I got a Blackstone for Christmas, and chances are a lot of you did too—so in this video I cover the very first thing you should do: season it. I keep it simple on purpose because there’s no reason to overcomplicate this. These griddles are plain, bare cold-rolled steel with no synthetic coating, so if you leave it out in the elements it’ll rust fast. The whole goal here is to build that protective, non-stick layer so you can cook on it and keep it from turning into a rusty mess. I walk you through everything step-by-step, and you’ll want about 45 minutes free. I start by cleaning the cooktop with soap and water to get off the shipping grease and grime, then drying it as best as possible before firing it up. After that, I heat it for about 15 minutes until it’s good and hot and the color starts changing (that’s normal). Then I apply thin, even coats of seasoning oil (I used Blackstone’s conditioner, but you can use most cooking oils), wiping it across the top, sides, and even the outside edges. Let each coat smoke off for around 15 minutes, and repeat 3–4 times. Don’t overthink it—keep cooking on it and it’ll keep seasoning itself over time.