How to Clean a Flat Top Grill
Scrape, deglaze, scrub, and re-season a hot flat top griddle to strip stubborn carbon buildup and restore a slick, non-stick cooking surface.
This guide shows how to clean a flat top grill in 15-20 minutes. Start with initial dry scrape; follow the safety notes and step checkpoints below.
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Editable rough U.S. retail estimates. Estimated all listed: $62.00. Prices are planning estimates, not quotes — tax, store, brand, size and quantity will change them.
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- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap See 20-second demo if you want to understand it first.
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- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Heavy-duty griddle scraper
- ✓ Grill brick or abrasive scouring pad with handle
- ✓ Heat-resistant grill tongs
- ✓ Thick cotton bar towels
- ✓ Heat-resistant silicone gloves
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Warm water or club soda
- ✓ High-smoke-point cooking oil (canola or avocado)
- ✓ Lemon juice or white vinegar
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Wear heat-resistant gloves to protect against steam flare-ups and radiant heat.
- • Ensure the grease trap drawer is empty before pushing hot liquids into the trough.
- • Never pour large amounts of ice-cold water on an extremely hot thin plate to avoid warping.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Initial Dry Scrape
Set the griddle to low heat (approx. 300°F/150°C). Hold the heavy-duty scraper at a 45-degree angle with two hands and push loose food remnants and heavy grease forward into the grease trough.
- • Loose food chunks and thick grease pools cleared into the trough
- • Flat surface shows only baked-on residue without loose solids
- • Scraping with blade perpendicular (90 degrees) which can gouge the steel
Deglaze with Water and Steam Scrape
Pour roughly half a cup of warm water or club soda directly onto the hot surface to create steam. Immediately use the scraper to guide the boiling liquid and lifting carbon deposits toward the grease chute.
- • Brisk bubbling water lifting dark brown carbon off the surface
- • Liquid swept into the grease trough leaving damp, loosening residue
- • Pouring too much cold water at once and causing excessive steam blowback or thermal shock
Scrub with Grill Brick or Pad
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil or a splash of lemon juice onto the warm surface. Press the grill brick or abrasive pad flat against the steel and scrub in tight circular motions until the silver metal shines through.
- • Black carbon turning into a slurry and revealing bare steel underneath
- • Consistent circular scrub patterns covering edge-to-edge
- • Scrubbing dry without oil or liquid lubricant, which wears out the brick prematurely
Squeegee and Wipe Down
Use the scraper blade as a squeegee to push all dirty slurry into the grease trap. Take a damp folded cotton bar towel held firmly with tongs and wipe the entire surface until the cloth picks up no dark residue.
- • Bare, clean steel surface with a bright metallic sheen
- • White or light towel coming back clean after a swipe
- • Holding the cloth directly with bare fingers on the hot steel
Re-Season and Protect
Turn off the heat. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of high-smoke-point oil onto the warm griddle and spread it into an ultra-thin, even layer across the entire cooking surface with a dry towel held in tongs.
- • Uniform, micro-thin glossy sheen across the entire griddle plate with zero pooling
- • Leaving puddles of oil which will turn gummy and sticky when cooled
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by acooknamedMatt — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Grill brick? Coarse scouring pad held securely with cooking tongs
- No Heavy-duty griddle scraper? Stiff metal putty knife or heavy stainless steel bench scraper