How To Clean A Flat Top Grill: 12 Methods That Work

By
Jeremy Bivens
Jeremy Bivens
Research Writer
Jeremy Bivens is a passionate writer and grilling enthusiast. He's been working as a freelance journalist for over 15 years now and has a particular interest in food writing read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
Expert Consultant
Claims that grilling is the art that he has been learning all his life long and is not planning to stop. Has been grilling for as long as he can remember. Author of numerous read more
Last updated: August 14, 2023
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Anyone who cooks will agree on two things. Cooking can be fun but the cleaning afterward can be a nightmare! Cooking on your flat top grill can produce a wide variety of tasty meals and leave you with quite a mess to clean up afterward. So, is there a way on how to clean a flat top grill?

In today’s article, we’ll be looking at a few of the different, but effective ways to clean your flat top grill. We’ll be covering everything from soap to lemon juice!

What are flat top grills?

How To Clean A Flat Top Grill: 12 Methods That Work

Flat top grills are cooking appliances similar to griddles. The main difference between a griddle and a flat top is the heating element. In a flat top, the heating element is circular rather than straight.

This type of element makes an extremely hot surface creating a more even quicker heating process. Restaurants use flat top grills because of the minimal time it takes to cook a wide variety of foods.

Cleaning flat top grills aren’t complex at all. The trick is to clean your grill after every use so that there isn’t any grease and debris build-up. There are many ways to clean your flat top grill. You can use more conventional ways like soap and water, steam or even specialized flat top grill cleaners and bricks.

Ways of cleaning flat top grills

Cleaning your flat top grill after every use is the best way to ensure the grease and food debris don’t build up. The more it builds up, the harder it’ll be to clean off. Leaving food residue on your grill will also affect the flavor of the next food that’s cooked on it.

There are several ways to clean your grill. Most manufacturers have specialized scrapers, brushes and grill cleaner brands to keep their grills clean. However, there are also more natural ways to clean flat top grills that don’t involve any chemicals.

With grill cleaner

How To Clean A Flat Top Grill: 12 Methods That Work

Grill cleaner is a liquid that is sprayed onto the grill and after soaking for a few minutes can be wiped off. This type of cleaner removes grease and food debris.

A common grill cleaner is the Stera-Sheen Griddle & Flat Grill Surface Cleaner. This cleaner meets the US Safety Product Standards and is designed to thoroughly clean any grease off your flat top grill.

Without grill cleaner

If you don’t have grill cleaner, you might be wondering how to clean a flat top grill without grill cleaner. Well, the answer is quite simple. There are several ways to clean your flat top grill that involve items you probably already have around your kitchen. Some of these options are listed below.

Grill brick

How To Clean A Flat Top Grill: 12 Methods That Work

Since wire brushes can leave scratches on your grill, a better cleaning alternative is a grill brick. If you’re wondering how to clean a flat top grill with grill brick, it’s as easy as using a sponge. Grill bricks like the Avant Grub Store Grill Cleaning Brick is a great way of removing grime and grease from a hot flat top grill. The cleaning brick is non-toxic and doesn’t absorb the gunk it cleans.

Lemon juice

The citric properties of lemon juice Trusted Source Harvard researchers find ways to improve on soap and water – Harvard Gazette Harvard researchers have devised what they hope is a better way to disinfect hands, using tiny aerosolized nanodroplets of water and nontoxic disinfectants that not only leave hands sterile, but use so little water the hands stay dry. news.harvard.edu are excellent for cleaning everything around the kitchen. And your grill is no exception. If you’re thinking about how to clean a flat top grill with lemon juice, read on to see how easy it is:

  • Make a lemon and water mixture using one-fourth lemon juice and three thirds of water
  • Switch the grill onto the hot setting
  • Spray the lemon juice on and spread it around the grill
  • Spray enough of the solution on to form a paste with the grease
  • Switch the grill off and pour more lemon juice mixture on while the grill cools
  • Repeat if the stove is dirty
  • Drain the mixture off

Vinegar

How To Clean A Flat Top Grill: 12 Methods That Work

You’ve undoubtedly heard of the many uses of vinegar. But have you ever wondered how to clean a flat top grill with a vinegar solution? Simply follow these easy steps:

  • Mix a solution of vinegar and water (half of each)
  • Switch the grill on hot
  • Spray the vinegar mixture on the grill and spread it around with a grill brush
  • Repeat this about two or three times till the mixture and grease have formed a gunky mess
  • Switch the grill off and pour more of the vinegar mixture on the grill
  • The vinegar will wash the gunky mess off
  • Repeat the process if necessary
  • Drain

Dishwashing liquid

How To Clean A Flat Top Grill: 12 Methods That Work

The most conventional way of cleaning your flat top grill and pretty much anything else in your kitchen is by using dishwashing liquid and a sponge! If the drippings and other food debris aren’t baked onto the grill, it should come off quite easily. Many grill users believe this is the best way to clean a flat top grill.

Hot oil

Another easy way to clean your flat top is by using hot oil. Here’s how to do it:

  • Pour a small amount of oil on a hot grill
  • Use a grill brick and scrub in small circular motions to mix the oil with the grease
  • Use a grill brush to scrape everything off
  • Use a sponge to wipe off the residual grease

Onion

Have you ever considered using an onion to clean your flat top? Believe it or not, it does work!

  • Cut a large onion in half
  • While the grill is still hot, use the onion halves to scrub the grill surface
  • Using the onion will loosen any bits of chard meat that’s stuck on the grill
  • This is an effective way to clean trays as well and it adds an onion aroma too!

Steam

How To Clean A Flat Top Grill: 12 Methods That Work

If you’re considering how to clean a flat top without chemicals, you can easily do it with steam and a grill brush.

  • Switch the grill on high heat and use a grill brush to scrape away any drippings or debris
  • Sprinkle water and then spread it around using your grill brush
  • Add more water if necessary and continue scraping the drippings
  • Drain the liquid once all the drippings are loosened and scraped off

How to clean flat top grill by material

Depending on the type of grill you have, some cleaning solutions might be better than others. When selecting the methods and tools to use, always remember to use nonabrasive items. Using nonabrasive scrapers and brushes will ensure your flat top grill doesn’t get scratched.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel can be cleaned with the vinegar solution mentioned above. Alternatively, undiluted white vinegar sprayed liberally all over the grill will also do the trick. The second easiest way to clean your stainless steel flat top grill is to use the steam method listed above.

Chrome

How To Clean A Flat Top Grill: 12 Methods That Work

Most restaurants have chrome flat top grills. This begs the question, how to clean a restaurant flat top grill? To give your chrome grill a good deep clean, follow these simple steps:

  • Heat the grill to about 300 degrees
  • Use a griddle scraper to scrape the grease and food debris off the grill
  • Pour warm water on the grill and scrub grease off, but be sure to use a non-abrasive brush
  • Once the surface is cooled down, apply food-safe polish. Wipe the surface with a dry cloth.
  • Follow the polish manufacturer’s instructions to remove the polish with a damp cloth.
  • Re-season the grill with a layer of oil in preparation for the next use

How to clean a Blackstone flat top grill

One of the more popular flat top grills is the Blackstone 36” Cooking Station. It offers the avid cook 720sq inches of grilling, making it perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can easily cook pancakes, eggs, steak and even potatoes. This model is also equipped with a side shelf giving you a removable cutting board, paper towel holder and trash bag hooks.

If you’re considering this type of grill you might also be wondering how to clean a Blackstone flat top grill. The tip here is to coat your Blackstone surface with a thin layer of oil. Heat the griddle and allow the oil to set. Doing this will prevent food and grime from sticking to the grill surface.

After cooking, use a Blackstone scraper to scrape off any grease or food debris. Once the grill cools down, wipe it down with a cloth rinsed in warm water. Avoid chemicals and soap as this might degrade the surface over time. Ensure the grill is completely cooled down and dry before packing it away.

Final thoughts

With the above methods, you’ll definitely find a convenient way to keep your flat top grill clean and shiny. Perhaps try different methods until you find the one that cleans your grill the way you want. The key point to remember is to clean your grill after every use so that the grease and grime don’t build up. If you didn’t know how to clean a flat top grill before we hope this guide helped you find the best way to do it.

References

1.
Harvard researchers find ways to improve on soap and water – Harvard Gazette
Harvard researchers have devised what they hope is a better way to disinfect hands, using tiny aerosolized nanodroplets of water and nontoxic disinfectants that not only leave hands sterile, but use so little water the hands stay dry.

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