Tips For Cleaning and Maintaining Cooking Ranges and Stove Burners

To expect the best performance, the cooking equipment must be maintained in good condition and cleaned daily. Naturally, the periods for this care and cleaning depend on the amount and degree of usage. All stewarding staff must familiarize themselves with the correct standards and procedures of how the stove burners should work. 

The Executive Chef and Stewarding Manager should be responsible for ensuring that appropriate kitchen equipment cleaning and maintenance methods are followed by the stewarding staff. The hotel training and HRD department should develop and implement proper written Kitchen Stewarding SOP’s to ensure the same is implemented correctly throughout all the food preparation outlets.

What are the steps for cleaning and maintaining Cooking Ranges?

Note: This SOP is for reference or example only, always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer for your and others’ safety, and also to avoid any injury while operating this equipment.

• Before cleaning or removing any part, make sure that everything on the range has been turned off.
•  Unless suggested otherwise in the following points, allow all/any part to cool to a safe temperature before cleaning.
•  If you do need to handle a warm or hot part (e.g. grill or griddle), take extreme care. Wear long protective mitts to avoid burns from steam or hot surfaces.
•  When using a cleaner for the first time, Try using it on a small area first, to ensure it doesn’t stain.
•  Familiarise yourself with the owner’s instructions on removing and replacing different parts of the range for cleaning or maintenance.
•  Do not use aerosol cleaners until the range has completely cooled.
•  The propellant substance in these cleaners could catch fire in the presence of heat.
•  Do not let soiling or grease accumulate anywhere in or on the range.
•  Soiling or grease accumulation will make future cleaning more difficult and may present a fire hazard.
•  Do not use any abrasive or harsh cleaners, cloths, scouring pads, or steel wool.
•  These will scratch your range and damage its appearance.
•  Do not use a steam cleaner to clean any part of the range.
•  Do not perform any cleaning or maintenance on parts not specified by the manufacturer for routine cleaning and maintenance.
•  Do not lift the black grill and griddle frames off the cooktop.

What are the cleaning procedures for stove burners?

• Turn on the stove and heat the parts to be cleaned.
•  Turn off the gas valve.
•  Take stove parts one by one to be cleaned in the dishwasher bench.
•  Spray with grease cleaner or soak them up with hot water.
•  Lift the strainer stove and dry it.
•  Clean the stove with steel wool and dry it.
•  Clean the burner and ensure that there is no obstruction on the fire tubes.
•  Clean all parts of the stove.
•  Reinstall all the cleaned parts one by one.
•  Put some cooking oil. 
•  Use a wire brush if necessary.
•  Periodically, burners (particularly open-top type) should be removed and cleaned.
•  Allow the interior to drain.
•  Dry thoroughly before replacing.

How to clean the cooking range’s stainless surface?

• To remove normal dirt, grease, and product residue from stainless steel that operates at LOW temperatures, use ordinary soap and water (with or without detergent) applied with a sponge or cloth.
•  Dry thoroughly with a clean cloth.
•  To remove grease and food splatter, or condensed vapors, that have BAKED on the equipment, apply cleanser to a damp cloth or sponge and rub cleanser on the metal in the direction of the polishing lines.
•  Rubbing cleanser, as gently as possible, in the direction of the polished lines will not mar the finish of the stainless steel.
•  Never rub in a circular motion to avoid scratches.
•  Soil and burnt deposits that do not respond to the above procedure can usually be removed by rubbing the surface with SCOTCH-BRITE scouring pads or STAINLESS scouring pads.
•  DO NOT USE ORDINARY STEEL WOOL, as any particles left on the surface will rust and further spoil the appearance of the finish.
•  Never use a wire brush, steel scouring pads (except stainless), scraper, file, or other steel tools while cleaning the cooking range.
•  Surfaces that are marred collect dirt more rapidly and become more difficult to clean.
•  Marring also increases the possibility of a corrosive attack.

To remove heat tint from the cooking range?

• Darkened areas sometimes appear on stainless steel surfaces where the area has been subjected to excessive heat.
•  These darkened areas are caused by the thickening of the protective surface of the stainless steel and are not harmful.
•  Heat tint can normally be removed by the foregoing.
•  For tougher heat tint which does not respond to this procedure require vigorous scouring in the direction of the polish lines using SCOTCH-BRITE scouring pads or a STAINLESS scouring pad in combination with a powered cleanser.
•  Heat tint action may be lessened by not applying, or by reducing heat to equipment during slack periods.

How to clean the black baked enamel surface on the cooking range?

• Allow the unit to cool somewhat after use and wash the exterior with a hot, mild detergent or soap solution; particularly clean off all grease deposits.
•  Dry thoroughly with a dry cloth.

How to clean the cooking range hot tops?

• Allow the cooking range to cool.
•  Avoid putting water if the stove top is hot, If water is used on tops while still hot, they may crack.
•  Remove tops from the range and clean surfaces with hot water and detergent.
•  A wire brush may be used on the underside of the hot top plate.
•  It is recommended not to clean tops while still on the range, even if cooled, as excessive water will drip into the burner box and deteriorate the metal.
•  Never waste gas and abuse equipment by leaving all burners “Full On,” when not in use.
•  During idle periods, adjust burner valves to keep the top warm.
•  Re-adjust burner valves as required for periods of heavy loads.

Training Summary questions:

Q1. What is the purpose of this SOP?

Q2. How to clean the stove burners? 

Q3. Why you should not use ordinary steel wool on stainless steel surfaces?

Q4. How to clean the hot tops?

Q5. Explain the method for cleaning the cooking range stainless steel surface. 

SOP Number: Kitchen / F&B Production SOP – 30
Department: Kitchen Stewarding
Date Issued: 11-Feb-2019
Time to Train: 45 Minutes