How to Clean an Electric Grill (10 Step Guide)

If you recently used your electric grill and are wondering how to go about cleaning it, then this article is for you.

In this TheGrillingDad.com guide, you will discover:

  • Why you should clean your electric grill
  • How to clean your electric grill
  • And much more!

What You Need to Know About Cleaning an Electric Grill

An electric grill is one of the most convenient types of grills that you can have since it does not require a lot of extra supplies and equipment to operate. In most cases, all you have to do is plug the grill in and fire it up.

As a part of cooking on an electric grill, it is important to make sure that you are keeping it clean and checking that it is working properly at all times. There is a risk of electric shock and other dangers that come from using a grill that is not at its best.

Here are a few things you need to know about cleaning an electric grill before you get started:

  • Clean your electric grill after every use to keep debris and other pollutants from messing up the internal parts of your grill.
  • Always unplug your grill before cleaning or doing other maintenance to avoid electric shock and/or fire.
  • Be careful not to get any water or other liquid on the heating element to keep it from malfunctioning.
  • If you have to take apart some of the components to clean them, make sure you put them back carefully to ensure that your grill continues to work properly.
  • Most importantly, always check your owner’s manual before cleaning so that you can learn about recommendations first.

While there are likely other things you should know about cleaning your electric grill, these are the most commonly overlooked. As simple as they are, many people neglect to take the time to find this information in their manual. As a result, the grill can be permanently damaged.

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Why Should You Clean an Electric Grill?

Most people know that cleaning your grill, whether you have a traditional charcoal grill or an electric one is a routine part of being a grill owner. This is because like other cooking surfaces, they must be cleaned and maintained to stay in perfect condition.

Check out these reasons you should keep your electric grill in top shape.

Cleaning Your Grill Reduces Major Maintenance Issues

Oftentimes, when a grill is not cleaned properly and often, debris and other particles can get stuck in various parts of the grill mechanisms. When this happens, the grill may not continue to function at its best.

Ensuring that your grill is cleaned after every use is one of the most important things you can do to keep your electric grill in excellent condition for years to come. In addition, if you are cleaning it regularly, you know to look elsewhere when a problem arises.

Food Will Have an Odd Taste

When you neglect to do a thorough cleaning on your grill after every use, you are not only risking damage to your unit but can severely reduce the quality of your future meals. This is because residue and debris that are left behind can hinder the taste of your foo

Using an electric grill to create amazing meals is not only convenient, but it can result in better flavor than being cooked traditionally. If your grill is not clean, however, it can compromise the quality of your meal.

Potential for Bacteria to Grow

Many times, people will clean the surface areas of their electric grill since they know that it is a best practice. However, what many neglects to consider is the possibility of debris and residue being lodged in the parts that sit below the surface.

When this happens, since your grill is outdoors, it can be exposed to higher temperatures which can lead to bacteria forming on it. Doing a thorough inspection and cleaning often can prevent this from happening.

Grease Build-up

Since most foods that you grill, especially meats, make their juices which are grease, leaving them behind on the grill can become both an eyesore and a fire hazard. Cleaning your electric grill regularly means that your grill will not only look good but it will be safe.

Grease can buildup not just on the surfaces that you can see, but also on the surfaces and nooks and crannies in between. This means that if you do not clean your grill, you can be risking the potential for a fire.

Keep the Critters Away

Since this is a grill that is meant for the outdoors, you must keep it clean to prevent any type of critter from taking up residence. Any food or debris that is left behind on the grill is an open invitation for rats, bugs, ants, and other critters to make their way to your grill.

Cleaning the electric grill regularly means that you are not leaving anything for critters to be attracted to, thus preventing them from making a home out of your grill. This is especially good advice when you are talking about the summer months when it is hot and they are looking for a place to cool off.

Supplies Needed to Clean an Electric Grill

Cleaning your grill can be as simple as gathering the proper supplies and then following a few simple steps to ensure that your electric grill is cleaned properly. It is important to read through your owner’s manual before using any cleaning products to ensure that it is safe for the surfaces.

Before you begin to clean, you will need to ensure that you have everything necessary to clean your grill properly. This is because the last thing you want to do when you start the cleaning process is to stop to get something else.

Check out this list of supplies you will need to clean your electric grill:

  • Vinegar can be used for many things, cleaning hard-to-reach areas is one of them. The natural acidity of vinegar works to break down grease and other residue leaving you with a clean and shiny surface.
  • Baking soda can be used as a natural abrasive that you can put on surfaces that have dried-on food. Mixing baking soda and vinegar can help you to clean those surfaces with ease. 
  • Dishwashing liquid is typically used as both a pre-cleaner and as a way to clean off the other cleaning products and any residue left behind. 
  • A non-abrasive sponge is typically used to apply and scrub the grill using the dishwashing liquid.
  • Paper towels come in handy for drying off the surfaces of your electric grill once you have finished cleaning them. Drying the grill means that there is less of a chance of rust forming on the parts that cannot be seen readily.
  • A rubber spatula can be used to clean out any debris that is on or around the grill before you begin the cleaning process. There mustn’t be any crumbs or other pieces that can keep your grill from being cleaned properly.
  • Non-abrasive brushes are perfect for cleaning those cooking surfaces that are non-stick since they can scratch easily. If those surfaces get scratched, it is less likely to keep food from sticking to the grill.
  • Stainless steel grill brushes come in handy for those stubborn areas of the electric grill where food is caked on. This can be especially hard work if it is been a while since you cleaned your grill.

While other people may use different or additional supplies to clean their electric grill, these are the most important to ensuring that your grill stays in top-notch condition.

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How to Clean an Electric Grill (in 10 Easy Steps)

When it comes to cleaning your electric grill, it is important to remember that this process should be done after every use. This is because of debris and other residue, once it is built up on your grill it can be harder to clean.

If you want to learn more about how to clean your electric grill, keep reading below.

Step 1: Follow All Safety Precautions First

As you are getting ready to clean the electric grill, certain precautions must be taken before you begin. This includes making sure that it is unplugged from the power source before doing anything. Additionally, you will want to ensure that you are not using any water products directly on the heating element of the grill.

Step 2: Check Your Owner’s Manual

Before you start the cleaning process on your electric grill, you will need to make sure that you have consulted with your owner’s manual before anything else. This is because certain grills require different types of processes and can be damaged with improper cleaning.

Step 3: Take the Grill Apart

As you begin the cleaning process, you will need to take all of the removable components apart so you can clean them individually. This is because most of the parts of the electric grill require a different type of cleaning from the one before.

Step 4: Remove All Crumbs

Before you begin to use any of the cleaning products, you will first need to ensure that all the crumbs and other debris are gone. You can use the rubber spatula to get into those hard-to-reach areas. 

Step 5: Do Your Pre-Cleaning

Using your dishwasher liquid and a non-abrasive sponge, you can wash down every surface of the grill. This will allow any crumbs that were left behind in the previous step to wash away on their own.

Step 6: Soak the Surfaces with Dried Food and Residue

Creating a mixture of baking soda and vinegar creates the perfect chemical reaction that has a way of removing dried-on food. Once mixed, all you have to do is pour it over those surfaces and allow it to sit while you clean the other components.

Step 7: Clean the Stainless Steel Cooking Surface

Using your non-abrasive brush and the dishwashing liquid, you can scrub down the cooking area with ease. You will need to be sure that you are not getting any of the liquid on the heating element, or it can cause it to stop working.

Step 8: Scrub Your Grill Grates

Using the stainless steel grill brush, gently scrub the surfaces of the grill grates that have the baking soda and vinegar mix. Since you have allowed it to sit for a bit, it should be easy to clean the components with ease.

Step 9: Final Wash and Rinse

After you have cleaned all of the surfaces and other areas of the grill, you can now give it a final cleaning with your dishwashing liquid and sponge. Make sure that you wash it down with the dishwashing liquid first, then give it a thorough rinse to make sure all the soap is off.

Step 10: Allow to Dry and Put Your Grill Back Together

The final step in the cleaning process is to give your grill time to dry completely before you put it back together again. Once dry, you need to make sure that all of the components are returned to their rightful place. You can always check with the owner’s manual to ensure that it has.

Additional Ways to Clean an Electric Grill

While the above steps are relatively straightforward, there are other ways that you can clean your electric grill. Some of the methods use some of the above information, however, most people suggest that you follow a few of these methods to see what suits you better.

Check out these additional methods to clean your electric grill:

  • Use the dishwasher to clean many of the removable components from your grill. Since they are all dishwasher safe, this can save some time and elbow grease during the cleaning process.
  • If you clean your electric grill regularly, then you may not have to do all of the cleanings in the same way. You may be able to just scrub the grill down with dishwashing liquid, warm water, and a sponge to clean out the debris. Make sure to allow the grill to dry completely before reassembling.
  • Other grilling experts suggest removing all of the parts and soaking them in the vinegar and baking soda mixture in a large basin. Once you have done this, then you can leave it for just a few hours to overnight, depending on how caked on the residue is.

Although there are other methods you can use to clean your electric grill, using some of these often yields the best results. This means that your grill can come in handy for many years to come. 

Pros and Cons of an Electric Grill

Most people are familiar with charcoal and gas-operated grills since they are more widely used than anything else. Electric grills only recently came onto the scene by those who say they are better for you than others. But, what exactly makes the electric grill better than other types of grills?

The electric grill is much more convenient than other grills since they do not require any of the components such as charcoal, or the need to refill the propane tank at the worst possible time. All the electric grill requires is that you have a power outlet in the vicinity of where you plan to keep your grill.

Check out these pros and cons of having an electric grill over any other:

Pros:

  • Provides a healthier food product
  • Easy to use
  • Heats up quickly
  • Safer than other grills since all you have to do is unplug it if something goes wrong
  • Less expensive than other grills

Cons:

  • Has to be placed near an electrical outlet
  • Depending on the usage, your electricity bill can increase
  • Can affect the taste of the food you are grilling

If you are looking for a grill that is less of a hassle and more convenient, look no further than an electric grill. These grills are so versatile that they come in a variety of sizes and while the most common is for the outdoors, also come in personal sizes for your kitchen.

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Final Thoughts on How to Clean an Electric Grill

The bottom line is that although cleaning a grill after every use sounds somewhat daunting and tedious, if you want to keep your grill in the best shape possible, then it is a task that must be done. If it is done following the steps above, the process can be much better handled.

The result of cleaning your electric grill regularly is that it will stay in much better condition in the long run, which means that it will last much longer than those grills that are not taken care of. This means that you will be able to keep your grilling going for a much longer period.

Photo of author

Hope Davis

Born in Denver, Colorado as the oldest of 5 children, I learned at a young age that the grill was one of the best ways to prepare food for a crowd. And during the winter storm months, when the snow was likely to knock out the power to our house, the propane grill was a lifesaver! You wouldn’t believe the number of things you can cook on a grill when necessary. With parents who couldn’t tell salt from pepper unless you told them, I spent my late teen years making my own seasoning mixes and marinades to dress the meat before barbecues. It wasn’t long before I developed a secret marinade that people still beg me to make for them today! When I was 21 years old I bought my first smoker. Picked up some cedar chips for making a cedar plank salmon...and well, the rest they say is history! I’ve been grilling and smoking all kinds of creations ever since and I’m always excited to share my passion with others through my favorite medium--writing!

1 thought on “How to Clean an Electric Grill (10 Step Guide)”

  1. We have a Char broil electric grill. It is hard to clean the enamel grates, the interior is hard to get hands in to clean. We bought the famous name, making assumptions it would be the best electric grill for our outdoor screened porch. We were wrong. Parts should all be plug in and out for cleaning and sanitation. Your designers can do better!

    Reply

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