Wondering how to clean your George foreman grill?
One of the most used appliances in our kitchen is the George Foreman grill.
Not only are they extremely compact, but they’re super easy to use.
Not to mention, you can whip up some impressive and tasty recipes in these electric grills. We even grilled a delicious steak in ours!
Of course, one of the things it can’t do is clean itself.
That’s where you come in. If you’ve invested in this awesome electrical appliance, then you probably want it to last for years to come.
That’s why it’s so important that you clean it properly and I’ll show you how to do it!

Table of contents
Cleaning Instructions for George Foreman Grills
Now, in this article, we’ll walk you through the cleaning process for your George Foreman grill.
We’ll cover the cleaning methods for cleaning the ones that have removable grill plates, plus the ones that don’t.
1. Panini and Basic Grills with Non-Removable Plates
We have three methods that you can choose from.
It’s best to find the one that works best for you and your grill.
Method One:
- Unplug your grill
- Make sure that the grill is still a little bit warm. Not hot. Then dampen four sheets of paper towels. (If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option, you can use damp towels instead.)
- Let the damp paper towels sit on the lower grill plate, then sandwich them between the bottom plate and grill lid. The water from the wet paper towels and the heat from the grill will produce a little bit of steam. This helps loosen any food residue before they solidify.
- Next, remove the damp paper towels once the grill has fully cooled.
- After that, you should go in with a slightly soapy sponge. This will disinfect the grill’s cooking surface.
- You can’t just wash away the leftover soap after that. So, go in with a wet sponge or wet washcloth. Wipe away any soap residue until there’s no more soap left.
Method Two:
- Unplug your grill
- Place a damp paper towel ball between metal thongs. And while the basic grill plates are still hot, use them to get as much stuck-on food particles off as possible. If there’s a lot of oil, make sure to wipe it all away with moist paper towels too.
- When the grill is done cooling, go in with a damp sponge and some mild dish soap.
- Scrub it with the soft sponge until all of the grime and dirt is gone.
- Next, use a damp cloth to get rid of any leftover soap.
Method Three (The Foil Method):
(This method is for those who prefer prevention.)
- Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Wrap the bottom grill plate with it. This sheet should be big enough so that it can also go over the food. This ensures that the food doesn’t touch the top plate either.
- Once you’re done with the grill, just throw away the piece of aluminum foil. (Or Baking paper.)
- If any oil managed to leak through, then clean it up with a slightly wet cloth. You might also need to use some mild soap to break down the oil particles. Just make sure to wipe away any leftover soap so that your grill stays soap-free for your next cook.
Want to cook like a pro? See the George Foreman grill cook times. It has everything from steaks, paninis, and even cupcakes.
2. Cleaning Grills with Removable Plates
The range of advanced Grills (and even Panini Presses) all come with ceramic plates. Some models allow you to remove the plates, and they even have a non-stick coating.
- Remove the grill plates from the grill.
- Fill up a sink with warm water.
- Pour in a little bit of dish soap.
- Leave it to soak. Once you come back to them, the leftover grime should be easy to scrub off with a normal kitchen sponge.
- Next, just wash them like how you would wash normal plates.
- And then just dry the ceramic surface with a soft cloth before putting them back in the panini press.
You can also just place them in a dishwasher. And if you’re not a fan of washing the grill plates so often, there’s the foil method. You can just wrap these ceramic plates up with foil before you place your food on them to cook.
3. Propane Grills and Interchangeable Plates
George Foreman has a premium range of grills.
This premium grills line includes their George Foreman GRP4800R Multi-place, Evolve Grill. Much like the Panini Grill Press, they come with removable grill plates.
Therefore, their cleaning method doesn’t differ from the method we just introduced to you. (Soak the removable plates and drip tray in some soapy water.)
However, we do have an extra tip. Let’s say that you’re having difficulty cleaning the grill plates that have smaller grooves. For example, the ones for making waffles.
We recommend preventing the batter from sticking in the first place, by rubbing a little olive oil, cooking oil, or butter on the plates.
4. Indoor/Outdoor Grills
Many of the indoor/ outdoor models don’t have removable plates that you can simply remove and wash.
So, we highly recommend that you refer back to our cleaning methods for grills with non-removable plates.
Use a damp cloth or a wet sponge and clean the entire surface of the grill with a slightly soapy solution.
Some Additional Cleaning Tips
The number one tip is prevention.
If you don’t want to waste aluminum foil by wrapping your grill plates up in foil, then there are alternatives.
Don’t let the stubborn food bits harden. Leaving the grill after it’s done cooking your food is one of the worst ways to go. This allows the food debris and grime to cool and solidify.
If your grill has removable plates, take them off the appliance and soak them immediately. And if you’ve got non-removable plates, then just wipe them down while the surface is still warm.
However, all hope is not lost if you accidentally leave the grill plates to cool.
For any super stubborn food bits, you can loosen them up a bit with some baking soda powder.
Just pour a little bit on, drip a few drops of water over it, and let it work its magic. (Combine it with a little bit of white vinegar for truly stubborn cases!)
We hope that you found our George Foreman Grill cleaning tips helpful.
Which method is your favorite, and do you have any tips you can share with us?
We’re always looking for great cleaning tips!
Smoke On!
Charlie

Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I am head taste tester at Simply Meat Smoking! I love it grilling, smoking, and getting out in the yard with the kids! The family also love to test all my recipes (especially my EXTRA CRISPY pulled pork, smoky pork loin, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill)
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling adventures with you!
You can read more on our About Us page.
Hungry For More?