TikTok's Energy Drink Hack For A Clean Grill: More Efficient Or A Load Of Bull?

You probably use Red Bull drinks to keep energy up during a long workday or as a cocktail mixer, so it likely comes as a surprise that some TikTokers claim the beverage is an excellent flat-top grill cleaner. Although the videos are pretty convincing, it's probably best to stick with actual grill cleaning products or tried-and-true common kitchen ingredients to get the job done.

First, some background. Recently, TikToks have rocked the internet that demonstrate flat-top grills (picture the type you'd find at the local Hibachi or Waffle House or even an outdoor griddle) getting a serious glow-up from a can of Red Bull. Reactions to this video by Burgerman Serj were swift and sometimes appalled. They included commenters marveling over the perceived impact the product has on their digestive system, such as one who commented that their stomach must be "nice and clean." Others questioned the safety of ingesting the beverage after watching it allegedly strip the grill of all of its grime.

Despite all that, the videos do show some pretty nasty grills returned to squeaky clean status, allegedly thanks to a steaming can of Red Bull. Sadly, this is one hack that is more of an optical illusion than anything else. Don't be too sad about this revelation, though. Depending on the size of the Red Bull can and where it's purchased, the price tag is quite a bit higher than a standard grill cleaner, which will last for far more than just one use.

Flat top grills take a serious beating during the average dinner rush, so it's no surprise that the level of grime accumulates to an unappetizing level. The TikToks that show such grills being cleaned with a can of Red Bull are pretty convincing. Guy Earl of Warwick posted his own take on the grill cleaning method, during which he pours a fresh can of Red Bull on a steaming hot flat top grill, then scrapes it totally clean with seemingly minimal effort. Amazing, right?

Not so fast, says grill cleaning expert Chef Thomson, who calls it "completely fake." According to his Facebook post, his trained eye noticed in certain TikToks (like the one by Guy Earl of Warwick) that white foaming bubbles appeared when the Red Bull was poured onto the hot surface. He says this is likely because soap was dried onto the grill before the videos were made, and that plain water would have the same reaction with the soap as Red Bull. 

Thomson also notes that the Burgerman Serj TikTok produces an amazingly clean grill, not because of the Red Bull, but because he's using a different tool to clean. "It's because he's using steel wool, which is abrasive, and it can scrape things off," Thomson explains. Even if the Red Bull does nothing, cleaning-wise, more than one TikToker observed that using it smelled really good, so at least there's that.