Have you ever thought about why it is important to clean your Pit Boss Griddle? Well, if you haven’t, you surely need to. Cleaning your grill is of utmost importance if you intend to enhance its longevity.
Of great importance also is knowing how to clean your grill correctly. Improper cleaning may affect both the functioning and longevity of the grill. So, how do you clean Pit Boss Griddle? Read on
How To Clean a Pit Boss Griddle
The best way to clean your Griddle is to start from the top to the bottom. You will need to clean both the interior and the exterior. However, first, focus on the interior before turning your attention to the exterior.
What You Need to Clean A Pit Boss Grill
To effectively clean your Pit Boss Griddle, here is the complete list of the tools you will need:
A Brush or scraper: It should be sturdy but small enough to reach the tiniest places, such as the grease chute. You can opt for a wooden paint stick, a putty knife, or a non-metallic brush.
Old Rags and Paper Towels
These towels will help you in wiping the inside and the outside of your grill. Paper towels, old rags, or auto-mechanic shop towels are great for cleaning and wiping the inside of the grill.
Degreaser and Cleaning Solution
A cleaner is essential in helping you to clean the interior and the exterior parts of the grill. From my experience, a degreaser always works best at removing dried food particles, grease, and the toughest stains.
However, I strongly advise against using any harsh chemicals or cleaners on your grill. Such chemicals interfere with the paint.
Shop Vacuum
A shop vacuum comes in handy to remove ash buildup from your grill. In the absence of a shop vacuum, you can still use a handheld vacuum.
The advantage of a shop vacuum is that it can reach hard-to-reach places since it has several attachments.
Disposable Gloves
These aren’t mandatory. However, you would like to save your hands from the mess that comes with cleaning a grill. As such, disposable gloves will significantly help you.
Steps to Cleaning Your Pit Boss Griddle for the First Time
- Use warm water, soap, and a damp cloth. Remember, this is the only time you need to use soap to clean your grill.
- Remove any loose debris by wiping down the surface of the grill using a damp cloth. This step is also essential in preparing your grill for seasoning.
- Use paper towels to dry the excess water.
- Next, turn on the heat of your Pit Boss Griddle to high
- Give it at least 10 minutes, after which the surface of the grill should begin to turn dark.
- Add some flaxseed oil or any cooking oil to the surface of the grill. Avoid putting too much oil; otherwise, your grill will become sticky.
- Roll up paper towels around the grill, and then use heat-resistant gloves and tongs to move the towels in order to spread the oil evenly on the surface.
- Ensure that the oil coating also reaches the sides and corners of the grill.
- Give the surface of the griddle time until it stops smoking, an indicator that the oil has burned off.
- Repeat the same process 14 times until your Pit Boss grill turns blue-black.
- Repeat the process a total of 4 times
Note: The initial cleaning and seasoning of a Pit Boss griddle are vital. You will find it easy to clean your grill thereafter if you do it well.
Failure to clean and season your grill effectively for the first time may lead to it becoming sticky. It could also cause food to burn on the surface of the grill, making cleaning difficult.
Keep in mind also that a dirty grill will not perform at its optimal during cooking.
How to Clean How a Pit Boss Griddle After Use
- After cooking, allow it time to cool down. However, ensure that it’s still warm.
- Using a griddle scraper, scrape off any food that remains stuck on the grill. Ensure you use the correct kind of griddle scraper. You can get some by ordering from the Pit Boss website.
- In case the food is relatively stuck, use some water to help you create steam that makes it easy to pull off the stuck remains. Do not use soap.
- Use a scouring pad to rub the surface gently
- Rinse off the residual water in your grill using paper towels.
- Dry it gently with a cloth
- Using some old rag or paper towels, spread some oil evenly over the grill to coat it.
Importance of Cleaning Your Pit Boss Griddle
Your Pit Boss Griddle collects grease and ash every time you cook with it. Continued accumulation of these two affects the functioning of your grill.
The accumulation of grease and ash can also shorten the lifespan of your grill.
It would be best if you didn’t ignore cleaning your grill. Here is why cleaning is so important:
It Ensures Proper Functioning of Your Griddle
If you don’t properly maintain your grill, you are likely to encounter problems such as:
- Error codes
- Clogged auger issues
- Igniter problems
- Grease stains
The above issues could mark the beginning of the end for your grill.
I’m sure you don’t want to dispose of your griddle too soon!
To avoid issues related to maintenance, ensure you implement a regular cleaning routine. Such a routine will ensure your grill maintains a constant perfect functioning.
It Ensures Better Airflow
If you fail to clean ash for a long time, it builds up, and the fans begin to blow it around inside the barrel. The effect of this is that the griddle sensors might start to malfunction.
What’s more, ash buildup in the firepot affects the temperature readings. In most cases, you will get the wrong readings from the RTD temperature probe.
Keeping the inside of your grill clean allows for better airflow. Consequently, your grill will have excellent temperature control. It will also ensure that the fire doesn’t go out due to blockage in the airflow.
It Minimizes the Chances of Grease Fires
You will want to clean your grill to wash away any grease.
One important area to pay attention to is the drip tray. Too much grease in the drip tray can easily cause a fire.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, grills were responsible for 10,600 home fires between the years 2014-2018. The report shows that 29% of these home fires were from grills that had not been cleaned.
It Keeps Your Food Clean
I enjoy my food best when I know it has been cooked using clean cookware. That assures me that my food, too, is clean.
An unclean Pit Boss Griddle may cause ash and other black residues in the chimney to fall into your food. Unfortunately, these dirty particles will end up ruining your food.
To enjoy your ribs or whatever other food you cook on the grill, ensure the griddle is clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Often Should I Clean My Grill?
To ensure that your grill keeps operating at its optimal, clean the grease after every cooking. Moreover, clean the firepot after several uses. In addition, it’s important to do deep cleaning 1-2 times each season and before you put the grill for a season.
How do you clean a burnt griddle?
If you are dealing with light-burnt food, you only need to use lukewarm water and dish soap. Allow the surface to cool down, then add the lukewarm water and soap. Give it 5-10 minutes, then remove the burnt food using a silicone scrubber.
How do you get black stains off a grill?
You need white vinegar and water at the ratio of 1:10 to clean and remove the stubborn stains. You can use pumice or griddle stones to clean the grill.
How do you dissolve hardened grease?
The easiest way to do this is by mixing one cup of water with three tablespoons of baking soda. Slowly, pour the mixture on a sponge and scrub away the light grease stains from the hard surfaces of the grill.
Wrapping it Up
Maintaining a clean Pit Boss grill is something you can never overlook. Apart from ensuring proper functioning and reducing risks of grease fires, it ensures the food you cook on the grill is clean.
However, ensure you correctly clean your grill. Avoid using soap unless it’s your first time cleaning the grill. Use the recommended griddle scraper to avoid affecting the surface if you have to scrape.