How to clean stove grates with vinegar and baking soda

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When was the last time you cleaned the grates on your stovetop? The ones on top of your burners that are constantly getting showered in boiling-over pasta water, sauce splatters, and grease? We often just wipe down the stovetop and call things “clean enough,” because things are clean enough! There is no shame in this. Stove grates are allowed to get messy. However, if you like to make those super dirty burners looking like new again, we put for popular methods to the test and we found the best method for you.

Cleaning stove grates once in a while will make your stovetop sparkle and get the entire kitchen looking just a little bit better. If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your stove grates, and you need something with serious cleaning power to get the job done, we’re here for you.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell

How We Tested the Methods for Cleaning Stove Grates

If you’re familiar with this showdown series on Kitchn, you’ll know that we almost always test at least five methods. However, in this case, we only did four — because most standard stoves have four burners. To lead up to this experiment, I spent weeks using all four burners on my stove (instead of just my favorite; you know you have a favorite burner!), making sure they were all equally dirty. I then tested four different methods and took detailed notes.

Ratings: Each method received a rating. A one was given to the least effective method, and a four went to the most effective. Along with the rating you’ll find notes on how easy or difficult the method was, how much elbow grease it took, and how much time it took to remove. 

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell

Stove Grate Cleaning Method: Dawn Professional Heavy-Duty Degreaser 

• Total time: 5 to 10 minutes 
• Rating:1 

The Method: I’ve been hearing that this stuff is magic. For cleaning your stove grates, just spray the solution on, wipe clean, rinse, then dry. For extra-stubborn stains, just let the solution sit for longer. 

How it went: I sprayed the solution on the burners, and it foamed a bit and clung to the grate really well. I let it sit for about 15 minutes, then wiped it clean with a paper towel. Some of the grease came off, but not much. I sprayed it on again and let it sit for 30 minutes, but got the same results: The surface was decently clean, but the baked-on grease was still there.

I’d originally heard about this product from my favorite housekeeper on TikTok; she talks about it often, so I had high hopes. I can see how housekeepers or people who get around to cleaning their stove grates each week would like this product, as it does cut through surface stains, but it just isn’t powerful enough for a good, deep clean. 

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell

Stove Grate Cleaning Method: Hot Soapy Water with Bon Ami

• Total time: 20 minutes 
• Rating:2

The method:Place the burners in the sink and pour boiling water over grates to loosen grease, then fill the sink with hot soapy water and let the grates soak for 10 to 15 minutes. If the grates are still dirty after soaking, sprinkle on some Bon Ami and scrub with a non-scratch scrubber, then rinse and dry with a clean cloth. 

How it went: This method was fairly simple and did clean the surface of the grates so that they wiped clean and really felt clean, but didn’t deep clean to the point of removing tough baked-on foods and grease. This is a great method for those who regularly clean their burners, but would take a lot of time, elbow grease, and scrubbing to entice baked-on stains to come off. 

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell

Stove Grate Cleaning Method: Baking Soda Paste 

• Total time: 20 to 30 minutes 
• Rating:3 

The method:Mix up a 1:3 water-to-baking soda paste and spread it generously all over the surface of the grates. Let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes then scrub a bit with a sponge and rinse in warm soapy water. Pat dry. 

How it went:I applied the baking soda paste and let it sit for about 30 minutes until it had almost dried. After 30 minutes I used a sponge and scrubbed the baking soda around, making sure to hit all areas of the burner, then I rinsed off the baking soda. Upon close inspection, I could see a shadow of grease splatters left behind, but for the most part the method knocked grease down and cleaned very well.

This method was easy and the results were quite surprising considering I was using a one-ingredient (plus water) product. This method is actually recommended by many appliance companies including Wolf, and doesn’t require an exhaust fan for strong fumes like other methods. I was definitely more comfortable using this product compared to the others I tested and will be putting it into practice in my own kitchen. 

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Cyd McDowell

Stove Grate Cleaning Method: Easy Off 

• Total time: 50 minutes 
• Rating: 4

The method:Spray Easy Off onto the surface of your grates, and let sit for 40 minutes. Wipe the foam off with paper towels or kitchen rags, then clean with warm soapy water. 

How it went:While other methods were successful in getting the burners to wipe clean, Easy Off actually removed and stripped the super-tough burnt-on grease splatters with hardly any effort from me at all, making the burner look brand new. I could actually see the grease and fat separating on top of the solution once it was ready to be wiped clean — it’s extremely satisfying!

If you are looking for an all-natural method, this obviously isn’t the method for you (in that case, go with the baking soda), but I’m rating it best overall for shocking results and ease, hands-down. I’m still impressed just thinking about this method.

How do you clean your stove grates?