How to Clean a Kamado Grill: The Routine, the Deep Clean and the Don'ts

Brush and rake are all the kit you need (illustrative image).

You clean a kamado with fire, not soap.

How to clean a kamado grill, in short: let it cool, clear the old ash, and brush the cooking grate. Now and then, run it hot with the dome closed to burn off the residue inside. Wipe or hose the outside. Never put soap or chemicals inside the ceramic.

It takes a couple of minutes for most cooks. Here’s the full routine, from the quick job to the twice-a-year deep clean, including what to do about mould and how to handle sand after a shamal. New to kamados? Start with how to use a kamado grill and our owner’s guide, First Fire.

The golden rule: no soap inside

The inside of a kamado is ceramic, and ceramic soaks things up. Whatever goes in comes out in your food. So no soap, no oven cleaner, no bleach and no chemicals on the fire box, fire ring, dome interior or heat deflector.

You don’t need them anyway. A hot fire burns grease and food residue away, which is a cleaning system few other grills can match.

Your kamado cleaning schedule

When	What to do
Before every cook	Clear the old ash, brush the grate, check both vents move
Every so often, and after long or fatty cooks	Burn-off, then brush out the inside
After a shamal	Brush off the grates, clear sand from the vents, check they move freely
After a long break or heavy rain	Check for mould and damp coal, then start with a gentler fire
Every few months	Check the bolts on the metal bands and hinge are snug
About twice a year	Deep clean: empty it, inspect the ceramic, check any gasket

Before every cook: the two-minute routine

Do this each time and you’ll rarely need more.

1. Make sure it’s cold. Hot coals can hold heat for a long time and keep giving off carbon monoxide. Empty ash only when everything is completely cold.
2. Stir the old coal. Good lumps stay on top and the ash falls through. Keep those lumps for today’s fire.
3. Clear the ash. Rake it out through the bottom door, or lift out the parts if there’s a lot. Ash blocks the air, and a kamado that can’t breathe can’t hold a temperature.
4. Check both vents move.
5. Light your fire, then brush the grate once it’s warm. Residue comes off far more easily with some heat behind it.

Less ash means less clearing, so the charcoal you buy makes a difference here too.

Finishing a cook? Close both vents fully. With no air there’s no fire, and the coal that’s left lights again next time. You don’t need water to put it out.

How to clean the inside: the burn-off

This is what people call a kamado clean burn, and it’s simple. Run the kamado hot for a while with the dome closed, and the residue burns off. Brush everything out once it’s cool.

1. Take out the food and anything you don’t want burnt.
2. Light a good fire and open the vents.
3. Let it run hot with the dome closed for a while.
4. Close both vents and let the fire go out.
5. Wait until it’s cold. The dome stays hot for hours, so leave it alone and keep children and pets clear.
6. Brush out the loose carbon and clear the ash.

How hot, and for how long? It doesn’t need to be a furnace. One published guide suggests about 260–315°C for around 30 minutes. That’s a sensible range, and there’s no need to go flat-out for hours. Thick ceramic should heat up and cool down gradually, so take your time.

A good moment for it is after a long, fatty smoke, or any time you notice old grease smells when the kamado heats up.

How to clean kamado grill grates and accessories

Each part has its own rules.

Part	How to clean it	Avoid
Stainless cooking and charcoal grates	Brush while warm. If badly caked, soak in warm soapy water, then rinse and dry fully before they go back	Putting them back wet or soapy
Cast-iron grate	Brush, dry, wipe on a thin coat of oil, heat to re-season	Soaking it or leaving it wet, which causes rust
Heat deflector	Let the burn-off do the work, then scrape with a wooden or plastic scraper once cool	Soap: it’s ceramic
Pizza stone	Scrape once cool. The next hot cook burns off the rest	Soap and soaking. Stains are normal and won’t hurt your pizza
Top vent and bottom door	Brush them clean when cold and check they move freely	Forcing a stuck vent

Mould in your kamado

Open your kamado after a long break and you might find fuzzy spots inside. That’s mould, and it’s more common than you’d think, especially after a humid spell or a summer away. Fat residue, humidity and a closed lid give it what it needs.

It looks alarming, but it’s easy to deal with:

1. Take out the grates and brush away the loose growth.
2. Throw out any damp or mouldy charcoal. Don’t try to burn it.
3. Light a fresh fire and run it hot with the lid closed, as in a burn-off.
4. Let it cool completely, then brush it out again and clean the grates.

No bleach or sprays inside. Heat is what does the job. To help prevent it, clean out grease before you go away and keep your coal sealed and dry.

The outside

The glaze is fused into the ceramic in the kiln, so the colour lives in the surface, not on it. Looking after it is easy:

• Wait until it’s cool.
• Hose it down or wipe it with a damp cloth. Kamado Joe’s guide also suggests mild soapy water for exterior surfaces, if yours needs more.
• Skip the pressure washer. High pressure can force water into the vents, hinge and seals.
• Wipe down the side tables and metalwork, and dry them. Shade is kinder to wood and metal too.

The twice-a-year deep clean

About twice a year, give it a proper look over. Pick a day when it’s completely cold.

• Empty everything. Lift out the grates and any deflector or stone, then the fire ring and fire box. Two hands, gently: ceramic doesn’t forgive drops.
• Clear all the ash, including what’s collected under the fire box.
• Inspect the ceramic for cracks in the fire box and fire ring. If you find one on the body, send us photos and read what the warranty covers.
• Check the gasket, if your kamado has one, for fraying or gaps, because the lid needs to seal.
• Check the bolts on the bands and hinge. Metal moves with heat, so they can work loose.
• Rebuild it in order: fire box into the base, fire ring on top, charcoal grate in the bottom of the fire box, cooking grate on the ring.

UAE extras: sand, dust and humidity

Most cleaning guides don’t mention sand. Here, it’s the main thing.

• Close both vents whenever it’s cold. It’s the easiest way to keep sand out of the fire box.
• After a shamal, brush off the grates and check both vents still move freely before you light. Sand in a vent can stop it closing properly, which makes it harder to control the temperature.
• Brush grit off the rim where the dome meets the base, so the lid seals well.
• In humid weather, keep charcoal sealed, and check for mould if the kamado has sat unused for a while.

Fire does most of the work

That’s how to clean a kamado grill: ash before every cook, a burn-off when it needs one, a proper check twice a year, and no soap inside. Fire does most of the work, and you just sweep up. For anything we haven’t covered here, try the FAQ.

Look after it and it’ll look after dinner. Read the full owner’s guide →

Questions people ask

How often should you clean a kamado?

Clear the ash before every cook and brush the grate each time. Run a burn-off every so often, especially after long or fatty cooks, and do a full deep clean about twice a year. In the UAE, add a quick vent and grate check after every shamal.

Can you use soap to clean a kamado?

Never inside. The ceramic soaks up soap and chemicals, and whatever goes in comes out in your food. Clean the inside with fire and a brush. The outside is different, because it can be hosed down or wiped with a damp cloth.

What is a kamado clean burn?

Running the kamado hot with the dome closed so grease and food residue burn off, then brushing out what's left once it's cool. It's a burn-off, not a furnace, so keep it reasonably short. Thick ceramic needs time to heat and cool, so never rush it.

How do you get mould out of a kamado?

Take the grates out, brush away the loose growth and throw out any damp charcoal. Then light a fresh fire and run it hot with the lid closed, so the heat deals with what's left. Brush it out again once cool. Never use bleach inside the ceramic.

How do you clean kamado grill grates?

Brush them while they're warm. Stainless grates can soak in warm soapy water if they're badly caked, but rinse them well and dry them fully. For cast iron, brush it, dry it, wipe on a thin coat of oil and heat it to re-season. Never soak cast iron.

Should I clean the ash out after every use?

At least before every cook. Ash blocks the air, so a kamado with too much of it struggles to get hot or hold temperature. Wait until everything is completely cold, stir the old coal so the ash drops through, clear it out, and keep the good lumps for next time.

How do you clean a kamado pizza stone?

Scrape off anything stuck once the stone is cool, then let the next hot cook burn the rest away. No soap and no soaking, because the ceramic is porous and will hold both. Stains are normal and won't affect your pizza.

Can you pressure wash a kamado?

We wouldn't. A garden hose or a damp cloth is enough for the outside, and water pressure can force its way into the vents, hinge and seals. Never spray the inside. Clean that with fire and a brush instead, and let the kamado dry before you light it.