Cleaning a black stovetop

[OakLeaf]

The cook-top specific stuff that the previous owners left at my house is just a concoction of citric acid and detergent. After three years I'm still on that original container, a little goes a long way!

I use plain crystalline citric acid for all kinds of cleaning applications. You can get it in 2-4 lb. packages at stores that have beer-making supplies, in the canning department of grocery stores, or in the bulk department of some natural food stores.

Another thing that works really well with baked-on grease is one of those high pressure steam cleaners. Naturally I busted the nozzle on mine and haven't got a new one... but it worked really well for a while

[Tuckervill]

For the baked on stuff, I pour Simple Green (automotive version, but that really doesn't matter) right on the top in the wells, filling it up as much as possible, and let it sit. Mine is white, and my hubby used a Scotch brite pad on it once and scratched it up! So we don't scrub it anymore.

Simple Green is what I used to clean the popcorn kettle at the ballpark of a few seasons of scorched popcorn oil. I let it sit in there until the SG evaporated until it was more like a gel, and the gunk peeled right off.

Karen

[Jolt]

Try scrubbing with a baking soda paste. That's what I use to get tough crud off the stove top that the vinegar won't remove.