cleaners the manual allows. Some cleaners are fine on steel and ruin chrome.

Once a week, let the griddle cool all the way. Clean the surface with a mild, non-abrasive cleaner the manual allows, then rinse it well with water.

Then season it. Heat it, spread a thin layer of cooking oil over the whole plate, and let it heat until it stops smoking. Wipe off the extra. Seasoning protects steel plates from rust and keeps food from sticking.

Chrome griddles are different. Most should not be seasoned or scrubbed with a brick. Check the manual.

• Pouring cold water on a hot plate. It can warp the plate.
• Banging the edge of the scraper or a spatula into the surface.
• Running it on high all day with nothing on it. It wastes energy and wears the plate.

• One zone won't get as hot as the others.
• It takes longer to heat than it used to.
• A gas burner won't light, or the pilot keeps going out.
• The plate is warped, cracked or won't hold seasoning.
• It shuts off on its own during service.