Cleaning your cooktop

Cooktops are notoriously prone to collecting grease and food spills, simply by the very nature of what they are used for. Many cooktops are difficult to clean, necessitating pulling them apart to clean properly, so choosing a cooktop for ease of cleaning to begin with is wise. But what are the best ways of cleaning your cooktop to ensure hygiene without damaging it?

How to clean your cooktop

There are several things to bear in mind when cleaning your cooktop.

• Do choose a cooktop wisely in the first place. Flat top induction or electric cooking cooktops are by far the easiest to clean, and pop off switches or flat panel switches also make life easier. Sealed gas burners are the best for cleaning gas cookers
• Always ensure that the cooking elements in an electric cooktop, whether convection or direct, are cool before cleaning
• Overspills while cooking should be dealt with by immediately removing the pot to cook on another burner and allowing the spill to cool
• For electric cooktops, wipe with a damp cloth or a plastic scourer and a gentle cleanser, ideally one meant for cooktops, if necessary. Get to these spills as soon as they cool
• For gas cooktops, take great care when cleaning around the igniter, and use a straight pin to clean the gas ports if necessary
• Clean gas grates with hot soapy water, taking them off to do so and soaking overnight if necessary

Remember that safety in the kitchen is paramount, and properly cleaning your cooktop will add to this.

Cleaning your cooktop: Mistakes to avoid

Correctly cleaning your cooktop will ensure its longevity. Don't make these mistakes:

• Don't clean a hot element. This can cause the element to crack or craze
• Don't leave food spills for any longer than necessary, and don't allow spills to build up over each other before you clean them, particularly in a gas cooker
• Avoid damage to the igniter (a tiny element on the side of the burner that creates the spark to start it) when cleaning. Catching it with the cloth or getting dirt or water in it may mean that the burner won't light
• Don't use a toothpick to clean gas ports as it may break, blocking the port
• Do not try to clean gas grates while still in place
• Never use a cleaning product containing chlorine bleach on a stainless steel cooktop

Take appropriate care of your cooktops and avoid damage by cleaning them in the correct manner.

Cooktop cleaning

It is important to take the best possible care of all appliances in order to get the full lifespan from them. This is no less true of cooktops, particularly as the combination of food and heat can create a fair amount of mess! Gas cooktops in particular require extra care in dismantling and cleaning to ensure that the jets do not become blocked and that the igniter is not damaged.