The heating element stinks of course. How does one clean it without destroying it?
752880
I never tried. But i do see the potential for it to get dirty. Cotton swabs and alcohol or degreaser?
752881
You cannot clean it as goes with most ovens because you cannot take the elements out. Maybe some day an oven or toaster oven will have a cover that still allows things to cook and removal of the shield to clean. Looks like all these plus the toaster ovens have their limits in this area.
711577
Fairly Easy. The inside pad that covers the heating element completely comes off and can be put in the washing machine. The outside can easily be sponged clean.
519009
Unplug unit and allow it to cool to room temperature before very carefully and gently wiping all inner surfaces with a soft cloth (do not use paper towels, as paper residue can cause shorting of heating elements), moistened with hot water and wrung out. Repeat until all food residue is removed. Allow to dry, and wipe carefully with dry cloth to remove any residue.
555679
Try some oil or grease, you can clean it off with a solvent if it doesn't work
1621920
Have you made sure its free from dust? I would wipe the entire heater (front and back) with a damp cloth, let it dry, then try it out. If it still smokes after that, sounds like its safest to replace it. It's worth trying to clean it first. You should dismount it from the wall to clean and dry it. Good luck!
771571
We put most parts into the dishwasher. Only the heater element needs hand cleaning
1940575
There is a finger loop on the filter on the back side of the heater. Just pull gently away from the heater and the plastic filter assembly pops out. Clean by washing with dish soapy water, or brushing. At the end of each heating season, I like to clean the 5 ceramic discs by blowing air through the front of the heater. No need to remove the discs-just remove the dust filter. To re-install, insert the bottom of the plastic filter assembly into the heater housing then snap in the top ( where the finger loop is) into place.
906038
Honestly I have never had to clean it. Im thinking a heavy duty degreaser or some type of acid base cleaner might do the trick. Maybe even bleach and let it soak. Sorry I couldn't be more help. Almost four years running nonstop and its still going strong.
655576
Always do prep....clean with wire brush as best as possible....remove any oil or grease by cleaning with denatured alcohol or some comparable solvent
353645
There was a slight smell at first but it wore off. This is common in many electric heaters. I call it the newness smell. However if it continues to smell and the odor is strong there may be some defect. Possibly a piece of plastic stuck on the heating element inside. Give it a few days and let it run for a couple of hours.Keep a close watch on it.
453319
use a hose with nozzle or hose with a wand to spray water into the mounting hole for the anode rod. this will loosen wash much of the debris out. some lumps will be larger than the opening; use the wand to break them up. I had to do this multiple times to get all the white crud out of my water heater. Also, remove the anode rod more often and rinse out the heater; don't wait till it builds up excessively.
489581
I usually soak the pan in hot soapy water and use a vegetable brush to clean mine. The other suggestions that people have offered sound good, too. If you continue to have problems, contact Le Creuset for additional ideas.
199393
Your not going to clean this properly, just clean it as best you can with hot water and alcohol, use it for a length of time & replace.
478218
Does anybody have the instructions on how to clean this unit? I lost the box with the instructions in it... Thanks in advance
578759
Use a soldering iron to heat it up and remove. I have used this technique several times. Be careful not to burn anything in the process ;)
723279
wipe out the bits with stiff brush or other similar thing. paper towel for excess oil. the oil can stay on the grill a long time without harm to the next batch. My unit died and I threw it away. Not well made inside I guess.
30474
Just put a little olive oil on it and let it sit; never use soap on it just warm water to clean it