Electric griddles are useful kitchen appliances that are portable and versatile. You can prepare almost anything on an electric griddle, from pancakes to burgers and more. However, this also means that your griddle will accumulate grease, and food particles through repeated use. Thus, you may need to clean your electric griddle thoroughly before it gets too dirty.
It’s pretty simple to clean an electric griddle. You start by unplugging it, cleaning the drip tray, cleaning the griddle surface, cleaning around the heating elements, and then drying it. After that, all you need to do is reattach the griddle parts and store them safely.
In this guide, we’ll go through each step in detail so you know how to clean your electric griddle properly. We’ll also share some insightful tips and tricks to avoid damaging it while cleaning or operating it. Let’s get to it!
1. Unplug & Detach the Electric Griddle
The first step to cleaning your electric griddle is to unplug it from the socket. Cleaning appliances, including electric griddles, that are still plugged in can be dangerous to your health and potentially lead to electric shock.
If your electric griddle is still hot, wait a few minutes until it has cooled down to room temperature before attempting to clean it. Once the griddle has cooled down, you should detach its heating element and remove the drip tray. This allows you to thoroughly clean each one of these parts individually.
2. Clean the Drip Tray
Drip trays are compartments that are located near the griddle’s edge. Their purpose is to catch excess grease and oil from food that runs off the griddle tray surface during the cooking process.
It’s important to clean this drip tray as bacteria can develop in the grease and spread to other parts of the griddle if left alone for many days. The process of cleaning this drip tray is relatively straightforward and we’ll explain it all below.
Cleaning Instructions
It’s advisable that you clean your drip tray using tough degreasing dish soap. We recommend Dawn Dish Soap or anything similar, as these products are formulated to lift and dissolve grease quickly without damaging the griddle’s parts.
Here’s how you can use Dawn Dish Soap to clean the drip tray of your electric griddle:
- Remove the drip tray from the griddle and dispose of the excess grease safely.
- Place the drip tray under a tap and run hot water over it.
- Wet a sponge and apply a small quantity of dish soap to its soft side.
- Use the sponge’s soft side to scrub the drip tray and rinse with water until the grease is gone.
- Use your fingers to check for any grease that may have remained on the drip tray’s corner and repeat the steps if needed.
- Dry the drip tray with a soft cloth or a paper towel.
3. Clean the Electric Griddle Surface
Once the drip tray has been cleaned, you can start cleaning the electric griddle surface. To do this, you will need baking soda, concentrated dish soap, a clean and nonabrasive kitchen sponge, and water. You can also opt to wear gloves if you have sensitive skin, as the concentrated dish soap may irritate your skin.
Cleaning Instructions
If your griddle has been stained by burnt food particles, you might not be able to clean it properly using the soft side of the sponge. In this situation, you will need to rely on a safe and natural scrub, such as a paste made from baking soda and water.
If your griddle doesn’t have burnt food particle stains, you can skip this step and move on to the next one.
- Start by applying baking soda to the stained portions of the electric griddle surface. Add a small quantity of water on top to form a thick paste.
- Use the soft side of your sponge to scrub the paste in rapid circular motions until each stain is gone.
- Rinse off the baking soda paste by running the electric griddle under the water. Ensure the water doesn’t come in contact with the griddle’s heating element during this step. You should also wash and squeeze out the sponge to rid it of any baking soda before proceeding to the next cleaning step.
- Add a small amount of dish soap to the electric griddle’s surface and scrub it clean with the soft side of the sponge.
- Continue this process until all the grease has been removed from the surface.
4. Clean Around the Heating Element
Once you are done cleaning the griddle’s surface, you will need to clean around the heating element. This step is necessary because tiny grease droplets tend to form and accumulate around this heating element while you are cooking.
Water can damage this heating element, so you will need to clean it using only dish soap and a clean kitchen towel.
Cleaning Instructions
Cleaning around the heating element without using water can be tricky, so you will need to scrub with extra effort to get the job done. Be sure to avoid getting soap on the heating element’s metal portions and focus on the areas around them instead.
- Take a clean kitchen towel and add a few drops of dish soap. A small amount of dish soap is more than enough for this job, so be conservative with the amount you use.
- Use the dish soap-laden kitchen towel and scrub around the heating element.
- Once you have loosened and removed all the grease, you can wipe the soap residue away using a fresh and clean kitchen towel.
- Repeat this process until all the areas around the heating element are clean and free of grease.
5. Dry the Electric Griddle
Now that the griddle is clean, you will need to dry it properly. You can do this in one of two ways. The first method is to simply leave it out to air-dry naturally, while the other method involves using a dry lint-free cloth.
We recommend using a lint-free cloth because it will absorb and remove tap water and any traces of the potential staining minerals the water contains. To dry your griddle using this method, simply take the cloth and run it over the electric griddle’s surfaces.
This includes the individual components such as the drip tray, griddle surface, and the areas around the heating element.
6. Reattach the Electric Griddle Parts
Once all the griddle parts are dry, you can reattach them to the electric griddle. This means placing the drip tray back in its slot and reattaching the griddle surface on top of the heating element. Ensure that all parts are securely in place.
7. Store the Electric Griddle
It is important to store your electric griddle properly to prevent it from accumulating dust. Some people opt to place it back in its box, while others prefer to store it in their kitchen cupboard. If you decide to store your electric griddle elsewhere, you should ensure the storage location is cool and dry.
Tips To Avoid Damaging Your Electric Griddle
You will need to take care of your electric griddle to ensure it remains in good working condition for a long time. This includes knowing how to operate and clean it to prevent irreversible damage from occurring.
In this section, we will cover some important tips and tricks on the cleaning process to ensure that your electric griddle will last for years to come.
- Don’t Wash Your Electric Griddle In the Dishwasher – A dishwasher will damage your electric griddle’s heating element. The detachable components such as the griddle surface and drip tray also shouldn’t be cleaned in a dishwasher as its heavy-duty cleaning process can damage their surfaces.
- Only Use Silicone, Nylon, Or Wooden Utensils When Cooking – Metal utensils will ruin the electric griddle’s non-stick coating and leave permanent scratches. It also makes it much harder to clean the non-stick surface. As such, you should always opt to use softer heat-safe utensils made from silicon, nylon, or wood instead.
- Don’t Use Steel Wool To Wash Off Stains – Steel wool is a harsh cleaning tool that will strip the griddle’s non-stick coating and leave irreversible scratches. This is why you should use a sponge’s soft side for cleaning instead.
- Clean the Electric Griddle Immediately After Cooking – You can prevent grease buildup by cleaning your electric griddle immediately after each use. This will make the cleaning process easier and won’t require you to remove tough stains as often.
About Sirinan
Sirinan is a self-proclaimed cleanaholic and the editor-in-chief of Cleaney. Apart from coming with up creative ways to keep her living spaces clean and tidy, she loves to read on rainy days.