Caring for Your Heatlie
If you've been wondering how to clean your BBQ hotplate, look no further. We know more than anyone how important it is to look after anything that you love. There are no exceptions with a Heatlie BBQ. Being made from the highest quality materials here in Adelaide, South Australia, your Heatlie will last for many years and even decades if cared for and cleaned regularly. Besides keeping a cover on it, and storing it out of the weather, it's best to give your Heatlie a decent clean on a regular basis so the plate doesn't rust, corrode and deteriorate. If yours is already in that position, check out our blog on restoring an old BBQ to new again.
Making Cleaning your BBQ Easy
No one likes cleaning a BBQ, it's arduous, filthy and usually takes a lot of effort. With a Heatlie however, it couldn't be easier. Not only does the BBQ only consist of one big flat plate where you can conveniently scrape everything into a neat pile, but there are also no grills to let all the fat and food scraps drip down into a mess of burners and twisted steel. These kinds of BBQ cleaning experiences can scar you, making you apathetic to doing it ever again, allowing your BBQ to fall into a state of disrepair.
Heatlie BBQ Cleaning Kit
Heatlie's Cleaning Kit features a bottle of Heat Activated Cleaner which works fast to dissolve food and fat stuck to the plate. It's applied while the plate is hot, allowing it to burn away all the muck. Combine this with a strong scrubbing from our no-scratch scouring pads, and your plate will be looking spick and span real fast. For cleaning exterior stainless steel surfaces like the lid, hood, legs and everything else other than the plate, we recommend our Super Contact Cleaner. For powder coated surfaces, simply wipe down with a damp soft cloth.
8 Steps to Clean your Heatlie BBQ
Follow the steps below, along with obtaining a Heatlie Cleaning Kit for yourself, and you'll have your plate clean and ready for the next cook in the blink of an eye. Follow along with the video above for a more comprehensive look at the process.
It is also important to note, before you get going that if your hotplate is black in colour, this is totally normal. In fact, when your hotplate is a solid, even black colour this is when it is at its optimal seasoned state. So there is no need to go scrubbing all the black off to get the shiny steel look again.
Using the Heatlie Cleaning Kit:
1. Scrape excess residue off the barbecue.
Use a solid, heavy-duty scraper to get deep underneath the layers of fat that have built up. This can also be used to scrape off any rust that may have occurred. A paint scraper from a hardware store should do the trick.
2. Heat up the barbecue for three minutes and then spread Heat Activated Cleaner in an even layer over the hot plate.
Use a cloth or a non-scratch scouring pad for the best coverage.
3. Turn off the hot plate and leave Heat Activated Cleaner for 1 minute.
This allows the enzymes to work their magic and break down the fat and food particles.
4. Rub in Heat-Activated Cleaner with pads.
Here is where you want to get serious with your non-scratch scouring pad. Give it a decent scrub to really lift all the gunk off the plate.
5. Direct residue towards the drain hole.
One benefit of a Heatlie is the ease of removing fat and cleaning residue from the plate with the fat drain hole. Chances are you'll need something a bit bigger than the current fat catcher waiting underneath for this, so grab a container or a bucket.
6. Use warm soapy water to thin the excess residue.
Anything leftover can be thinned out using hot soapy water to make it easier for you.
7. Clean off remaining residue with a clean damp cloth.
Using a damp cloth, polish off any stragglers and leave it clean for the coat of oil. If you aren't satisfied with how it looks, just repeat steps 6 and 7 till you are.
8. Season hot plate with cooking oil.
Once the plate is clean and dry, it is very important to season your hotplate. Coating the plate in cooking oil both prepares it for the next cook and protects it from rust and corrosion over time.
The Best Way to Clean Your BBQ
So there you have it, a comprehensive guide on cleaning your Heatlie hotplate. Hopefully, with the help of Heatlie's Cleaning Kit, now it won't be such a dreadful task for you to complete, and you can keep your valuable Heatlie BBQ in good condition for decades to come.