Cleaning Commercial Grills & Griddles
Make sure the grill or griddle is one of, if not the most used, appliances in a commercial kitchen. Handling the volume of cooking required to keep up with consumer demand means that grime will accumulate on grill surfaces, as well as on the sides and backs of the appliances. It’s recommended that commercial grills and griddles be cleaned at least once a day, especially if handling high volumes. This helps assure proper re-seasoning, reduces possible cross contamination and decreases stubborn grease stains.
Please follow these steps:
Step 1: Get the griddle or grill hot and pour one cup of clean cooking or fryer oil onto the grill’s surface. Using a griddle brick or pumice stone, scrub in concentric circles until the grill is clean. Scrape the cooking oil into the grease trap and turn the grill off.
Step 2: While the griddle is still warm, pour one cup of club soda or seltzer water onto the surface. The carbonation present in club soda or seltzer water will help break up any stubborn grease deposits. Again, scrub the grill’s surface with your pumice stone or griddle brick in concentric circles and scrape off any of the remaining liquid or residue into the grease trap to be disposed of.
Step 3: Apply a half cup of vinegar to the grill surface and spread it evenly across the griddle, taking care to make sure that it doesn’t pool. Rub the grill surface with a rag in concentric circles and then scrape the remainder of the vinegar off of the grill surface into the grease trap for disposal. Vinegar’s acidic nature makes it excellent for lifting stubborn stains and deposits of grease that the club soda may not have removed in the previous step.
Step 4: Soak a rag in cooking oil and give the grill surface a good scrubbing; this not only polishes the grill surface, but it also ensures proper decontamination and re-seasoning of the grill. The sides and back of the grill are not impervious to stains, spills and buildup either and they’re often the most ignored surfaces when cleaning.
Tip: Make sure to scrub the sides and back of your commercial grill and other appliances, with an eco-friendly cleaning product and rag. For particularly stubborn deposits or stains, very important use a combination of baking soda and water to create a paste. Spread the paste on the stain or deposit and then spray with vinegar. Scrub with a sponge or steel wool and wipe clean with a new towel or rag.
Cleaning Commercial Kitchen Ovens
Commercial kitchen ovens are a hot bed for grime, crumbs and other food byproducts due to their heavy and versatile uses. Oven racks should be removed and cleaned separately, with non-toxic cleaner and warm water. Oven racks should also be allowed to dry before being reinserted.
With the racks removed, take care to remove crumb or burnt food byproducts from the interior surfaces of the commercial oven; not only can these lead to bad tasting food, but they also pose a serious fire hazard if they’re allowed to build up excessively. Remove crumbs with a brush or cloth, taking care to remove all loose food debris.
For burned on cheese and other stubborn bits of food boil over and buildup, scrub loose what you can with a wire brush or pad. Create a paste out of baking soda and water and apply it to the leftover residue. After letting the paste sit for a few minutes, spray with vinegar and remove it with a wire brush. Make sure to clean the interior of the oven again if using the baking soda and vinegar; simply scrubbing these liquids away can leave contaminants, tastes and odors in the oven, which will transfer into food after cleaning.
The outside surfaces and door of the oven should also be cleaned with non-toxic cleaner and warm water.
Remember the kitchen grease TRAVELS into the hood…THROUGH the vent hood filters…
