How to Clean Electric Oven Grill Element

The grill element is usually positioned on the ceiling of the cooker. Just like most parts of the appliance – it should be cleaned frequently. Otherwise, it may result in unwanted smoke while cooking. This leads to poor food quality and frustrating culinary experience.

If you’re dealing with unnecessary, nasty smoke – this article is what you’re looking for.

Before you clean, remember:

• Do not aggressively scrape the grill part. It could damage the surface and cause malfunctioning.
• Ensure that the detergents you use do not contain any flammable chemicals. Otherwise, this can lead to unexpected fire hazards.
• Turn on the grill element on an empty oven once you finish with the cleaning procedure. That is highly recommended to evaporate any excess moisture from your appliance.

With that in mind, there are two methods you can opt for when cleaning the grill of your oven:

How to clean the oven grill element

Method 1: Turning on the grill function on an empty oven

Most of the accumulated fat will loosen up and become easier to clean.

1. Turn the function on to around 80 C – 120 C (176 F – 248 F) for approximately 10 minutes until it glows red. Keep in mind that this will result in some smoke coming out of your oven.
2. Make sure you have the extractor fan on and windows open. If it is possible, close any doors leading to other rooms so that the smell doesn’t go around the house. 
3. Once the oven cools down, spray some detergent onto the grill element and gently clean it up using a damp cloth.

This method will definitely show results, however, the grill part will be clean on the front side only, since the back is difficult to access.

Method 2: Disassembling the grill element and cleaning it separately

This will be the most efficient method to clean it.

1. Disconnect the oven from the electrical supply.
2. Remove the grill. The element has two fixing points at the back. In order to access them, you’d need to unscrew the rear. Once you take it off, you will be able to locate the terminals for the grill element. Carefully remove the wires and unscrew the grill to remove the fixation completely.
3. Slide the element out of the oven. Once you take care of the screws, the grill should be easily removable.
4. Soak it up in detergent. Give it some time, a couple of hours at least. The longer it stays soaked up, the better. After that it should be easily cleanable, once again using a damp cloth, gently clean the remaining grease on both sides.
5. Install the grill element back in the oven. Once it is sparkly clean, assemble it carefully and test if your cooker is working properly.

How do I keep my oven from getting dirty?

Inevitably, when you cook – your oven is bound to get dirty. There are a couple of things you can consider in order to keep your cooker sparkling clean.

Cook at a lower temperature

Keep in mind that today’s modern ovens cook perfectly fine at approximately 180 C (356 F). If you like to go a little above – 200 C+ (392 F+), you can expect to get splashes of oil on every part of your oven. Especially the grill element. This results in accumulated grease.

When you cook afterwards, that grease burns and causes unpleasant smoke. With that in mind, do not fill pots and trays with too much liquid to prevent boiling over.

Clean it frequently

Wondering how often should you clean your oven? Well, a quick clean up after a few cooking sessions can go a long way. This is the best way to maintain the cooker’s freshness. Once a week would definitely help you keep your oven looking like a new one.

In the long run, when you are about to perform a full oven cleaning, it will be a lot easier to do if you have regularly taken care of it.

Why do you need to maintain a clean oven?

If you don’t clean the cooker regularly, the amount of grime and grease will increase with every cooking session. Later on, this may result in unexpected smoke, unpleasant cooking experience, malfunctioning or even fire hazards. If any of these happen, you may need to call a specialist in the electric or gas oven repairs. Check our gas vs electric oven guide if it’s time for a change!

With that said, you should definitely keep your oven clean and enjoy the benefits.

• Tastier meals
• Enjoyable culinary experience
• No risks of fires or malfunctioning
• Prolonged life of your cooker
• Better heat distribution and energy efficiency

Want to skip the hassle? Hire a professional oven cleaner

If you live a busy life and are not really into oven cleaning, Fantastic Services has got you covered. Booking a professional oven cleaning technician is just a call away. The expert will disassemble your cooker and clean every part separately, using specialised strong detergents. Afterwards, the specialist will put it back together and test run the oven – It can be used immediately after the procedure. All that in a matter of 2 to 4 hours. All included in the oven cleaning cost. Save up some of your precious time and indulge in activities you enjoy. Book a professional oven cleaning now!

Takeaways

• If you feel uncomfortable disassembling the grill element, consider calling a professional.
• Choose a detergent that doesn’t contain flammable chemicals.
• Remember to turn on the grill element on an empty oven after the cleaning procedure. 
• Perform occasional clean-ups for a well-maintained oven.

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How do you clean your oven grill elements? Do you have a specific method? Let us know in the comments below!

Image source: Francesco Ocello/shutterstock.com