SPARQ Soapstone Griddle Review

Back in 2012 I was given the opportunity to do a review on the Soapstone Griddle by SPARQ USA. Which I was pretty intrigue in doing this review since I have never heard of the Soapstone Griddle before and I was very anxious in try this griddle and writing this review.  Well two days ago I receive the griddle in the mail and let me tell you they took great care in the packing the griddle so no damage would incur during transit.

The SPARQ Griddle is made of Soapstone and is pretty heavy in weight and is extremely well built. Just looking at this griddle you can tell lots of care was taken in manufacturing and its designed.  What is really nice about this griddle it can be used on any BBQ, Oven, and cook top stoves!

Here's  some very impressive features this Soapstone griddles has:

1. It is rated to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit which is very impressive which means you will not have to worry about the Soapstone cracking on your BBQ;

2. It has grooves on one side of the stone which can be used for grilling meat, fish, etc...

3. The grooves design on the SPARQ griddles are self basting creating a non-stick surface, and gets rid of non wanted fats;

4. The soap stone retains heat extremely well and has even heat cooking area which is actually pretty amazing;

5. Using the SPARQ griddle you will not have to worry about any flare ups;

6.  This stone is actually pretty energy efficient and will save you money on propane or charcoal. What is really impressive is that you can actually bring the stone up to desired cooking temperature on the BBQ and ounce the temperature is reached you can turn off the BBQ and the Stone will stay warm long enough to cook your steaks on it. It actually retains the heat very well and for a long period of time! (It took 38 minutes before the stone actually started to cool off!!) Another energy saving point about this griddle is that when you open the lid on your BBQ the temp will be restored a lot quicker in your pit due to the Soapstone ability to retain heat.

7. You can actually warm up the SPARQ griddle to desired temperature on your BBQ or stove and place the heated stone on a grill on your table to keep your food warm. But ensure that you actually use very well insulated glove or pot holders to do this task and handle with care since this tone is actually quite heavy;

8. It is actually non-stick after being seasoned which we will talk about later in this review;

9. You can sear steaks at very high temperature using this griddle and it will also produce nice sear marks;

10. The other side of the griddle is flat surface which you can use to cook pancakes, pizza, eggs, etc...

11. You will also notice that food cooks allot faster on this griddle;

12. Another very cool feature is that you can put this stone in the freezer and use it as a cold serving tray for sushi or raw meats;

13. It can also be used as a cutting board on the flat side of the griddle.

14. the Soapstone griddle contains no Teflon or other Dangerous Chemicals and will not rust like other griddles.

15. Soapstone is inert to acids, chemicals and obviously, heat.

The only issues that I found using this Soapstone griddle was its heavy weight and the process of seasoning the griddle which took half a day to get done but don't let that fool you!

Here's how you get the SPARQ griddle seasoned:

Step 1

Scrub your Griddle with soap and water then dry.

Step 2

Bake the SPARQ griddle in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Turn off the oven and let the griddle cool down for 4 hours in the oven.

Step 4

Bake the SPARQ griddle in the oven again at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Step 5

Turn off the oven and let the griddle cool down for 2 hours in the oven.

Step 6

Apply a thin coat of good quality olive oil and bake for another 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now your griddle is ready for some action on your BBQ!

After using the griddle for a few cooks I highly recommended you to use a laser thermometer to check the stone for proper cooking temperature. In doing this it will prevent you from burning your food accidentally due to your stone being actually warmer then you tough it was! This is what actually happened to me on the first cook using it:). What I really liked about cooking with the Soapstone griddle was its uniform heat distribution, that its naturally non porous, odorless and tasteless, and will not alter the taste of your food in any way or shape.

I found the food to cook a lot faster and evenly using this griddle! Hamburgers actually cooks all the way through without burning them which is very helpful for the novice BBQer. What I really didn't like is the actual weight of the stone when handling it which is minor. I was quite surprise to see that the Soapstone griddle actually work a lot better than cast iron griddle. I made breakfast using the flat side of the griddle and let me tell you it made the perfect golden pancakes every time and my kids were in heaven.

Cleaning of the SPARQ Soapstone Griddle:

They are pretty easy to clean, dish soap and warm water can be used to wash the stone. For tough grime you can use a scrubby or a SKRAPR from TheSkrapr.

Conclusion

The SPARQ Soapstone griddle was very impressive, versatile and fun to use on my Joe.  I really liked the fact that it actually save you money on propane and charcoal, its ability to retain heat for long period of time, its uniform heat distribution and its versatility. What is also a nice feature is that it can be used has a cutting board when not used for cooking. The griddle is actually non-stick after being seasoned but it's always a good practice to apply a light coat of good quality Olive oil before each cook. What is also really nice is that on a rainy day you can grill inside your house or apartment on your own stove!

The stone is quite heavy in weigh so extra care handling the stone is recommended. Also ensure you use well insulated gloves or pot holders while handling the griddle when hot! Over all the SPARQ Soapstone griddle is highly recommended and it will definitely impress you! I give this soapstone rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

You can find more info on them on there website: SPARQ USA

Where to buy: SPARQ USA STORE

Contact info:

SPARQ USA
901 S. Jason St
Unit B
Denver, CO. 80223

Phone:
303-800-6591

Happy Grilling!