Electric griddles nowadays are a very common and useful appliance we see in every kitchen. Also how to clean an electric griddle is a common question for everyone. It’s effortless to use, doesn’t take up too much space, and features different functionalities. You can make pancakes, use them for grilling, and other frying purposes, or even cook steaks too.
Every day, as we use it to prepare all kinds of food, food particles, and greases tend to build up on the griddle’s surface very quickly.
Over time, this grease can reduce the functionality and performance of your griddle. There is a chance of food poisoning if you keep preparing food on top of those old food particles and greases.
To prevent all that from happening, what you need to do is clean your electric griddle. This way, you can keep your griddle in excellent condition for a long time.
Cleaning an electric griddle is a lot easier than people usually perceive. It’s a relatively easy job that can be done with a few household items we usually have available at home. In this article, we are going to show you how you can do it the right way. Just follow the detailed tutorial below on how to clean an electric griddle, and you are good to go.
Table of Contents
How To Clean An Electric Griddle Steps By Steps
Now that we know what we’ll need to clean our griddle, let’s get the actual process done with 10 easy steps.
- Step 1: Start by heating your griddle first, set it on low heat. The heat will make the grease come off quickly. Then, disconnect the power.
- Step 2: Before you get to the cleaning process, don’t forget to plug out the griddle. Keep in mind that we are dealing with electric appliances here and safe handling must be ensured at every step. Lack of carelessness can cause big accidents or even fire hazards.
- Step 3: After the surface is hot enough, use a flathead spatula to remove the grease. Make the scraping slow so that you don’t damage the nonstick or whatever surface your griddle has.
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- Step 4: When your griddle is hot and using a spatula to remove the grease after plugging the griddle out, we strongly recommend using a heat-resistant glove. It will save your hand from accidental heat injuries from touching the griddle.
- Step 5: Let the griddle cool down first. Now wipe the surface with a paper towel or a piece of cloth to remove the oils, remaining grease, and other visible sticky stuff.
- Step 6: Depending on what you have available and how deep the grease is, you can use dishwashing liquid, baking soda, white vinegar mixture, or a degreaser. You may not have a degreaser at home as we don’t usually use it.
If you want to buy some, get Stera-Sheen Griddle & Flat Grill Surface Cleaner. It’s water-based, non-toxic, and contains no acid, so it’s safe to use on a griddle.
- Step 7: Except for the degreaser, make a cleaning solution using white vinegar and baking soda or dishwashing liquid combined with warm water.
- Step 8: Using a sponge, rub off the griddle surface slowly with pressure. Use any of the cleaning solutions mentioned in step 6 with the sponge.
- Step 9: After you scrubbed the surface, leave it for a few minutes. Again scrub with the sponge and cleaning solutions. Repeat the process until you get the desired result.
- Step 10: Finally, when you think it’s clean enough, let it dry in the open air and wipe it off with a paper towel.
Tools Required
- Piece of cloth/ sponge
- Warm water with dishwashing liquid/ soap
- Heat resistant gloves
- Flat-head spatula (Preferable a wooden or plastic one)
- Degreaser
- Baking Soda
- White vinegar
You won’t need all of these tools here; most of the tools mentioned are alternatives to one another.
Preventing Grease Buildup
Now that we made cleaning your griddle easy, you must be thinking about how you can keep your griddle grease-free as long as possible.
We know how boring cleaning can be after a long cooking session or when we are in a hurry and don’t have time to clean. We usually leave it for later, and that’s how the grease buildup starts slowly.
Whatever the reason is, basic daily cleaning will save you a lot of time than a detailed cleaning after months or weeks of use. As you are not letting grease build up on your griddle’s surface, it also makes your griddle more efficient. At least try to wipe it with a paper towel to remove the remaining food/ oil/ grease.
Tips For A Perfect And Clean Electric Griddle
- Clean the griddle right after the purchase and right before using it. Not just the burnt or greased griddles need cleaning.
- Before purchasing an electric griddle, check the purchase description thoroughly and get a good idea about surface material and cleaning instructions.
- Choosing a griddle with the right surface can go a long way in keeping the griddle clean. Try to get one with a nonstick surface as foods tend to stick less on nonstick.
- Don’t put your griddle in a dishwasher even if the manual permits. The dishwasher can’t clean a burnt griddle or deep grease buildup.
- Try to avoid metal spatulas if you have any surface that’s anything other than iron or metal. For nonstick surfaces, use a wooden or plastic spatula.
- After every cooking session, try to do a quick clean of the surface. Even a wipe with a paper towel will do the job.
- If you don’t have time to clean it every day for some reason, make sure you perform an extensive cleaning on a monthly or weekly basis.
- Avoid using chemical solutions bought from outside as they can be harmful to your health and damage the griddle’s surface. Homemade cleaning solutions with a sponge can do a lot better job in most cases.
Conclusion
We all love how an electric griddle makes our life so much easier and makes cooking convenient for us. When it comes to cleaning, things get a little different as very few people look forward to cleaning it regularly.
It may take time at first, but once you get used to it and use the right tools and procedure, cleaning your griddle can be quick and effortless. We hope our guide on how to clean an electric griddle helps you keep your griddle shining like new in years to come.
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