Just how THIN is the griddle plate on that Star unit?
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Usually a griddle plate is pretty thick. I can picture an element welding itself in place, but a good scraper or even a chisel should cast off the slag and old element fragments fairly efficiently to get it out of the way.
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If the bottom of the plate is damaged, just shift the position of the new element over a bit.
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Do you have a picture of how bad it is?
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Also, I suggest you replace the related thermostat as well. It took a pretty big electrical hit of current and may be damaged from the current flow well beyond its designed limits.