A flat-top grill is used for cooking purposes and is usually round-shaped, but apart from that, many other rectangular shapes come in handy as well. It serves the same purpose as a normal cooking grill; however, it has a flat surface for uniform distribution of heat to the utensil for proper cooking of food.
It is certainly human to err, and sometimes the food gets spilt on the grill, or it becomes naturally rusty with time. Now the main problem of efficient and effective cleaning arises. In this article, I will mention an effective, step-by-step guide on how to clean a flat top grill.
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Steps For How To Clean a Flat Top Grill
There are numerous ways in which we can clean a flat top grill; we will mention some of them below.
1. Cleaning Using Liquid Soap
Things required:
- Liquid Dish Soap
- Sponge or Kitchen Cloth
Sometimes Oil or food residuals can get spilt on the stove. An easy and effective way is to use any liquid or dishwashing soap for cleaning.
All one has to do is to dissolve a few pumps of liquid soap into a small amount of water and pour it over the stove and then clean it up by using a kitchen cloth or a sponge.
2. Cleaning Using Soda and Hard Bristle Brush
Things required:
- Caustic Soda
- Hard Bristle Cleaning Brush
A lot of times, food residuals stick to the surface and are very hard to remove with normal techniques. For this purpose, soda is used to clean the surface effectively.
All you have to do is to sprinkle a few tablespoons of soda on the stove and add 10-12 drops of water and spread it evenly with the help of the brush and let it sit for a while.
The food would become moist after some time and would easily come off using a hard bristle brush.
3. Using Acid Based Cleaners
Things required:
- Lemon Juice or Vinegar
- Absorbent Cloth
Acid-based cleaners are a much more effective way of cleaning kitchen utensils. Lemon Juice contains citric acid, whereas vinegar contains acetic acid, and both of these can be used as stove cleaners.
Any of these liquids can be mixed with water for dilution, and they become ready to use. The residual liquid after cleaning can be wiped off using any clean and absorbent cloth.
4. Using Hot Water
Things required:
- Heated Water
- Absorbent Cloth
One of the prime and easy ways to scrape off stuck food is using hot water. One simply has to pour hot water over the grill that is a little cooler than boiling water (for it can severely damage the appliances).
Let the water rest for a while; the food becomes moist and starts to come off after a few minutes. The remains can be wiped off using any stove friendly cloth.
5. Making Use of Steel Wool:
Things required:
- Steel Wool
If the food becomes very hard to take off, just like dried spilt milk or tea leaves, steel wool serves as an effective medium to clean the surface. We simply have to rub the steel wool over the stove, and the food starts to come off. However, steel wool can damage the polish of the surfaces due to constant rubbing.
6. Using a Market Degreaser
Things required:
- Degreaser Liquid Spray
- Butter Knife
- Absorbent Cloth
All of the ways mentioned above were making use of things that are easily accessible at home. However, if a person has access to a nearby market, he or she can definitely use a ready-made degreaser liquid. It usually comes in the form of a spray bottle and is very easy to use. The person simply has to spray it over the stove and clean the surface using a butter knife and a clean cloth to finish it off.
7. Making Use of Oil
Things required:
- Any sort of Oil except crude Oil.
- Pumice stone.
Oil can be effectively used to clean a flat top grill as well. However, the methodology involves the use of a pumice stone as well, but the use of the stone is subjected to the durability of the grill. If the grill is durable, only then this method can be used.
Heat up the Oil moderately and pour it over the surface and use a pumice stone to rub over it. The residual food starts coming off after a few movements.
But, all the methods mentioned above are the primary and momentary methods of cleaning the grill immediately after something is dropped on it. However, sometimes, over time, the grill starts to give an overall dirty look or rust starts to accumulate in different corners of it. This is when it requires in-depth cleaning.
In-depth cleaning of the flat top grill
Here is a step by step easy demonstration on how to deep clean a flat top grill:
- Heat the grill by turning on the stove.
- While the stove is hot, pour warm water over it and be very careful in the attempt.
- Turn off the heat and let the surface cool down a little bit to the extent that it can be treated.
- Use a hard bristle brush or cleaner and try to scrape off every bit of dirt or debris from the surface.
- Drain out any residual oils.
- Use a clean cloth to wipe off any excess water before putting the stove back into place.
Moreover, the intensity of cleaning depends upon the material of the grill.
If the grill is durable and made up of stainless steel, any cleaning method can be applied to it without the fear of ruining its finishing. However, if the grill is made up of chrome or any other soft material, its polish can get destroyed easily. Hence it should never be exposed to harsh cleaning mechanisms. It should be treated very gently to make the most out of it in the long run.
The grill must be kept and used with care to increase its durability. Harsh usage can destroy the quality of things before their actual lifetime comes to an end.