Anyone Tried Nonstick Oven Liner?

Bob -- Not a bad idea but sounds like more work to me.

That oven-liner is not going to fit perfectly therefore grease will still get under it which, in turn, means wiping it up.

Then, on top of taking out the liner you've got to wash it.

Think I would rather wad up the foil, wipe it down and put in new foil for the next smoke.

Just my $0.02

They are good up to 550F, so it might work.

Are you using heavy duty foil? As long as you pull it off while it is still hot, there shouldn't be a problem. If you use standard duty foil or wait until it cools, it will stick like glue.

Thanks for the comments. It sounds like part of the problem is that the cooker has usually cooled off quite a bit or is dead cold when I get around to pulling the foil out. (It's pretty cold around here of late, and it still gets dark pretty early, so cleanup tends to get postponed...)

I do use heavy-duty foil, but it still sticks like crazy, and I'm becoming convinced that there's nothing that will come between flowing grease and the bottom of the cooker.

The foil does make removing the crusty, burnt stuff easy to remove, leaving only a layer of fat (and stuck foil scraps) to scrape off the bottom. I'm thinking that the oven liner will do away with the stuck foil part, at least.
I'll probably give it a try, just to see what happens.

A "Home Goods" store in the area has some for not too much $$$, that can be trimmed to size. If the stuff works better (or worse) than the HD foil, I'll let you know.

Bob

Hi, I'm new to the list, and just ordered an SMO55 and waiting for its arrival...anxiously!

I hope this doesn't sound too stupid, but I'm curious as to why there is so much discussion about cleaning the CS smokers. And I hope this doesn't sound awful, but I've had, and used and used and used, a Coleman electric bullet smoker for years, and I've 'never' cleaned it (should I be hanging my head in disgrace? Maybe, huh?)

I just figured that none of the old time barbecue joints ever cleaned their smoke pits and I thought maybe mine, after 8 years of use, was just getting properly 'seasoned.' Now, I do 'occasionally' clean out the water pan...like before adding apple juice for smoking pork, but other than that, nope.

Do the CS smokers require more frequent cleaning, an 'every time' thing, or is it a once in awhile ritual, or am I just a pig?? :9)

I'll certainly do what is recommended for the CS, but frequent cleaning will be a change for me!

Love the list, Love the current discussions, Love the archives. Look forward to years and years with y'all.

Mike

I don't clean mine every time, I usually leave my foil in for a few smokes. I double layer the bottom and the lid of the wood box.

The grease that puddles in the bottom can lead to a fire. The trick is to never leave the door open, even after you pull your product. Close the door to keep the heat in, and then go back and pull the fire box, peel up the foil, and wipe up the still liquid drippings. If you get back to it soon enough (after all, the meat needs to rest) it is a piece of cake.

I have had an oven liner in my oven for about a year and love it for the oven. Don't know that I would want it in my Smokette, though. It is not silicone, but a teflon type sheet and feels somewhat delicate. Just about everything wipes right off, but I have had to do a little scrubbing for a burnt on spill. I agree with the above comments about it probably sticking to the bottom of the cooker due to grease getting underneath and then needing to be washed. It is not the easiest thing to wash as it is bigger than the sink compartment, and trying to clean all areas without creasing it can be awkward. Having cleaned both the liner and my CS with a foil liner, I will take the foil any day for smoking.

No, do not clean your smoker after every cook, just wipe out the grease and drippings and tidbits with paper towels and then put down fresh foil for the next cook.

I'm to the point that I foil the wood box only, grease has always worked it's way under the foil I place on the bottom. Now I just get a spatula out to scrape out the bottom every few cooks or so.

For me, I don't want to have to clean something else. Foil is cheap (by the BIG rolls at Sam's) and that box will last you years. Having to clean the grease / drippings does sound like extra workl.

Cleaning's asked about a lot because we always "clean" everything don't we? The smoker doesn't need to be cleaned as much as maintained. I know one guy who cleans his FE after every use, back down to the shiny metal --THAT's a lot of work.

Keep the grease and the chunks out and it will be fine.

If it's sticking, then grease is getting under it. I shape mine so it forms a tight fit and it doesn't stick for me. You could also spray some kitchen spray (Pam) down and that might help.

I take mine out cold, so I don't have to touch a hot oven.

I just foil the box cover and the bottom. On the bottom I use large foil. Its big enough that it folds up a little on all 4 sides which helps, but the grease always manages to find its way under. I try to pull the foil after the smoker has cooled a bit, but I usually either forget or dont feel like it after pigging out on whatever I just cooked. If I have trouble pulling the foil later, I just let the smoker warm up again on 150 long enough to make the foil loose. After that I just use an old credit card to scrape out the grease on the bottom and thats it.

I dont have any plans on doing a thourough scrub. The only way I might consider this is if I smoked some smelly fish that I couldnt get the funky smell out or something.

Suggest try using Bakery Pan Liners folded to fit interior of smoker floor.
I bought mine from Sysco, or you might find at restaurant supply.
Each sheet is 16 3/8 by 24 3/8 and fold up nicely to 18 1/2 by 14 1/2. I put fold side down and makes natural funnel to hole poked through liner.
When through smoking just reach in pull liner out and into drip pan.
When smoker interior has cooled some, take squirt bottle with a mix of dish washing liquid and water, squirt on floor of smoker and wipe out with couple of hand towels.
Since I purchased my AQ back in the spring, smoking log now at 170 lbs of assorted meats smoked, with foil on box top and liner sheet used on floor, without nary a problem or mess to fool with.
Jack

quote:

Originally posted by Happyjack:
...When smoker interior has cooled some, take squirt bottle with a mix of dish washing liquid and water, squirt on floor of smoker and wipe out with couple of hand towels. Jack

Interesting, but for me, I don't clean my smoker with chemicals if I can help it. Sometimes I'll use Simple Green for my annual cleaning. If I do, I rinse it well with water afterwards to make sure no chemicals there. I usually rinse it twice after that annual cleaning. Don't want any leftovers.

For grease, I just use 100% lemon juice, cuts through it easy.

Not sure about the obsession of cleaning..it IS a smoker. Foil is cheap, I line it, take it out , throw it away. I wipe out any grease with a paper towel and put more foil down. Any grease (minimal) just helps the foil stay in place.

Racks are the one thing I keep clean. The electrics's work fine with minimal cleaning. When I used my 150's all the time, they got one thorough cleaning a year, other than that, I just threw away the foil and keep smokin'

I know one guy who cleans his FEC100 with oven cleaner each time after cooking. Looks brand new each week. Too much work for me.

Smokin'

Yep. I want my smoker seasoned just as well as my cast iron cookware. Alot of folks just do not understand the seasoning part. Might be a difference in upbringing or location thereof.

Interesting that you dug out this old topic, GLH. I did up a party for our church choir end of the year whoop-de-doo last night and smoked 40 pounds of butt and chuckie, then 20 pounds of chicken breats that I sauced and finished on a grill. (turned out spectacular ...made up three sauces for the pork and chicken).

I figured I'd scrub the smoker grates for the occasion...man, was THAT stupid! I'm never cleaning those things again! Not that it was so difficult; me, brillo-type pad, dish deterg. and elbow grease, but, to me, totally unneccessary!

I 'suppose' it is possible for leftover grease to become rancid and affect flavors of a new smoke, but replacing the foil, dumping the grease pan and a minimal wipe is all that's happening with my 055...for a long time anyway!

Now, admittedly I don't smoke fish which I think might 'off' the flavor of a smoke, and might change my opinion..but for now those racks are staying put and staying smoky!

Actually, I think we are post ta be discussing oven lining material.

I only use brand name heavy duty aluminum foil. Once, I found the extra heavy duty at wally world. It is even better.

Thousand Oakie:
I use heavy duty foil on the bottom and also over the fire box in my AmeriQue. I pull out my grates and side rails and put them in a plastic resturant bus tub and soak them in simple green and water. After an hour or so, wash them off, put them in the dishwasher and they look like brand new. No scrubbing, no fuss!

I find that grease always gets under the bottom foil. If mine sticks when the smoker is cool, I heat it up to about 140 degrees and it usually comes right out. Just be carefull wiping the bottom close to the heating element. I never use any kind of cleaners or soap inside my smoker,only paper towels.

quote:

Originally posted by tigerfan:
Thousand Oakie:
I use heavy duty foil on the bottom and also over the fire box in my AmeriQue. I pull out my grates and side rails and put them in a plastic resturant bus tub and soak them in simple green and water. After an hour or so, wash them off, put them in the dishwasher and they look like brand new. No scrubbing, no fuss!

I was wondering how to clean the side rails and grates on my SM055 thanks for posting the tip.

I put them in the dishwasher. Everything else just gets wiped off with paper towels.

quote:

Originally posted by GLH:
I put them in the dishwasher. Everything else just gets wiped off with paper towels.

My MayTag dishwasher is kind of lazy if I dont scrape/rinse it off where it looks almost clean it will still come out with the same stuff stuck on that was there in the first place.

I will try the simple green soak idea.

quote:

Actually, I think we are post ta be discussing oven lining material.

Yeah, and I changed the aluminum foil, too!

hehehe

My dishwasher does a slightly better job than yours maybe, swede.

Would putting a drip pan on the rack below the meat keep the grease off the bottom?

It will disrupt airflow and possibly become a fire hazard. Grease is kept off the bottom by draining out the drainhole. No problem to wipe out the leftover with papertowels after the cook, before the smoker cools off too much.

I find the foil method the best. As someone alluded to, just wad it up, chuck it in the garbage, and wipe the bottom of the smoker.

I've been using Greased Lightening that someone on this forum suggested. Works great.

Once a year I give the entire smoker a scrape with a plastic putty knife to get the loose soot off the sides.

Ken, you use the greased lightning inside the smoker? I would not do that. You are washing out the seasoning and it is hard to get cleaners rinsed out well and could contaminate the next cook. There is no need to do anyting more after each cook than throw out the foil, empty the drip pan, put pan and grates in the dishwasher, wipe out inside smoker with paper towels. A once a year scraping and more thorough cleaning is fine, as long as it is rinsed out very well and you reseason before the next cook. Seasoning is everything to cookware, including smokers.

GLH,
You're right about the seasoning. What I meant was that I use Greased Lightening on the bottom of the smoker to clean the excess grease that somehow manages to get under the foil.

I've worked with chemicals for over 35 years, so I know what you mean about contamination. Trust me, I rinse very well before the next smoke.

I NEVER remove the seasoning from anywhere else, except for that once a year light scrape of soot buildup. It just removes the loose stuff.