How To Clean A Traeger Grease Trap & More
Discover the secret to keeping your pellet grill in top-notch condition with our definitive guide on how to clean a Traeger grease trap. Dive into step-by-step instructions, savvy grease prevention strategies, and uncover the must-have tools for effortless maintenance. Kick off your spring cleaning by tackling the grime on your Traeger.
Where Does Grease Build Up?
When it comes to your Traeger grill, grease can accumulate in various areas, both inside and outside of the grill. Across all of our pellet grills, the inside and outside of the grill and the grill grates are prime spots for grease buildup due to cooking residue and drippings.
Make sure to frequently wipe down the inside and outside of the lid, shelves, and even the wheels with a paper towel or disposable cloth to prevent grease buildup.
However, depending on your Traeger model, there may be specific areas unique to its design that require attention during cleaning. Taking a comprehensive approach ensures you address all potential grease buildup areas, keeping your grill in top condition for some epic cooking results.
How To Clean a Traeger Grease Trap
A good rule of thumb to have when it comes to spring cleaning your Traeger Grill is to always check the grill grates (unless you have a Flatrock Grill of course, but more on that later), the outside, and the inner walls of the grill. Each model of a Traeger though is different – read on for how to clean the different Traeger grease traps.
Cleaning Grease On WiFIRE® Touchscreen Controller Grills
As mentioned before, cleaning the inside and the outside of the grill is essential. However, for these models, you’ll also need to clean the chimney, grease tray, and grease tray as well.
For cleaning your chimney and grease chute, we highly recommend investing in heat-protective gloves so you don’t burn yourself, and some of our Traeger Grill Cleaner to make the job easier. You’ll start by spraying both areas with the cleaner and scrubbing the inside of the chimney and the grease chute using a cleaning cloth or heavy-duty paper towels to remove soot and grease buildup.
For the harder-to-reach areas like the updraft of the chimney, use a stick or pair of tongs to help guide the paper towel through the spaces your hand can’t fit.
Lastly, you’ll want to make sure the grease tray has been wiped (or in big cooks, scraped) off of any excess grease before reassembling it back into your grill. Make sure to use a nylon brush or silicone/rubber putty knife though instead of steel wool or brushes or you will damage your Drip Tray.
Pro tip: You can make your cleaning job easier by covering it in aluminum foil when you cook so you have less mess to wipe up.
This cleaning method will apply to these grill models:
Cleaning Grease on Grills Without Chimneys
While the cleaning grease from grill to grill is relatively similar, there are a few different areas to keep in mind. Along with the grill grates and interior of the grill, you’ll want to make sure the grease cap, drip tray, grease tube, and grease and ash keg (we promise, it’s as easy as grilling up an epic burger.)
Cleaning the grease out of your Traeger is pretty flexible depending on your style. For your grease trap, you can opt for a hands-on approach by scrubbing it with a nylon brush and Traeger Cleaner, or you can choose an easier route by soaking it in hot water. For big cooks like brisket, this might be easier.
Soaking the bottom of your pellet grill in the cleaning spray is also a smart move for grease removal. Since these models don’t come with drip tray liners, you’ll need to keep on top of the grease buildup in that area.
With the Timberline and Ironwood models for example, your grease and ash systems are in the same area. To clean your grease and ash keg, it’s as simple as throwing away the EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg Liner and replacing it with a new one.
This cleaning method will apply to these grill models:
How To Clean Grease on The Flatrock Grill
Unlike our smokers, there aren’t any grill grates or chimneys that you’ll need to clean up. Instead, you’ll focus most of your attention on the cooktop.
Start by purchasing our Traeger Flat Top Grill Essentials Kit to make clean up that much easier. Once you’re done with your cook, keep the grill on, scrape any bits of food and grease into the grease chute, followed by spraying the surface with water. Once you’ve done that, repeat step one. When you feel like you’re close to the end, feel free to use a towel or heavy-duty paper towels to wipe the surface clean.
Once the griddle is cleaned off, you’ll need to re-oil it. This might feel like you’ve just wasted all the time you spent cleaning it, but it’s important for preventing rust, and maintaining the seasoning on your flat top.
The final grease-cleaning step is to empty the EZ-Clean Grease Keg.
Read our Flatrock Grill cleaning guide for more step-by-step instructions, and if you haven’t gotten one yet, see why it’s an essential grill for every Traeger owner.
Tools For How to Clean a Traeger Grease Trap, etc.
Whether you’re cleaning a Pro 780, Ironwood XL, Timberline XL, or Flatrock Grill, you’ll want to invest in the following tools:
- Traeger BBQ Cleaning Brush
- Traeger Wooden Grill Grate Scraper
- All-Natural Grill Cleaner
- Disposable Cloths or Heavy-Duty Towels.
If you want to go the DIY route, we recommend getting distilled white vinegar, onion, lemon, baking soda and vinegar, and dish soap. You can learn how to use these tools more in our Traeger cleaning article.
How To Prevent Grease Build-Up
Grease is inevitable when you’re cooking up delicious foods, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to prevent a lot of grease buildup.
- Clean Frequently: Make sure to scrap grease and food buildup off the grates, flat top, and drip tray after each use.
- Use Drip Tray Liners: If applicable to your grill model, use drip tray liners to catch extra grease and food particles. Just make sure to throw them away when necessary.
- Monitor Cooking Temperatures: At Traeger, we love cooking low and slow to get that extra wood-fired flavor. However, lower temperatures can also result in more grease buildup compared to higher-temperature cooks. Make sure to keep an eye on the grease buildup after these slower cooks.
- Use A Grill Cover: By using a grill cover, you’ll protect your pellet grill from rain and humidity which can accelerate the accumulation of grease. It’ll also block debris and sunlight which can make grease even harder to clean up.
- Follow Cleaning Timelines: How often you clean your grill is ultimately up to you, but we highly recommend following this timeline:
After Every Use: Wipe down spills and scrape off grill grates (if food touched grates).
Every 2-3 Cooks (Every 20-24 Hours of Cook Time): Deep clean the inside of the grill.
Every 3 Months: Clean the outside of the grill (more often if you don’t have a grill cover)
Every 6 Months: Clean the grease chute (or the downdraft if the grill doesn’t have a chimney)
