Maintenance Is Easy

Keeping your Evo well maintained will ensure that it serves you a long time. And fortunately, it is easy to clean! Below are a few tips on taking care of your Evo Flattop and keeping it presentable and functional.

First – Break the Bad Habit !

Growing up with open flame grills taught you that trying to clean them was futile, so you stopped trying. Evo appliances are different – you can get them remarkably clean with little effort. So don’t fall into the old habit of neglect. If you start the good habit with your new Evo of spending just a few seconds after every cooking to clean up, you will discover it is not only easy but quite beneficial.

Caring For The Cook Surface

Regular cleaning and care for your flattop cooking surface will keep your Evo looking and performing its best. Properly maintained, this cook surface will provide a lifetime of continual service.

The cook surface is designed to hold a fine layer of cooking oil on its surface, referred to as “seasoning” in the culinary world. This oil helps to prevent food from sticking and makes cooking easier.  Oils with high smoking points (e.g. grape seed, extra virgin olive oil, canola, soy) work best because they won’t break down as easy during normal cooking cycles. Also, their taste may be neutral or preferred over others.

Evo’s cook surface is much like maintaining fine cast iron cookware. When the surface requires cleaning, there are a few basic cleaning techniques to use. For quick and routine cleaning between preparations, a metal spatula works for removing the majority of surface debris. For tougher areas where sugars or other debris glaze the cook surface, pour a small amount of oil on the soiled surface while the cook surface is warm and scrape the debris away with the surface scraper. Tip for sticky substances: heat the cook-surface to a high temperature and allow the sticky debris to become brittle. Once the debris is brittle, use the scraper to brush it away.  Unless you are prepared to re-season your cook surface, you should avoid cleaning the flattop with soap and water (as it will obviously wash away the oil seasoning).

The next step is to maintain the flattop cooking surface with the cleaning kit supplied with your Evo. The cleaning kit contains a professional 3M brand handle, a polishing pad and cleaning screen. While the cook surface is warm, use the polishing pad after you have scraped away the major debris. Place one gray polishing pad between the handle base and the cook surface. Pour a small amount of vegetable oil on the cook surface (targeting rough spots) and scrub the surface in a circular motion. Even do the edges. Add more oil if the surface seems dry. The gray polishing pad allows excess oil to be absorbed. When finished scrubbing, wipe the surface down with a paper towel or cotton terrycloth. After cleaning you will want to oil the cook surface again before cooking. You should be left with a clean, semi-glossy surface that over time will develop a black patina similar to an old style cast iron pan.

You can use the screen to clean really tough applications. Place the screen on the cook surface, with the pad then handle on top. The gray polishing pad helps grip the screen, allows excess oil to be absorbed, and also helps prevent the screen from getting clogged with debris. For griddle cooking you will want the cook surface to be completely free of any debris that might otherwise discolor or impart unwanted flavors. Screens are aggressive tools and should be used carefully, especially with ceramic coated cook surfaces.

Cleaning is easy with a warm cook surface. You can often perform these steps in just a few seconds right after you finish cooking. You’ll be ready then to cook next time with only a few minutes of warm-up!

Cleaning The Drip Pan

The drip pan located just below the cook surface is designed to catch food debris and drippings from the cook surface. You can clear debris during your presentation cooking by simply grabbing a towel with tongs or the edge of the spatula and sweeping the inside of the drip pan. We recommend the final cleaning of the drip pan after your cook top has cooled to prevent the possibility of touching the hot cooking surface. The drip pan is easy to wipe out with soap and water using a kitchen sponge. For added convenience, a removable stainless steel waste container is mounted under the left hand side of the drip pan and can be easily washed by hand or in a dishwasher. Be sure to empty the waste container after every use.
Tip: plan to cook something very fatty, like bacon or duck breasts? Simply place some aluminum foil in the drip pan at the spot of runoff. After cooking, when cooled, fold up and dispose.

Cleaning Stainless Steel

All of the stainless steel components on your Evo can be easily cleaned using warm soap and water with a terry cloth rag. This method is best to remove grease and dirt. To preserve the brilliance of Evo’s stainless steel finish, you can also apply a stainless steel polish.  Simply spray it on a dry terry cloth or cotton towel and wipe down previously cleaned surface to produce an attractive luster. 

Cover and Protect

Vinyl covers are available for Evo outdoor models. Covering your Evo between use will keep dust and debris from dulling the shine and help prevent scratches that can detract from its appearance.