how to clean off grease from inside grill

[mystang52]

I have a Weber E 210 gas grill. I needed to replace the flavorizer bars, and in process of doing so I saw all the built-on grease on inside of the grill box.
After Googling I used my bristle brush with dish soap and water. Yeah it's coming off but quite a bit of work - I'm about 1/3 done - and I'm taking a break to send this.
Any products or tips that reliably make this an easier job?

 

[Kork13]

Not sure how fragile the parts are, but could you get it done using a power-washer with soap in the well? It would be a terrible mess, but might do the job with less elbow grease.

 

[jazz4cash]

Simple Green is a pretty good degreaser. I use it full strength on the gas grill.

 

[CaptTom]

With our small Weber "Q" grill we use a cheap plastic scraper from the dollar store or Walmart paint department. Scrape all the crud toward the hole in the middle. That empties into the drip tray with disposable liner.b

 

[OldShooter]

I have made initial attacks using a putty knife or some other means of scraping the bulk of the layer off. No reason to turn 100% of the goop to liquid goop with an initial soap attack.

 

[Jerry1]

With our small Weber "Q" grill we use a cheap plastic scraper from the dollar store or Walmart paint department. Scrape all the crud toward the hole in the middle. That empties into the drip tray with disposable liner.b

I have made initial attacks using a putty knife or some other means of scraping the bulk of the layer off. No reason to turn 100% of the goop to liquid goop with an initial soap attack.

Agree. You just scrape it and get what you can. It’s never going to be pristine. You’re just keeping the grease buildup in check so you don’t have an out of control grease fire. Remember, it’s a grill, not the oven inside your house.

 

[38Chevy454]

Dollar store oven cleaner. Get 3-4 cans assuming your grill is larger size. Oven cleaner cuts through the grease really good. Spray on, let it soak 5-10 minutes, and then wash off. I do this to my grill couple times per year. Clean the whole thing out of loose stuff, then use the oven cleaner. Trust me, it works great and washes off easily with water. After it dries out some I turn it on full heat and bake it out real good.

Edit to add: if it's real greasy, you may need a couple rounds of the oven cleaner.

 

[braumeister]

Another thing I like about my Big Green Egg. Since it's all ceramic, I just do what's called a "clean burn" by cranking it up to 600-700°F for an hour (with the dome closed). Grease buildup solved.

 

[Montecfo]

I just scrape as a few have suggested. I do not try to get it "clean". Every once in a while I power wash the grates.



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[MC Rider]

Scrape off what I can then run the parts through the dishwasher

 

[mystang52]

OP here. After I posted....and had a bit of a rest.... I just went back to it with the brush, soapy water, some elbow grease, patience and as others noted didn't try to get it spick and span clean. But it's now multiple times cleaner than before!

 

[aja8888]

Dollar store oven cleaner. Get 3-4 cans assuming your grill is larger size. Oven cleaner cuts through the grease really good. Spray on, let it soak 5-10 minutes, and then wash off. I do this to my grill couple times per year. Clean the whole thing out of loose stuff, then use the oven cleaner. Trust me, it works great and washes off easily with water. After it dries out some I turn it on full heat and bake it out real good.

Edit to add: if it's real greasy, you may need a couple rounds of the oven cleaner.

This works great.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I presume the OP is referring to grease buildup on the inside of the top cover and the edges of the inside of the bottom of the grill. That's kind of hard to remove. I haven't tackled that yet.

I have a Weber Spirit II E-310 and I recently cleaned it out. Surprisingly, the greasy gunk and ashy buildup in the bottom of the box (below the burners), sloughed right off and I pushed it through the grease trap opening into a paper bag I had positioned underneath the grill. It seems the bottom of the burner box is polished, allowing for easy removal. So that part was easy.

Slightly off-topic but the disposable aluminum foil trays in the grease catch drawer can be bought much cheaper on Amazon than buying the Weber replacement trays. I have a Weber E-310 grill and I bought 25 trays for $11.99 recently. The Weber replacement parts are typically 10 for $9.99. Make sure you measure an old tray for proper size, especially the height of the tray and make sure the replacement trays are the same size.

 

[Qs Laptop]

My grill is on my deck. You folks that use oven cleaner--do you spray it off with a hose? Or how do you remove the softened and gooey grease? I don't want to get a greasy mess on my deck.

 

[38Chevy454]

My grill is on my deck. You folks that use oven cleaner--do you spray it off with a hose? Or how do you remove the softened and gooey grease? I don't want to get a greasy mess on my deck.

Yes, just use a hose with a nozzle. I do it over concrete, but the rinse doesn't come off and leave greasy residue on ground. Oven cleaner is sodium hydroxide as the active ingredient. It does not hurt to rinse into the grass. Especially since volume of water vs oven cleaner. Once grill is washed off, rinse concrete off into grass.

No real scrubbing required, let chemistry do the work.

 

[Bruno]

I have never used Purple Power on my grill but this is really a good degreaser and the price is right at Autozone. Works good on engine blocks. I put it in a old foaming sprayer and it seems to work better.

https://www.autozone.com/miscellane...:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:PER:8362741362&gclsrc=ds

 

[audreyh1]

I have a Weber E 210 gas grill. I needed to replace the flavorizer bars, and in process of doing so I saw all the built-on grease on inside of the grill box.
After Googling I used my bristle brush with dish soap and water. Yeah it's coming off but quite a bit of work - I'm about 1/3 done - and I'm taking a break to send this.
Any products or tips that reliably make this an easier job?

Weber Genesis E-320.

I just use a plastic pot scraper to scrape what’s coming off, then maybe a small wire brush for grooves, and scrape it all into the drain pan which I scrape out into the trash later. I’m very careful with the gas tubes, a light dry brush and wipe to make sure they are free of debris.

I have never washed the inside. This is all a “veneer” and gets well baked at high temps, and a lot gets burned off.

I leave the underside of the lid/top cover alone. That has earned a nice veneer.

I’ve never used soap or a degreaser, or even water.

I always preheat my grill to 500+, let it burn for 5 mins, then give the grates a good brush off with a wire brush before grilling. Occasionally when cool I’ll turn the grates over and give the underside a good brush.

 

[audreyh1]

With our small Weber "Q" grill we use a cheap plastic scraper from the dollar store or Walmart paint department. Scrape all the crud toward the hole in the middle. That empties into the drip tray with disposable liner.b

Yep!

 

[Piper20]

The Webers of 35 years ago had instructions to place heavy aluminum foil shiny side down, high heat for 30 minutes. Let it cool down and scrape the burnt stuff off with a putty knife.
Tried that on my 12 YO Weber when new and melted the knobs and igniter. Purchased after market knobs and igniter from Amazon and the igniter was a POS. Bought the Weber replacement.
Now I just burn it off without the foil for 30 minutes then scrape into the grease pan. Amazon does sell stainless flavor bars that so far last forever. I go through 3 20lb tanks a year.

 

[SnowballCamper]

The thing that works is a paste made from baking soda and water. Smear it over all the stubborn carbonized grease and let it sit a while (probably an hour max). Then light scrubbing with a scrubby pad. Repeat as necessary.

Someone probably has found the faster more 'chemical' solution, but the above works for me and just rinses into the ground with the garden hose.

 

[latexman]

I’m a putty knife fan. I do the best I can with that. It gets about 99% of the goop, then I call it done!

 

[Bamaman]

Simple Green is a pretty good degreaser. I use it full strength on the gas grill.

I agree. You'd do well to use Simple Green or any commercial degreaser. Dollar General sells Awesome that's also a degreaser--cheap.

 

[audreyh1]

I’m a putty knife fan. I do the best I can with that. It gets about 99% of the goop, then I call it done!

Another good tool! DH occasionally tackles spills (over drips) in my smoker with his putty knife.

 

[folivier]

You guys clean your grills?
I do like Audrey, and let the patina add to the flavor. I'm smoking, grilling, or bbq-ing, not cooking in a clean oven inside.

 

[Qs Laptop]

You guys clean your grills?
I do like Audrey, and let the patina add to the flavor. I'm smoking, grilling, or bbq-ing, not cooking in a clean oven inside.

I'm guessing you've never had a grease fire? That's when fat drippings fall onto the caked layer of ash in the bottom of your grill and at some point, usually when you have the grill cranked up, it starts on fire. Nothing you can do except shut off the propane and open the cover and wait for it to die down.