How To Clean BBQ Plates

Barbeques are an Australian favourite. Many afternoons are spent in the backyard or in a park grilling away and enjoying good food. There are a few types of BBQ plates available, cast iron grill plates, cast iron hotplates or stainless steel hotplates. These need different techniques to get them clean.

While it can take a bit of elbow grease and might seem a bit complex at first, using the right tools and techniques will make cleaning them a breeze

Get the right cleaning tools

The best way to get clean BBQ plates is to have the right equipment that makes this process easy. You will need a pair of long sleeved heat resistant gloves, spatula (metal or plastic or wooden), barbeque tongs, a heavy duty scotch brite pad and a bucket and water with mild detergent and a sponge.

(a)  Long sleeved heat resistant gloves.

Great for protection while cleaning or handling greasy or hot bbq plates and grills.

(b) Spatula (metal or plastic or wooden)

A spatula is one of the most popular BBQ plate cleaning tools. Wooden and plastic spatulas are better to use on a Teflon coated plate to avoid damaging the cooking surface. Metal spatulas are best suited to stainless steel plates and cast iron plates. If you are using a ribbed cast iron plate, wooden spatulas are the go. Over time wooden scrapers form to the shape of the ribs and make for easy cleaning.

(c)   BBQ tongs

BBQ thongs are used for protection while you’re cleaning your BBQ plates. You do this by holding the cleaning cloth using BBQ thongs. Aluminium BBQ thongs do not last as long as steel ones so it is a good idea to invest in steel BBQ thongs as they will save you money in the long term.

(d) Heavy duty scotch brite pad

Using a cleaning pad with more open pores, means it wont get clogged up as easily and is easier to rinse out. 

(e)  Bucket, detergent, sponge

The last items on the list are a bit self-explanatory but still need to be mentioned. These – bucket, water, sponge, and detergent - ensure that you get glistening clean plates after every BBQ you have.

Cleaning BBQ Plates 101

Cleaning a Teflon coated or non stick coated plate: Simply give it a wipe down with a damp sponge or paper towel. If there is some food or marinade stuck to the surface, heat the plate up to cooking temperature (180-190 degrees C) and while wearing your long sleeve heat resistant gloves pour a dash of water on it then give it a wipe down. This should release the food from the surface. Never use abrasive pads or metal spatulas on non-stick cookware.

Cleaning cast iron plates/ porcelain enamelled plates: Using a spatula scrape any excess food or marinades off the plate. Then while the plate is still warm (not hot) give it a scrub with a scotch brite pad and some water and then wipe clean. Or if you wish to clean both sides of the plate you can remove the plate and place it in a bucket with a mild detergent and clean it that way. 

Cleaning a Stainless Steel bbq plate: Using a metal spatula scrape any excess food or marinades off the plate. Then heat the plate up to cooking temperature (180-190 degrees C) and while wearing your long sleeve heat resistant gloves pour a glass of water over the cooking surface and use a spatula to move the water around and clean the plate, (repeat if necessary) If further cleaning is needed, let the plate cool then you can use a scotch brite pad and water and give the plate a rub over.

Should it still require more cleaning or you wish do it the easy way from the start you can us a stainless steel cleaner like topnotch’s Super Clean which is a simple wipe on, heat up, let it cool and wipe it off process.

Looking for new BBQ plates? Check out our extensive collection of stainless steel BBQ plates.