How to clean a Tefal grill
Updated: 16 October 2026
The next preheat fills the kitchen with smoke, and there is no food on the plate. How to clean a Tefal grill starts there, because Tefal’s OptiGrill+ FAQ blames dirty plates, and a dishwasher cycle will not shift fat baked into the ridges. The [Tefal tabletop grill comparison](/hub/portable-grills/tefal-tabletop-grill) is where the models are chosen. The Products Compared editorial team used Tefal’s OptiGrill instructions and the UK review notes on 16 October 2026. No lab cook was run. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The body and the cord stay dry.
The next preheat fills the kitchen with smoke, and there is no food on the plate.
The next preheat fills the kitchen with smoke, and there is no food on the plate. How to clean a Tefal grill starts there, because Tefal’s OptiGrill+ FAQ blames dirty plates, and a dishwasher cycle will not shift fat baked into the ridges. The Tefal tabletop grill comparison is where the models are chosen. The Products Compared editorial team used Tefal’s OptiGrill instructions and the UK review notes on 16 October 2026. No lab cook was run. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The body and the cord stay dry.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Plates | Dishwasher | What the wash is | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Tefal Tefal OptiGrill+ XL GC722D40 | Removable non-stick | Plates yes; body no | Soak ridges after mince or bacon | 8.9 | about £129.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Tefal Tefal Inicio Grill GC241D12 | Not listed as removable | Drip tray only | Wipe plates in place when cool | 6.1 | about £73.79 | View offer |
| Best value |  Tefal Tefal SuperGrill 3-in-1 XL GC520DG1 | Removable; clip can fail | Plates and tray in the bullets | Seat the plate cold before heat | 6.6 | about £114.99 | View offer |
On this page
Smoke before any food goes on
Tefal’s OptiGrill+ page says smoke on an empty preheat comes from residue left on the plates. UK reviews of the OptiGrill+ XL say fat from mince or bacon burns into the ridges and the next heat smokes. Let the grill cool for about 45 minutes before you touch a plate. Then soak the plates for about 30 minutes, scrub, rinse, and only after that consider the dishwasher. The first cook stays on the how to use page.
What is dishwasher-safe
The OptiGrill instruction PDF puts the cooking plates and the juice tray in the dishwasher, and it leaves the body and the cord out. A Groupe SEB instruction extract draws the same line: do not immerse the appliance. Unplug first, remove only the parts the listing says come off, and wipe the body with a damp cloth once it is cool. The upper and lower plates are not interchangeable on that OptiGrill PDF. The OptiGrill instructions still allow the plates in the dishwasher. The buying guide is where you check which listings claim a removable plate.
Ridges, clips, and non-stick
Bacon fat sits in the grooves. After the 30-minute soak, work along each ridge with a nylon sponge, rinse, and look again. A brown groove will smoke. A fork dragged along a ridge cuts the coating. Clipping the plate back is a separate fault. A SuperGrill review says the upper plate would not clip after washing. Cool it, clear the lug, and fit it as it came off. If it will not seat, stop. Do not heat a plate that is only half clipped. The best Tefal tabletop grill page is where the models are ranked.
When the plates do not come off
The Inicio’s listing calls the drip tray removable and dishwasher-safe. It does not say the plates unclip, and the review text treats them as fixed. Wipe those plates in place once the grill is cool, and keep water out of the housing. The Giant Plancha is the other fixed surface in this set. A review describes grease trapped in the gap around a plate that does not lift. Do not prise that plate off. Clean what a cloth can reach. If the plates and tray are clean and the housing still smokes, or you smell electrics, switch off and stop. A tripped breaker is the same stop. Fat you can still see in a groove is unfinished washing. A clip that will not lock is a return, not another soak.
Common questions
Why does the grill smoke when it heats with no food on it?
Tefal’s OptiGrill+ FAQ says preheat smoke comes from dirty plates. UK reviews of the XL describe fat burnt into the ridges. Cool the grill for about 45 minutes, soak the plates for about 30 minutes, scrub with a nylon sponge, and rinse until the grooves are clear. A dishwasher cycle without that soak leaves the fat in place. Smoke from the housing is a different event. Unplug and stop.
Can the plates go in the dishwasher?
On the OptiGrill instruction PDF, the plates and the juice tray are dishwasher-safe after a soak and a scrub. XL reviewers still brush by hand, and some skip the dishwasher. BBC Good Food prefers hand washing because a dishwasher can wear non-stick. Use a nylon sponge rather than steel wool. The claim does not mean burnt mince will vanish on a short cycle.
Can the whole grill go in the dishwasher?
The body and the cord stay out. The OptiGrill PDF and a Groupe SEB instruction extract both keep the appliance out of the water. Unplug, remove the plates and the tray if they come off, and wipe the housing when it is cool. Immersing the hinge or the controls turns a wash into an electrical fault. A dishwasher-safe tray is not a dishwasher-safe grill.
How do I get bacon fat out of the ridges?
Cool the plate for about 45 minutes, then soak it for about 30 minutes. Scrub each ridge with a nylon sponge and rinse until the groove is clear. Oil the plate only when it is clean. Fit each OptiGrill plate where it came off. Seat a SuperGrill plate cold, and do not heat one that is only half engaged.
How do I clean a grill whose plates do not come off?
Wipe the plates in place after the grill has cooled, and keep water out of the body. The Inicio listing makes the drip tray the dishwasher-safe part, and reviews treat the plates as fixed. A plancha review describes grease in a gap around a plate that does not lift. Clean that gap with a cloth. Do not lever the plate out. The OptiGrill sink-soak does not transfer to these two.
When is smoke a fault rather than residue?
Smoke is residue when you can still see fat in the ridges or the tray and the smell is burnt food. Wash again after the 45-minute cool-down. Smoke is a fault when the plates are clean and the housing still smokes, when you smell electrics, or when the breaker trips. Switch off at the socket. Do not reset a tripped breaker to carry on.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources first, then the eight amazon.co.uk listings. Prices, stars, and review counts are the figures in the staged files.
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK — Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations 2016, Great Britain (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First — portable grills (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Tefal UK — grills (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Tefal UK — warranty (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- London Fire Brigade — cooking safety (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- BBC Good Food — non-stick coatings (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the eight Tefal tabletop grills in this set (retrieved 16 October 2026)