How to Clean Electric Grills Easily: A Brief Guide

Grilling is a fun activity, but if you want your electric grill to last long and grill flavorful meat, you have to make sure it is properly cleaned. By keeping your grill clean and well-maintained, you can also add to its lifespan. If you are wondering how to clean electric grills the easiest way possible, then you have come to the right place.

There are mainly two types of electric grills: the small, indoor ones and the bigger versions made for outdoor use. The latter can be a bit time-consuming to clean due to its size, but there are techniques you can follow to go about it. (If you want to accurately monitor your electric grill’s real time power consumption, you should check this power meter out. It’s small, and can be plugged in to use right away.)

So how to clean electric grills? Here are 6 steps in breif to help you summarize:

1. Shut the grill off and unplug it

2. Use a rubber spatula to clean small indoor grills, and use a stainless steel brush for outdoor grills.

3. Remove the drip tray and empty it. Clean it thoroughly with a sponge/rag and soap.

4. Dry the grill and drip tray with a cloth or paper towel.

5. Wipe the lid of your electric grill with a damp cloth.

Down below we will go into more details for each step and provide some extra tips to help you clean your electric grills easier.

How to Clean Electric Grills

Depending on the frequency in which you use your grill, it gets all greasy pretty quickly. Thus, it needs a good cleaning every now and then, not only for sanitation purposes but also to keep it from affecting the taste of your grilled food.

Here is a simple step-by-step process as well as tricks and tips, that you can follow to clean your electric grill.

Step 1

First of all, you need to shut the grill off and unplug it. Let it cool for a while before starting to clean it. In fact, it is best if you clean it sometime after use when it is still a little bit warm. This first step is important for your safety.

Step 2

For small indoor grills, you can use a rubber spatula to scrape off any leftover food bits from the grill plate. This is the spatula that usually comes with these grills, but you can use any you may have in your kitchen. Do not scrape it with a scouring pad as it can damage the non-stick layer.

If you want to clean outdoor grills, you can use a stainless steel brush as it is more rugged and, thus, more effective. You should scrape it while it is a bit warm so that the meat stuck to the grates comes off easily. The removable liner in outdoor electric grills should be removed and scraped with a rubber spatula as well.

Step 3

Now comes the washing part as you need to thoroughly clean the removable parts of the electric grill with a sponge and dish soap. The grill on your indoor electric grill may not be removable. Simply clean it with a wet sponge with a little bit of dish soap. Make sure you have not removed the drip tray when cleaning the grill over it.

On the outdoor grills, you can remove the grates and inner linings to wash with water and soap. Thoroughly wash them with soapy water and scrape as needed. If you are washing it after a long time, it may be hard to remove all the grease. That is why it is recommended that you clean it regularly, especially the removable parts.

Step 4

Once you have washed the grill, you can remove the drip tray and empty it. Now clean it thoroughly with a sponge/rag and soap.

Depending on the model of electric grill you have, it may be possible to wash the grill or tray in a dishwasher. Check the user manual of your electric grill to follow the proper steps of washing these parts in a dishwasher. However, you should still scrape off the surfaces with a rubber spatula before putting them in the washer.

Step 5

Once the grill and drip tray are squeaky clean, you should dry them with a cloth or paper towel. Make sure it is completely dry when you put it back into the grill.

Step 6

You should also wipe the lid of your electric grill with a damp cloth. Do not submerge it in water and only use soft rags to clean it.

Pro Tip: You will need to clean your grill manually with a minimal amount of water. Only the removable parts can be submerged in water. Never immerse the entire unit in water or spray a lot of water on it. It is an electric appliance that is not waterproof and submerging it in water may ruin the heating element of the grill.

Cleaning the Exterior

Even though the grill is the part that gets dirty most frequently, it is equally important to clean the exterior of the grill especially the one that is used outdoors. You can use a damp cloth to wipe the surfaces.

If there is a grease splash, you can use oil and a grease cleaner to clean it off. Just spray it on the rag and rub it on the problem spots to remove the grease from the surface.

Do not use damp cloth near the electrical components of the grill. Make sure it is completely dry if you are about to use it right after cleaning it.

The Vinegar and Baking Soda Therapy

If you are one of those grillers who grill a lot and clean a lot less, this small tip might be very useful for you. Your electric grills grates might have a lot of grease and meat leftovers caked-on to be cleaned by a regular sponge. Obviously, you do not want to scrape it with steel wool.

There is one way around this, and that involves vinegar and baking soda. Simply mix 2 cups of vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda to create a natural yet effective cleaning solution. If you have a tray bigger than the grate, then put the vinegar mixture in it and leave it for a few minutes to allow it to do its magic.

Alternatively, you can use a plastic bag to put the mixture in the grate and tie the bag tightly. Let it sit overnight, and all the grease and residue will come off by itself. Afterward, you can simply remove it from the bag or tray and give it a good rinse with soap.

Alternative Ways of Cleaning Your Grill

There is another way you can clean the grill without needing to remove the parts and washing them with soap. It is relatively simple and easy process, so you can do it right after using your grill. Here is how it is done.

• After you have used the grill, unplug it.
• Remove the grate and put a layer of aluminum foil under it.
• Put the grate back in and shut the lid down.
• The grill is still hot, and when you close the lid, the leftovers and oil will melt and drop into the foil.
• After a few hours, remove the foil and discard it.

This may not clean it entirely, but it will take a lot of time off scrubbing it to remove all that grease and meat pieces stuck to the grate.

Final Words

Now that you know how to clean electric grills, make sure to clean it after every use or at least after using it two to three times. In this way, you can rest assured that you will be able to use it for years to come.