The approach is fundamentally different, and using the wrong method on a ceramic grill can cause permanent damage. Gas grills tolerate aggressive degreasers and high-alkaline cleaners. Ceramic grills do not. Harsh chemicals absorb into the porous ceramic walls and can affect the taste of your food for months, or crack the firebox lining if they react with high heat. The primary cleaning method for a kamado-style grill like a Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe is a high-heat burn-off, which incinerates residue on the cooking surfaces. Deep cleaning focuses on the grates, the felt gasket, the firebox, and the ash management system, not soaking the interior with chemical degreasers. The ceramic itself is largely self-cleaning at high temperatures, which is one of the reasons these grills are worth the investment.

The number one mistake I see on ceramic grills is someone treating it like a gas grill. Different animal entirely.

Nine times out of ten it's one of three things: a compromised felt gasket, excessive ash buildup, or airflow issues from clogged vents.

The felt gasket creates the airtight seal that makes kamado grills so efficient when it degrades or gets saturated with grease, the seal breaks and you lose heat control. Ash buildup in the firebox bottom and ash drawer restricts airflow from below, which starves the fire and makes temperature management inconsistent. Clogged top or bottom vents have the same effect.

Before assuming something is wrong with the grill itself, clean out the ash completely, inspect the gasket closely, and make sure both vents are clear and moving freely. A kamado that held 250° effortlessly last season and now can't stay consistent has usually just been neglected between cooks.

These grills are exceptionally well-engineered. When they misbehave, it's almost always a maintenance issue, not a design failure.

Carefully and with the right expectations.

The felt gasket on a Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, or similar ceramic grill is not meant to be scrubbed. It's a compression seal, and aggressive cleaning tears the fibers and accelerates breakdown. For light grease buildup, a dry or very lightly damp cloth is all you should use. For heavier contamination, the honest answer is that a damaged or heavily soiled gasket usually needs to be replaced rather than cleaned.

Replacement gaskets are inexpensive and straightforward to install, it's one of the most common maintenance items on any kamado.

What you can do to extend gasket life: avoid closing the lid immediately after a high-heat cook when the surfaces are still sticky, and don't let grease pool along the hinge side where it saturates the material fastest.

A fresh gasket on a kamado makes an immediate, noticeable difference in heat retention. If yours is more than two or three seasons old, it's probably overdue.

No, and this comes up more than you'd think. Ceramic is porous, and forcing water into it under pressure can cause cracking, especially if the grill heats up before the moisture fully escapes. Thermal shock is a real risk with kamado-style grills. Rapid temperature changes, including from cold water introduced to a warm ceramic body, can fracture the firebox or dome. The exterior of most kamado grills has a glazed finish that handles rain and normal weather fine, but a pressure washer forces water into seams, around the hinge assembly, and into the band hardware in ways that cause long-term corrosion and seal damage.

Cleaning the exterior properly means warm water, mild soap, and a soft cloth. The interior gets handled with dry brushing, a shop vac for ash, and high-heat burn-offs for residue.

I've seen pressure-washed kamados that look fine on the outside and have cracked fireboxes inside. Not worth it.