In the turmeric and oil test, the mixture turned deep red within seconds as the degreaser attacked the mess. While it gave me peace of mind to see a cleaner working in real time, Krud Kutter and Easy-Off concentrate only in the middle, leaving the oil to expand on the outskirts. It took more time and effort to wipe up the mess. While not as drastic, Fantastik, with a pH of 11.5, had a similar issue, concentrating in the middle. Spray Nine was one of four degreasers that moved past the canola and turmeric test, but it struggled significantly with the tomato sauce.
The best degreasers, Attitude, Dawn, and Goo Gone, ranged from 10 to 11 on the pH scale. While they didn’t turn deep red as quickly as the higher pH degreasers, they spread through and encompassed entire greasy areas, making cleanup easier.
Are Eco-Friendly Degreasers Better for You?
Eco-friendly is a popular marketing term for kitchen cleaning supplies.
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Some degreasers can help minimize health and environmental concerns that are associated with deep cleaners. To be considered green, or a healthier choice, a cleaner must meet the EPA’s Safer Choice standards. You can search for products on the EPA’s Safer Choice website. But beyond inclusion in the Safer Choice list, there isn’t a foolproof way of identifying truly green degreasers or cleaning products. Terms like “eco-friendly” or “environmentally friendly” aren’t regulated, but they are good advertising.
Of the 10 degreasers I tested, three marketed themselves as being eco-friendly: Method, Attitude, and Gear Hugger. None of them are on the EPA’s list of Safer Choice cleaners. And it’s worth noting that there were outliers in both traditional cleaners and the supposedly eco-friendly ones. Method and Gear Hugger performed poorly, but so did some of the traditional degreasers.
Is There a Difference Between a Kitchen Degreaser and a Heavy-Duty Degreaser?
Some kitchen degreasers were labeled as heavy-duty, meaning they have the chutzpah to work outside the kitchen too.
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I tested cleaners labeled as either kitchen or heavy-duty degreasers. Heavy-duty degreasers are designed for cleaning tasks that include kitchens, but they also boast the ability to take on projects including yard equipment, garages, automotive equipment, tools, appliances, and so on. It did make me slightly uneasy to use a degreaser that is strong enough to clean car parts inside of a kitchen where I eat my meals. The kitchen degreasers were all focused on cleaning specific appliances, such as ranges, stovetops, pans, or fryers.
Degreasers can be water-based or solvent-based. Solvent-based degreasers rely on chemicals to break down stubborn messes, while water-based degreasers use water as the main ingredient. Water-based degreasers are better suited for surfaces that come into contact with food, as there are fewer harsh chemicals in the composition. All of the degreasers I tested, regardless of the kitchen or heavy-duty classification, were water-based.
That said, those labeled as kitchen degreasers had a lower pH level than some of those labeled as heavy duty, indicating that they were formulated to be less intense or better for food-safe surfaces, while still strong enough to get the job done. The three best degreasers were all labeled as kitchen-specific and also all had the best nozzle options for spray types.
Nozzle Design Mattered
A narrow spray made stains messier, causing them to spread.
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While the nozzle on the degreasers doesn’t have an impact on the cleaning formula itself, it was clear some are better suited for a kitchen setting. They have a wide mist-type spray, a narrow and high-powered spray, or both. Stanley was an outlier with no spray top at all.
When cleaning a confined area, a narrow spray made the mess larger because it caused the oil to spread around even more, or splash nearby appliances, ultimately making them harder to clean. I can see the benefit of a higher power spray for harder to reach areas or garages, but they did more harm than help in an open kitchen.
Degreasers with gentle, mist-type sprays performed significantly better on a contained area, such as the stovetop or a smaller spill on a countertop. Of my three favorites, Dawn and Attitude had a wide and soft spray. Goo Gone was foaming, which also helped keep the area contained.
The Criteria: What to Look for in a Degreaser
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For deep cleaning tasks in the kitchen, choose a degreaser with a wide, gentle spray and a pH higher than your all-purpose cleaner. In my tests, cleaners labeled as kitchen degreasers outperformed the heavy-duty options. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option, rest assured— there is still an effective option available. When using a worthwhile degreaser, you’ll see the oil spread stop in its tracks and hardened bits lifting in real time. The best degreasers will have you using less muscle, spending less time cleaning, and using fewer kitchen towels.
Our Favorite Degreasers
Credit: The Home Depot
What we liked: I liked just about everything. Dawn was on cruise control through all of the testing. Oil, turmeric, tomato sauce, or burnt bits didn’t stand a chance. No matter the test, Dawn stood out as my clear favorite. With just a few sprays, it helped me wipe away each mess without extra arm power, used fewer towels, and left each area spotless. Its wide, showerhead-style nozzle produced a gentle spray that contained the mess without spreading it. As a nice bonus, it didn’t have a harsh, deep-clean smell either.
What we didn’t like: This was my favorite for a reason. As far as performance, I liked it all.
Credit: Serious Eats
Credit: Serious Eats
Key Specs
- Price per ounce: $0.17
- Main ingredient: Water
- Manufacturer’s recommended applications: Stainless steel, range hoods, commercial fryers
- Manufacturer’s use instructions: Spray on greasy hard surfaces, soak on tough soils, wipe and rinse.
Credit: Amazon
What we liked: This cleaner handled all my tests without any issues. It took an extra spray or two to get the job done in my tomato sauce test, but now I’m splitting hairs. The difference between five or six sprays isn’t a dealbreaker when it comes to leaving a streak-free and clean countertop, especially if you want a plant-based option. It also smells like citrus zest.
What we didn’t like: I ran into some trouble with the functionality of the spray top. The gentle mist-type spray was wonderful, but the straw struggled to draw degreaser up to the nozzle. This led to inconsistent spray sizes or, at times, producing no spray at all. While the ingredient list is relatively simple, it’s not on the EPA’s Safer Choice list.
Credit: Serious Eats
Credit: Serious Eats
Key Specs
- Price per ounce: $0.30
- Main ingredient: Water
- Manufacturer’s recommended applications: All cooking and dining surfaces
- Manufacturer’s use instructions: Spray and wipe. Test on an inconspicuous area before use.
Credit: Amazon
What we liked: Out of the three winners, Goo Gone was the only foaming degreaser, a quality that I quite liked. The foam immediately started absorbing grease and oil. This foaming action worked wonders for the hardened tomato sauce on the stovetop. It also stopped the spread of oil and made cleanup easy, requiring very few towels.
What we didn’t like: With the foaming effect, it does not cover nearly as much surface area as our other two favorites. It takes quite a few more sprays if cleaning a larger surface area, and it’s also the most expensive degreaser (per ounce) I recommend.
Credit: Serious Eats
Credit: Serious Eats
Why It’s Editor-Approved
“My mother, a cleaning queen, has kept a bottle of Goo Gone under her kitchen sink for as long as I can remember. Now that I’m a homeowner, I do the same. A little goes a long way.” — Rochelle Bilow, editor
Key Specs
- Price per ounce: $0.52
- Main ingredient: Water
- Manufacturer’s recommended applications: Stovetops, microwaves, and pots and pans
- Manufacturer’s use instructions: Spray on surface (for baked-on food and heavily soiled surfaces, allow foam to penetrate 1 to 2 minutes). Wipe with a paper towel, sponge, or soft brush that does not mar the surface. Rinse surfaces that come in direct contact with food after cleaning.
The Competition
- Krud Kutter: Although I could see the degreaser working in real time, it was concentrated only in the middle of the oil, leaving a thick ring of untouched oil on the outside. It took a large towel to wipe up one tablespoon of oil.
- Easy-Off Heavy Duty Degreaser: Coming in hot, the Easy-Off nozzle produced a very fast, concentrated spray. When sprayed into the oil mixture, the speed caused some splatter onto other surfaces that I did not intend to clean. It also struggled to contain the entire oily area. Ultimately, it made a bigger mess.
- Method Heavy-Duty Degreaser: Method didn’t absorb oil as well as its competitors.
- Stanley Home Products Original Degreaser: With Stanley, I was left with a large area of untouched oil after the cleaner was applied. This degreaser encouraged the oil to spread, leaving behind a slick film.
- Spray Nine Heavy Duty Cleaner & Degreaser: Spray Nine made it to the second round of testing, but failed the tomato sauce test. Even with additional sprays, those pesky bits of hardened sauce around the stovetop wouldn’t budge. To make sure they weren’t exceptionally hard pieces, I pulled out one of the winners (Dawn), used one spray, and they immediately lifted.
- Gear Hugger Degreaser: The nozzle on this one reminded me of an aerosol sunscreen or bug spray. It wasn’t effective at lifting the canola oil mixture.
- Fantastik Advanced Kitchen and Grease Cleaner: Fantastik did a decent job, but couldn’t compete with the best.
FAQS
Can you use degreasers on any type of surface?
No. Not all degreasers are created equal. They’ll each come with their own set of guidelines for approved materials and surfaces, including areas that come into direct contact with food. As degreasers are stronger than your everyday cleaner, you’ll need to follow the safety instructions specific to the bottle. It’s always recommended to test on a small, inconspicuous area first to avoid damaging the surface.
Can you use degreaser on kitchen cabinets?
This is entirely dependent on the material of your kitchen cabinets. With degreasers providing a deeper clean, they’re typically safe on harder materials such as stone, glass, metals, and porcelain. If you’re cleaning wooden cabinets, you may find that degreasers are simply too strong. This also depends on paint and stain. Regardless of the surface material, always test on a smaller, out-of-sight, area.
Why We’re the Experts
- Bryan Belknap is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
- He’s worked as a customer experience manager for a cookware company, so he’s used to fielding questions about cleaning in and around the kitchen.
- As an avid dinner party host, he always makes sure the kitchen is spotless before guests arrive.
