If you’ve just a Korean BBQ Grill or you’re planning to buy one, knowing how to clean it properly is essential. After all, you would want the product to stay in good condition for years. Just like your American grill and any other kitchenware, cleaning after use is essential.

Korean BBQ Grills can also cause a big mess, so if you want to make cleaning easier, you can buy one that offers easy cleaning, e.g., dishwasher-safe. But if you haven’t, soaking it in warm water for a while will help you get rid of any residue on the grill quickly. For the residue not to stick so much, immediately clean the grill after it cooled down. And don’t scrub the surfaces as this will damage the coating.

We discuss more of this below and even go over different types of Korean grills.

Wire vs Non-stick cleaning tips

Korean barbecue grills usually come in two types – the wire grill and the non-stick grills. Your cleaning method would highly depend on the type of grill you have.

If you have the wire grills, you already know that they can be a real pain to clean as burned ends easily get stuck on the grill. Because of this, most restaurants just replace them after 2-3 times of use.

But, if you don’t have the money to replace your wired grills, you’d normally have to make a lot of effort to clean these. The easiest way is to soak the wire in warm water and soap, wait for a couple of minutes, and you’d have to scrub it with steel wool. This doesn’t make things easier, but it will remove most, if not all, of that burnt residue. After that, you can just throw it in a dishwasher.

The non-stick grill offers a much easier cleaning process because, as the name implies, food residue doesn’t stick on the grill. So, therefore it’s much faster to clean. You don’t even have to soak it in water. Just grab a sponge and wipe it down; then wipe the grill after with a dry towel or dry it on a drying rack.

With a non-stick grill, don’t ever use steel wool or any type of scrubbing material other than a soft sponge. These grills have coatings, and those scrubbing materials can damage them a lot.

What can I soak my Korean BBQ Grill in to clean it?

If you’re having a hard time cleaning a Korean BBQ Grill and you’d need to soak it, warm water will do. You can mix a bit of dishwashing soap, too, so you can also get rid of the smell. However, don’t ever use abrasive cleaning detergents, as these may only cause your grill to get damaged or get scratches on it.
red-meat-being-cooked-on-korean-bbq

Are all Korean grills dishwasher-safe?

No, not all Korean BBQ grills are dishwasher-safe. It would always depend on the brand you get or from which manufacturer you got it. Most might be probably, but the best way to check is to always look at your user’s manual. Manufacturers would always indicate if the grill you have is dishwasher-safe or not.

Tips for washing a stone grill

If you have a stone grill, the first thing you should do is wait for it to cool down. Don’t ever accelerate the cooling process by pouring cold water on it, which will only damage the grill. Don’t also remove it from the burner stand.

Patience is key here. Just wait for the grill to cool down completely. It will take a long time, so perhaps find some other ways where you can kill time aside from staring down at the grill.

Once the grill cools down completely, wash it in warm water. This time you can use a scraper and other brushes to scrub down the remaining food residue. You can also add some vinegar into the water to help remove the residue easily.

Never use detergents, and other types of cleaning chemicals, as this will remove any flavors on the stone. You should always remember that the stone is a natural product and will get discoloration when you do this. Dry the stone naturally with a dry towel, and just set it aside for next use.

Recap

There are different types of Korean BBQ grills, and how you clean them would depend on the type you have.

  • For wired grills, soaking in warm water will help soften burnt residue so that it’s easy to scrub.
  • For non-stick grills, you can use a soft sponge to wipe down the grill. Never use a scrub and other abrasive cleaning materials as they may only damage the surface.
  • For stone grills, only use warm water and vinegar to remove food residue. Feel free to scrape it off if it’s hard to remove. But before you even start cleaning, make sure to wait that it cools down.

To make things easier for you, it’s best to buy a Korean BBQ Grill that is already easy to clean. This way, you wouldn’t spend a lot of time scrubbing it down. But regardless of the type of Korean Grill you have, cleaning after use helps maintain your grill.