How to Clean your Char-Broil Infrared Grill

 Infrared grills are prone to rust when they are left uncleaned and unprotected.

They can also quickly wear down with repeated use, so here is a guide to clean Char-broil infrared grill. 

Cleaning a grill is easy, but it is crucial always to do it after every cooking.

It would help ensure that the grill is in perfect condition before storing it or using it again for cooking. 

Char-broil has produced some of the best-infrared grills throughout the years, so the grills usually last for many years.

However, they are still prone to damage when left unattended. 

Cleaning an infrared grill and a regular grill does not have too many differences.

You need to be thorough and ensure no food residuals in the grills before you store them.

There is no such thing as overcleaning a grill as it is better to have a clean grill all the time.

I inspect my infrared grill once or twice every six months to see if there are damages.

I recommend doing this so that you can see any damages immediately and take proper action.

Use the guide below to make sure that the grill is clean and safe from damages.

 

Cleaning After Cooking

This is also called the burnoff method and you should use it to clean the infrared grill after every use. 

You need to do this to keep the grill clean and safe from any contaminants. 

Cleaning the infrared grill after every use will not only make it ready for the next time you cook, but it will also make sure that it does not easily collect contaminants or degrading factors. 

Food residuals are your main enemy when it comes to grills.

You need to ensure that the grill will not have bacteria living on the cooking surface that can induce the food you cook.

 

Step 1: Preheat The Char-broil Infrared Grill

 Right after cooking, light up the burners and then turn the knobs to the highest temperature.

Close the lid and allow the grill to preheat for at least 15 minutes to start burning off residues.

 At the highest temperature, you will notice that the food residuals inside the grill will start to burn and become stiff.

At that stage, you will be able to easily sweep or brush them off of the grill.

 

Step 2: Initial Cleaning

Once the food residuals turn into char or ash, get a grill brush or a grill rake and then clean the grill.

Remove any lumps from the cooking grates as well as the char marks.

It is all right if the grill rake does not get all the dirt off, as you will still have a chance to do that later on.

Let the grill cool down after the initial brushing by leaving the grill lid open.

 

Step 3: Remove The Food Bits

 Grill rakes are not the most effective tool to remove all the food residuals in the grill.

Think of it as a loosening step where you dislodge the food residuals from the grill’s cooking surface.

Get a nylon brush or a grill brush and then remove the smaller food particles from the grill grates.

Remove the baked-on particles as well or the ones that are stuck on the grates.

Use a scraper but do not press too hard as you might remove the non-stick property of the grill grates or make dents that will cause the food to stick on the grill grates when you are cooking.

 

Step 4: Final Cleaning 

If your Char-broil infrared grill has glass panels, then there is no need to remove it.

Just make sure to tap it lightly to remove the fallen ashes and debris from the grill and then wipe it down.

Use a damp cloth to clean the glass panels and then scoop out the debris from them.

Use a soft-bristled brush to remove slightly stubborn debris from the panels before wiping it.

 

Step 5: Coating

Once the grill has cooled down completely and removed the food residuals, ensure no wet parts.

Coat the grill grates and grill burners with high-heat oil.

 This will add another layer of protection to the grill parts, especially from materials that cause rust and corrosion.

It will also add a layer of non-stick coating when you cook food.

 

Deep Cleaning 

Deep cleaning needs to be done once in a while, I do this every four months or so.

You can do this more frequently, especially if you use the infrared grill at least twice a week for cooking.

It is where you will disassemble some parts of the infrared grill to have a better look and make sure that you clean every small part of the grill that is usually hard to reach.

Some would suggest deep cleaning your infrared grill only twice a year, but there is nothing wrong with adding one more deep-cleaning process in a year to ensure safety and cleanliness.

 

Step 1: Burnoff Method

Do the same thing as the guide above before you perform deep cleaning.

That way, you will not have to deal with the larger debris from the food that you have recently cooked.

You also do not have to wait for the parts to dry out as you can start the deep cleaning process before you coat the parts with high-heat oil.

Get your tools ready such as brushes, pail, and cleaning solutions.

 

Step 2: Disassemble The Grill

Remove the grill grates and the glass panels of the infrared grill.

If the grill has a removable hood or lid, you should also remove that, but it is not necessary to clean it on the grill.

If your Char-broil grill has a cabinet, make sure that you clean that out too.

Inside, there is probably a rack for plates and tools so remove that and clean it thoroughly.

 

Step 3: Clean Each Part 

Start with the glass panel of the infrared grill if you have one.

Ensure that you remove the food residuals and the glass panel turns clear when you clean it and rinse it with water.

Do not use corrosive or abrasive cleaners when cleaning the grill parts.

A simple mix of soap and water will do, or if you want, I usually go with ammonia-free cleaners such as Windex.

This is the same cleaner I use with stainless steel parts, and it has proven over the years that it does not affect the parts of the grill that much.

Clean out the grease pan thoroughly as well.

 

Step 4: Assemble And Store

Once you have cleaned the parts of the grill, make sure to rinse them with water. 

Wipe down the skeleton of the grill with the same soap formula to remove splatters and then rinse it as well.

Allow the grill and its parts to dry in the sun but not stay outside for too long.

Before assembling the grill, make sure to wipe them down with a dry cloth to remove any dust. 

Reassemble the grill parts and then coat both the grill grates and the burners with high-heat oil.

Connect the fuel source and then test the burners if they are working properly.

 Note: It does not matter whether your burners have glass, ceramic, or metal

. Make sure to brush them gently to not create dents and scratches that can cause leaks.

 

Why Does My Grill Smoke So Much?

 Infrared grills should not produce too much smoke, and if yours produce it, then there is a problem.

Smoking infrared grills causes one main problem: RESIDUALS.

 Initially, you need to heat the infrared grill once it arrives from the company.

The grill will naturally produce smoke from the manufacturing residue, so you need to burn them off.

Do not worry as the smoke from these residuals are not toxic.

After the initial seasoning, the grill should not produce smoke unless you heat it too much and the oil reaches its smoke point. 

If you wonder why your grill is smoking a lot after months of use, it happens because of food residuals burnt or baked onto the grill grates.

 This is a clear sign that you should be cleaning the grill more often or that the infrared grill needs deep cleaning already. 

 

How To Kill Bacteria On A Grill?

There are two main factors when it comes to killing bacteria on your grill: time and temperature.

You need to make sure that you get the grill to high temperatures and heat it long enough.

You will need at least 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a standard Char-broil infrared grill to kill the bacteria.

The higher the temperature, the better as it will be able to kill the bacteria quickly.

Allowing the grill to preheat not only balances or distributes the heat inside evenly.

It also helps ensure that you get rid of the bacteria stuck onto the grill grates and other parts.

That is why I have made it my tradition to allow the grill to preheat for at least 15 minutes. 

This can go up to 30 minutes, especially when I use lower temperatures and I highly recommend it.

 

What Happens If I Do Not Clean My Infrared Grill? 

There are a lot of things that can happen when you do not clean your grill.

The first thing is that it will affect the food that you cook in the future as the food residuals stay on the grill.

The food residuals produce both unpleasant flavors and smells.

These can affect the food you cook in the future as it damages the natural flavor of the food you are cooking. 

The grill will also quickly degrade because of the dirt and food residuals on it.

That is why you need to clean the grill before you store it or leave it for a long time without using it. 

I also recommend that you clean the grill before using it if you have left it unused for a long time.

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