You enjoyed your tasty smoked ribs, the family is feeling happy and full, and since your energies are now replenished, you can put them to good use and clean the electric smoker right away. It is significantly (seriously!) easier to clean it after each use, than to let grease accumulate and deteriorate your precious smoker.
How to clean the electric smoker chamber
First and most importantly: make sure the smoker has cooled down completely before starting with any cleaning.
To clean the chamber, these are the materials you will need:
- Lukewarm water with soap;
- A sponge;
- A plastic bristle brush (Do not use metal!).
How to do it
1. Remove the racks, the water pan, the drip tray and the smoker box.
2. Brush the bottom of the smoker to remove the buildup.
3. Gently scrub the interior of the smoker with the sponge, the plastic brush and the soapy water,
4. Use the brush to reach any hard corners, crannies and nooks. Brush any residues that fall down.
5. Use the sponge to wipe clean the interior. You might need to apply some force where the grease has stuck harder.
6. Wipe dry.
7. Wash the removable parts with water and soap too. Do not use any chemical product. If you’re having a hard time scrubbing, use a brush to remove the biggest residues and submerge them in water with soap for 30 to 60 minutes before proceeding.
8. After cleaning and drying them well, apply a bit of vegetable oil to the racks to prevent rust and make them less prone to stick.
Tips for an easier cleaning
- Start scrubbing from the top, as leftovers will fall down and you would need to be constantly brushing the bottom
- You can also put a newspaper sheet at the bottom while doing this so you can just throw it away instead of brushing again.
How to clean the glass
To clean the electric smoker’s glass you must use a special product designed for the purpose or just water and soap. You can usually find a list of approved glass cleaners on the smoker’s manual.
Products approved for ceramic glass cook tops also tend to work and be suitable.
Clean both the interior and the exterior of the glass with this product.
When to clean the electric smoker
Even if you always clean the racks and the drip tray, you should also try to clean the electric smoker interior after every use.
You would need to remove any residues or grease that it may get stuck in its interior anyway for hygiene purposes, so cleaning it completely won’t require much time or effort than that.
Besides, it is easier if you do it every time, rather than to let the grease and oils harden, which will make them much difficult to scrub off.
Tips to maintain your electric smoker
Never scrub your electric smoker with anything made of metal or you might damage the interior and rust will develop.
You don’t want to ever use a chemical product for cleaning for the same reason. If it is too hard to scrub any bit of residue off, just soak it a bit more in water, wait a few minutes, and try again.
Remember to always take a swipe around the corners of the door to prevent grease from accumulating there too.
After cleaning, make sure there are no fibers or bristles stuck or fallen anywhere.
With time, the walls of the smoker will start to darken. This is perfectly normal and even good as it gives it extra protection against rust. So don’t think you are to blame for not scrubbing harder!
