How to Clean Your Big Green Egg (in 6 Easy Steps)

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I use my Big Green Egg to bake, grill, slow cook, smoke, and steam just about any dish. (You can even whip up some pretty mean pizzas in one of these.)

However, all of these amazing feats don’t come without a price. Outdoor cooks will know that a Big Green Egg can easily set you back more than $1000. That is why I like to make sure it will last a long time!

One way to do that is to keep its pristine condition by cleaning it properly after each use. I  know that most outdoor cooks are reluctant to be when it comes to cleaning up after smoking a brisket on your Big Green Egg all day long.

I mean we’ve seen all day cooking, and the last thing you want to do is another hour of cleaning So, we’ve narrowed down the process to just six simple steps.

6 Easy Steps for How to Clean Your Big Green Egg

Below are 6 easy steps to cleaning and maintaining your BGE!

Note: Completing a big thorough clean each time can be exhausting. However, we recommend deep cleaning your Big Green Egg at least once every six months.

Step 1: Remove the Ash

There’s a trick to separating the ash from the pieces of charcoal that you can keep for your next cook.

Next, find yourself a stick, ash tool poker, or a pair of metal thongs. You’ll want to use it to move around the leftover charcoal that’s sitting in the ceramic body.

This will displace the ash, and it’ll fall to the bottom of the Green Egg traditional grill.

After that, you can use an ash pan & tool to scoop to carry the old ash out of the cooker’s draft door.

Step 2: Light it Up

This step involves letting lighting up the charcoal in your Egg and letting it burn for a solid hour.

It’s important to heat the grill to its hottest possible temperature. Use the external temperature gauge to monitor everything.

What does heating the grill do? First off, it can help kill off mold if you haven’t used your grill in quite some time.

Secondly, it can burn off any stubborn food bits that you’re having trouble scraping off. Charring the stuck-on food will make it flake and it’ll come off easily.

Step 3: Let it Cool Off

After you’re done with step 2, kill the fire and leave the ceramic grill to cool.

Don’t begin scraping the burnt food bits off while the Egg’s still hot. The residue needs to fully cool before it’s easy to scratch off.

Step 4: Let the Cleaning Begin

This is the time to whip out the non-wire brush to clean the stainless steel cooking grid, as well as the inside of the Egg’s ceramic surface.

You want to scrape off any food residue or build-up of dirt on and around the cooking surface.

If you have an ash vacuum or one that’s made for cleaning the grill, then make use of it to suck up all of the debris.

Next, you’ll need to remove any leftover charcoal. You can save it in another container for future use.

Then you’ll want to remove the grill’s ceramic firebox and fire ring. Both of these are located near each other at the bottom of the Egg.  It’s completely safe to vacuum both of these things.

During this time, you can also wipe the Big Green Egg with a microfiber cloth. However, you should never use cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals.

This is due to the ceramic body of the Big Green Egg’s ability to absorb some of that nasty stuff found in chemical cleaners.

You can’t simply wipe it away or wash it away.

As a result, this can be extremely dangerous because it can permeate back into your food when you reheat your grill.

(It’s the same reason why you should never use lighter fluid to start your fire.)

Make sure you clean the grill lid, they will be a large accumulation of grime on it.

Step 5: Check the Gasket

Is it time to replace the gasket? If it’s looking brown and a little tired, then it’s time to change it.

Before installing a new one, make sure that all of the old gaskets are removed.

If it’s very old, it may fall apart a little during the removal process. If this is the case, rubbing alcohol can be used to remove any stubborn adhesive or gasket remnants.

Step 6: Proper Storage

When not in use, keep your Big Green Egg covered and stored away. And if your Egg has been sitting outside unprotected for a long time, you can try this solution.

To make a natural cleaning solution, mix one-part white vinegar with two parts water.

Then simply use a damp cloth to clean and shine the grill’s exterior.

You can even use olive oil and lemon juice if you have some.

Cleaning Tasks to Do Every Every 3 to 5 Cooks

Deep Cleaning

Even if you stick with the regular cleaning schedule of your Egg, you do still need to deep clean it now and then. This includes scrubbing the grill with a wired brush.

If any stubborn food bits can’t be scraped off, just soak the grill grates in some soapy warm water.

Or you could sprinkle on some baking soda and pour a little bit of white vinegar to loosen it up.

Preventing Mold From Forming

Mold can form if there is moisture trapped inside. If so, then keep the lid closed and leave the draft door or vent holes open at the bottom, here is how to clean a moldy grill but if you have a BGE; There are 7 easy steps to removing it here; how to remove mold on your Big Green Egg,

Tasks to Do Every Time You Cook

Cleaning Before Use: Remove the Old Ashes

It’s important to remove the old ash because it can affect the temperature of your grill. It makes it a lot difficult to control the fire, and the heat will fluctuate a lot.

If you experience these issues with temperature control, then try removing the ash from your big green egg.

Cleaning After Use: Remove Any Food Remains

You might use your Green Egg frequently and not want to do a big scrub every time.

If so, then you have to make sure that you at least get rid of any baked-on food off of the grill grates. It’s best to use a wire brush for this. It’s important to do this before any of the food or grime cools off.

It’s a lot more difficult to get rid of it once it hardens and sticks to the metal grates.

 I  hope that our instructions and tips were helpful and easy to follow.

And it’s completely possible to clean your BGE  grill using only all-natural cleaning supplies.

The cleaning and maintenance of your Egg may take a little time. But it’s all worth it.

Smoke On!

Charlie

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