Whether you want to know how to clean a waffle iron with removable plates or how to clean a sticky waffle iron, we have all that you need today and more. We will also teach you how to clean built-up grease on a waffle iron, as well as how to clean waffle maker first time.
How do you remove grease from a waffle iron?
This is probably the biggest problem that people face when maintaining their waffle iron machines at home: the grease just builds up after a while, and it’s challenging to remove the grease completely so you will have a grease-free surface to cook your waffles.
Old grease tastes rancid and burnt, and no matter how good your waffle batter is, it is going to taste off if you end up burning old grease. The main reason why old grease tastes bad is that bacteria can eventually invade the spaces where the old grease resides.
Old grease not only contains oils – it has sugars from the old waffles you’ve cooked, too. This means the bacteria have an energy supply, and eventually, there is going to be a lot of bacteria just teeming on the surface of the grill.
The oil is going to go rancid as well, no matter what kind of oil you use. Another obvious problem is the carbonized flakes of waffle stuck to the metal. These tend to stick to the new waffles when they’re pressed and cooked.
Ideally, waffle makers should be cleaned and degreased after each use. We know for a fact that a lot of people aren’t able to do this, and that’s okay.
You’re here because you want to clean your waffle maker, and that is awesome. To remove the crumbs and carbonized flakes across the grid of the waffle iron, brush the grid until the solid particles are removed. If you don’t have a kitchen brush, an old toothbrush will do.
Just make sure that the waffle iron has been unplugged and has cooled down properly. You must not clean a waffle iron while it is still hot, as you risk injuring your hands.
The simplest way to degrease a waffle iron is by moistening several pieces of thick paper towels. Wipe down the grid, taking care to get in between the metal pieces. Allow the paper towels to absorb as much oil as they can between wipes. You may have to wipe your grid several times to get most of the oil out, depending on how oily your waffle grid is at the moment. If you have nylon utensils, feel free to use them if after degreasing, there are still solid flakes stuck between the grids.
If you need to season your waffle grid, refer to your manufacturer’s booklet or manual for instructions on how to do that safely. This is important because the majority of the time, waffle grids have fixed grids that cannot be removed without disassembling the waffle iron from the back.
Since this involves exposing the electrical components of the waffle iron, it would be best to consult first with your manufacturer’s instructions. Ideally, you should be able to remove the metal grid and season it the same way that we season cast iron skillets. Seasoning a waffle grid will ensure better performance and an instant reduction in carbonized flakes sticking to the grid itself.
How do you clean a waffle maker hack?
- Campfire waffle irons – Campfire waffle irons don’t have electrical components and are like twin pans stuck to each other. These are meant to be used over a wood fire or a small, portable butane stove or any portable equivalent.
This type of waffle iron has to be pre-seasoned before use. To pre-season, a non-electrical waffle iron, cover everything with aluminum foil and bake in an oven at 350˚ Fahrenheit for thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, turn off the heat and allow the waffle iron to cool down inside the oven. Remove once cooled down. - Commercial degreaser – If your waffle iron is greasy and dirty, we recommend just using a commercial degreaser formulated specifically to work with surfaces like the iron grid of a waffle maker. The hardened batter, carbonized flakes, and stale grease will easily be removed.
Use a soft brush to apply the commercial degreaser to the iron grid. If there are any spillovers outside the grid, remove these manually and continue brushing with the degreaser. To rinse the surface of the waffle maker, use plenty of paper towels with a generous amount of water. Pat the grid down dry afterward and allow air-drying before using again. - Nylon scrubbing pads are safe to use on seasoned iron surfaces. It will not scratch the surface of the grid but is abrasive enough to remove any stuck bits of food on the grid. Nylon scrubbing pads are slightly more effective in removing stuck food on the grid than regular cleaning cloths.
- If in the end, the waffle iron is still too dirty, consider a replacement. Sometimes when the waffle iron has become too dirty, health risks begin to crop up, and your best option is just to buy a new one.
- It is possible to clean your waffle iron naturally with steam, but you need to wear gloves for this one. Turn on the waffle iron and allow the grid to get warm. Get paper towels and soak them in water before wiping down the grid. Make sure that you avoid touching the metal. We just want the water to turn into steam while you are wiping down, as this will naturally clean the surface of the grid.
Is it safe to clean a waffle iron in a sink?
We do not recommend washing any waffle iron in the sink with soap. The reason for this is that the soap and water will remove the oil that has been used to season the grid, and the removal of this seasoned oil will cause your iron grid to rust and deteriorate over time. The paper towel method is best – just make sure that you remove the carbonized flakes and other byproducts of cooking before using the waffle iron again.
