Heat of the moment: How to clean a charbroiler

We know, you never meant to be so bad to… it.

An essential piece of restaurant equipment, a charbroiler will cook a variety of foods to perfection. Charbroilers provide those all too familiar markings on foods like steaks, vegetables and fish or chops that give them the classic smoky flavor, which so many people enjoy. Whether using a commercial electric or gas charbroiler, keeping flavors consistent and fresh largely depends on how well the unit is maintained.

Performing regular, deep cleanings on your charbroiler unit will indefinitely extend the life of the unit. It is recommended to clean the entire unit, including breaking down and removing parts, at least once a year. Performing daily cleaning tasks like scraping the iron grill top before and after use, and less often, washing and seasoning the grates is also essential to good maintenance.

Why do I need to keep my charbroiler clean?

There are many practical reasons why regular cleaning and care of your charbroiler is necessary. With each use, grease, fat and food particles accumulate on all sides of your grill and grates, as well as heating elements, heat shields and baffles.

Whether using a countertop or standing charbroiler, or as part of a burner range, the most important reasons include to clean them include:

• Passing health inspections
• Daily cleanings reduce the amount of residue and grease build-up and helps to prevent grease fires. Regular, deep cleanings help prevent more serious maintenance issues in the future.
• Food build-up reduces the quality of the food cooked. Keeping the grill clean means consistent, fresh-tasting food and avoiding grease fires.

How do I keep my charbroiler clean?

Items you may need:

• A good grill brush
• Cleaning gloves (sturdy rubber gloves are always better than general latex or plastic)
• Degreaser (spray)
• Warm water and soap

Cleaning an electric charbroiler

Always clean from the top down, to allow any particles to be caught in the grease trap and pans.

1. After cooking is finished for the day, let the charbroiler run on high for about 10 to 15 minutes to burn off grease. Make sure unit is completely cooled before performing any maintenance.
2. Brush and scrape the grates, top and bottom, and remove.

Brushing tip: It’s best to start brushing the debris off the grill plates first, scraping toward the back of the unit so the trough catches most of the particles. If the grill brush has a metal scraper on one side, it can be used to remove stubborn grease from the grill. A small wire brush can also be used to better clean between grates.

3. Remove side splash guards and grease trough. Clean with soap and water in the sink and let dry.
4. Clean the heat shield and baffles located under the grill top. A good degreaser can be used to clean both. If there is tough grease buildup, a tool with a sharp edge can be used to scrape off particles.
5. Remove water pan/grease pan. Wash pan in the sink with soapy water.
6. Give the inside of charbroiler a good wipe down with a wet towel. Reattach all parts.

Cleaning a gas charbroiler

Gas charbroilers come in two different types: lava rock and infrared. Infrared grills use radiants, which are long pieces of metal that sit above the burners and distribute heat evenly to the food cooked on the grill plates. Charbroilers that use lava rocks have a flat surface that sits on top of the gas with lava rocks placed on top. The rocks help control grill flare ups, reduce smoke and are great for improving heat distribution. These do burn out and it is recommended that they be changed when sandy residue starts to appear in the water pan.

• Let the charbroiler run on high for an additional 10-15 minutes after cooking is finished. Let cool for 30 minutes or wait overnight before cleaning.
• Scrape large particles from the iron grid with a scraper. Flip the grates and scrape the bottom as well. Remove and rinse in a sink with water. It is not advisable to use soap when cleaning cast iron parts.
• Remove splash guards and clean with degreaser. Clean all sides of the grill with degreaser as well. The same methods of cleaning an electric grill apply. If the grill uses lava rocks or ceramic stones, flip them regularly (weekly or monthly) to burn off grease.
• Remove and clean the heat shield (best if done on a weekly basis). Vacuuming debris that have accumulated in the burner boxes is also recommended, although it should be done carefully, using the hose attachment.
• Remove all water pans and clean in a sink with degreaser and/or soap and water. Fill with fresh water after cleaning. Always keep water in grease trays to prevent fires.
• Once everything is cleaned, reattach all components starting with the inside, out: heat shield, water pan/drip tray (with water), radiant and iron grates.

Should I season the iron grates?

I season the food, why should I season the grates? Just kidding. “Seasoning” is a term used to describe the action of rubbing cooking oil into the rods of the ceramic grill plates used with charbroilers. With a well-seasoned grill (or top grid), food is less likely to stick to the surface when cooking. It also helps to prevent rusting over time.

How to properly season a cast iron grid:

• Make sure all particles are scraped off and grid is clean. Remove grates from the charbroiler.

Pro tip: Grates generally only need to be scraped to be clean. If thoroughly cleaned in a sink, they will need to be seasoned again. It is best practice to deep clean iron grids once a month.

• Use a cloth to evenly coat the grates with canola oil, or any high-temperature oil, top and bottom.
• Place the grates back on the unit.
• Turn on charbroiler to high setting and heat for 30 minutes or until it stops smoking.
• Let grates cool before using.

If you leave grease and particle build up unchecked, keeping your charboiler working at maximum efficiency will be much harder. Excessively dirty heating elements and burners can lead to uneven heating and in some cases, fires. A small amount of regular maintenance can go a long way. Save yourself the energy and make sure your staff is cleaning the charbroiler/s regularly.

If you have any questions about your charbroiler warranty or if you are looking for the right type for your kitchen, give us a call at 404-752-6715 (ext. 2 for sales) or stop by our showroom in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross at 6286 Dawson Blvd NE. Our pros are here to help.