Can Ice Really Help Clean Your Grill (And, If So, How)?

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Firing up the grill to cook burgers or steaks can be fun, but cleaning up afterwards isn't. There might be an easy answer, though: Viral videos shared to Instagram and other platforms claim to show flat-top grills being easily scrubbed clean after they're covered with ice cubes or a large block of ice and pushed around the flat-top surface. Does it really work, or is it just another social media sensation that's actually a big grill-cleaning mistake?

While ice may remove food residue, it could also seriously damage the grill, so it's generally not the best choice for cleaning grills. Grills are best cleaned when they're still warm, and in this case, the flat-top remains hot enough to melt the ice. This quickly produces steam, which loosens stuck-on food residue.  It's the same principle as using a steam cleaner in other parts of your house, and like a steam cleaner, helps you remove stubborn grime without harsh chemicals. That said, it depends on the grill surface itself — the rapid temperature change could result in cracking or warping.

Many flat-top grills sold for home use are thinner and less durable than their commercial counterparts, so that thermal shock could destroy its surface. It can also be difficult to tell whether a grill is hardy enough to withstand the ice until you try it, making this method unpredictable. To avoid unintentional damage, skip cleaning the grill with ice.

Ice isn't recommended for cleaning a flat-top surface at home because the extreme temperature swing can cause warping, but sometimes the damage isn't even visible. Applying ice to a hot griddle top may cause stress cracks that expand when the grill is heated and allow food or oil to fall into the appliance's interior. The story is different, however, when it comes to a grill with grates rather than a flat-top.

Celebrity chef Robert Irvine told our sister publication Tasting Table that ice can be a good idea for those grills. "The ice trick works because of two things happening at once when that ice hits the blazing-hot grates," he said. "That sudden temperature change shocks the hard crust and it cracks and breaks apart. It's like the cold makes the gunk shrink and splinter while the hot metal stays strong." You could also try what might be the easiest way to clean a grill: pour half a beer bottle on the still-warm grates, then scrub with a bristled brush.

If you have stubborn grime stuck to a flat-top, you can still take advantage of the steam cleaning method. Get the griddle very hot and gently pour on some warm water. It will steam almost immediately and loosen stuck-on food particles. Then, carefully scrape the residue with a metal board scraper to remove it. Specialized tools like grill bricks also come in handy here, as will a scratch-proof scrubber sponge. 

Static Media owns and operates Mashed and Tasting Table.