Now that you’ve emerged from the belly of the beast, all that’s left to do is empty and wash the drip tray. Remember: Always dispose of grease in the garbage and never down the drain, as it can wreak havoc on your plumbing. You can use a paint scraper to dislodge crusty bits and scoop out grease, but some drip trays are made with a nonstick coating, in which case we recommend scraping them with a wooden or silicone tool.
Once scraped mostly clean, give the drip tray a scrub with dish soap, dry it with a cloth, and don’t forget to put it back in its place. Be sure to position it directly under the chute, as well, since some grills have sliding mechanisms to move the tray back and forth for easy access.
If you find the task of cleaning the drip tray to be particularly odious, you can buy aluminum drip tray liners that fit into specific models, which are available from grill manufacturers like Weber, or you can get generic liners from third-party vendors.
We used these liners during grill testing, which certainly made cleanup easier when grilling over 140 pounds of meat. That said, if you’re not a frequent griller, want to avoid single-use products, or don’t mind a quick wipe-down, the drip tray that comes with your grill is perfectly fine.
Now that you’re done, it’s time to fire the grill right back up for some street corn and ribs, right?
This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder.
