I love my griddle ! But needs to have better instructions . Griddle comes with a coating from factory , needs to be scrubbed off with soapy water don't heat griddle when scrubbing off coating .Then needs to be seasoned , which I thought it already come seasoned . I watched several videos on how to season. Most say to use a high temp oil , I used a great value oil seasoned to a low smoke 3 times some videos say high smoke . First cook was done with hash browns and onions ( do not eat ). I do not use a grill brick to clean . I scrape it down, do not use water or ice to clean will warp cooking surface. The griddle will stay black but won't effect cooks if cleaned properly, I learned a way to tell if griddle is seasoned properly is to melt a slice of cheese and it doesn't stick ,only thing I wished is that I had two different heating elements . My daughter n law loves how pancakes cook on it ! It is my main source of cooking . The spatulas are of decent quality. Recommend getting at least a 3 in paint scraper to clean with . They do make scrapers for griddle use but paint scraper works just as well and cheaper . If this is your first time using a griddle recommend getting meat weights for bacon, hamburgers etc ... Also for faster melts getting a dome . Guess this review is more for first time users . I've worked in restaurants so not I'm not a first time users .the only thing I thought was it came seasoned . You can order covers for it when not in use , I highly recommend if you have pets . My cats think it's a place to sleep . Next griddle I get will be bigger then the 18 in but for now it serves it's purpose. I've read many reviews about vevor some good some bad . I order it on July 1st and received it on the 5 th of July . Hope you find my review helpful .