Cleaning 2 Star

[Smitty385]

I don't usually spend a whole lot of time cleaning the outside of my smokers, but I wanted to get some advice on cleaning this. I've read orange degreaser works good, then to go with SS cleaner behind to give it the clean look. Any advice would be appreciated!

[rwalters]

Howdy! I bought my 2 Star last March, and have cooked lots and lots of food on it over the year that I have owned it. I am pretty picky about keeping my stuff in tip-top shape...lol. I have tried numerous cleaners on the exterior stainless, many that came highly recommended on several forums. After a year of trial I have settled on 2 cleaners that make keeping my MAK clean a breeze. I use a product called SD-20 after every cook. Most of the time, while the cooker is still warm (not hot), I spray it down with SD-20 and then wipe of with a damp microfiber towel. I then rinse the towel with fresh water, ring it out and wipe one more time. The whole process takes maybe 3-4 mins.  And then once/month or so, I will spray any tough grease stains down with a product called Mr. Muscle, and let it sit for about 5 mins. The grease stains wipe right off with paper towels. Sometimes I have to give a second spray on the really tough spots, but they always come off.

I am always careful to quickly wipe any overspray from the power coated lower portion of the cooker.

You can find both cleaners on Amazon. They are a bit pricey, but they work!

[Smitty385]

Thank you for the thorough response!! I will look into both. I picked my 2 star up Wednesday night and have used it both night with plans to use it a couple times this weekend. For the price, I want to keep it looking nice. A number of forums and posts have said once it starts to cake on, it's almost impossible to get clean again.

[rwalters]

Thank you for the thorough response!! I will look into both. I picked my 2 star up Wednesday night and have used it both night with plans to use it a couple times this weekend. For the price, I want to keep it looking nice. A number of forums and posts have said once it starts to cake on, it's almost impossible to get clean again.

Not with the right cleaners. It’s actually quite easy! 

Congrats on your new 2 Star! . You are going to love it!! What were you cooking on prior to this?

[rwalters]

Oh one more tip... on occasion you will have grease drip down the external walls of the cooking chamber. If you ignore those, that’s where I think you’ll start to get into trouble. I always keep a damp rag (sometimes damp paper towels) handy. I wipe drips off as they happen (right off the blazing hot stainless) with nothing more than a damp cloth. Comes right off every time.

Told you I am picky...lol!!

[Smitty385]

Thank you for the thorough response!! I will look into both. I picked my 2 star up Wednesday night and have used it both night with plans to use it a couple times this weekend. For the price, I want to keep it looking nice. A number of forums and posts have said once it starts to cake on, it's almost impossible to get clean again.

Not with the right cleaners. It’s actually quite easy! 

Congrats on your new 2 Star! . You are going to love it!! What were you cooking on prior to this?

Prior to this I used a Pit boss for the last 5 years. I burned through the deflector and drip tray after 5 years of using it 3-4 times a week.

[rwalters]

Thank you for the thorough response!! I will look into both. I picked my 2 star up Wednesday night and have used it both night with plans to use it a couple times this weekend. For the price, I want to keep it looking nice. A number of forums and posts have said once it starts to cake on, it's almost impossible to get clean again.

Not with the right cleaners. It’s actually quite easy! 

Congrats on your new 2 Star! . You are going to love it!! What were you cooking on prior to this?

Prior to this I used a Pit boss for the last 5 years. I burned through the deflector and drip tray after 5 years of using it 3-4 times a week.

Well, you won’t have to worry about “burn-out” any more! I actually saw a PB at Walmart the other day for the first time. Pretty darn solid for the price!

[FinsnFeathers]

Oh one more tip... on occasion you will have grease drip down the external walls of the cooking chamber. If you ignore those, that’s where I think you’ll start to get into trouble. I always keep a damp rag (sometimes damp paper towels) handy. I wipe drips off as they happen (right off the blazing hot stainless) with nothing more than a damp cloth. Comes right off every time.

Told you I am picky...lol!!

So what about the inside? Like the lid and the area where the grease comes off and in to the grease tray?

[teesquare]

For me the most effective tool in cleaning is: PREVENTION....

Explain? When I am cooking a pork butt, roast, chicken - or anything that will drip grease...( and what doesn't ...) I will put it on a fine wire rack, and set that on a shallow baking pan - then set it in the MAK.

If you guys ever have the "pleasure" (insert snarky eye roll here...) of cleaning multiple years of hard baked on grease that has become a hard layer of shellac - from the inside of ANY grill...you will likely not want to repeat that effort. I don't.

And the above method does not interfere with smoke or temps. It just contains the oils and grease in the pan - that you remove when you are taking dinner out of your grill

After all...would you put a roast, a chicken or any other big ole hunk of meat in your oven without a pan under it? Nope...I didn't think so......

[rwalters]

Oh one more tip... on occasion you will have grease drip down the external walls of the cooking chamber. If you ignore those, that’s where I think you’ll start to get into trouble. I always keep a damp rag (sometimes damp paper towels) handy. I wipe drips off as they happen (right off the blazing hot stainless) with nothing more than a damp cloth. Comes right off every time.

Told you I am picky...lol!!

So what about the inside? Like the lid and the area where the grease comes off and in to the grease tray?

Between regular scraping with a stiff steel scraper and an occasional high heat burn off the inside is nice and seasoned, but not at all gunked up. Here’s what mine currently looks like inside. I will probably scrape it down after my next cook. I do not foil.  I am much more anal about the exterior.  If I was as picky about the inside as I am the outside, I’d probably use it less just the avoid the hassle of nit-picky cleanliness... if that makes sense. I’ve never had a grease fire due to a dirty MAK... lol.

I should add, all of my low n slow cooks go on the upper grate with a drip pan underneath. That’s a big time saver at the end of a greasy cook. I will also lay foil on the bottom grate when loading the top grate with bacon.

[smokeasaurus]

You sure want to keep that wonderful "seasoning" on the inside.

[CDN Smoker]

Good ti “T”

[CDN Smoker]

Tip

[teesquare]

Thanks!

It took me having to skin my knuckles and sweat gallons - when I up-dated my MAK - And spent all day scraping, soaking in cleaner, and scrubbing.

And it hit me....I spend more for an outdoor cooking appliance than my indoor oven...So, WHY don't I use a pan under meat in my outdoor "ovens" I mean...we definitely use pans in our kitchen ovens...right?

The first response most have is "well...the bottom of the meat will not get cooked the same way....because it is sitting on a pan". And - that is correct. But if you use a wire rack - like a cookie cooling rack - and place that over a shallow pan with sides high enough to collect the potential grease - but low enough that you do not wast vertical space....you lessen your long term cleaning by probably 90%. NO KIDDING.
And, the smoke as well as heat can travel completely around the meat - just as if it were sitting on the actual grates.

[smokeasaurus]

I completely agree with Tee. I just take it a step further:

If you have the 3/4 or full cooking grate accessories, I take advantage of the generous headroom in the MAK by placing the foil pan on the bottom grate and cooking on the accessory grates.

Either way the clean up is super easy.

( Thanks Tee for the tip when we got our new 2 Star)