29/44 Cooking surface
Viking Drip Trays and the Pull-Out Pan
The removable trays and troughs that catch boil-overs and grease before they reach the range body.
- Written by
- Hollis Yamada
- Works on
- Service technician — refrigeration and cooking
- Experience
- 21 years in the trade
- Published
Where spills go
In a damp Issaquah kitchen a tray that is never emptied rusts from the inside, because what lands in it seldom dries on its own. What catches the mess depends on the range. Viking’s service manual for its older self-clean gas ranges takes out a drip tray below the burners to reach the burner adjustments, with bowls around each burner; a griddle drains to a trough at the front, and a char-grill has its own drip pan and tray.
How they fail
Neglect is the whole story. Grease hardens into a layer that can catch fire, water rusts a chipped finish, and a tray on a range out of level stops sliding. Chips in the bowls around the burners are covered under the porcelain burner pan. On an old range where the trays are rusted through, an older open-burner Viking weighs the bigger choice. Replacement trays are ordered by model number on a range repair visit.
Signs and thresholds
| What you notice | The line it crosses | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Grease layer in a tray or trough | Any build-up that is still there before cooking | Empty and wash it now; a full tray is a fire risk. |
| Tray sticks or will not sit square | Binds even when empty and clean | Range level checked first, then the tray itself. |
| Rust spots or chipped coating | Rust coming through, or the tray bowed | Tray replaced; scouring only strips more finish. |
| Spills reaching the floor or cabinet sides | Liquid getting past a tray in place | Tray fit and seals around the cooktop inspected. |
What you can do yourself
- With the range off and cold, slide out the trays and troughs that are meant to come out and empty them.
- Wash them in warm soapy water and dry them fully before putting them back.
- Clean the griddle trough after every griddle session, as Viking's manual asks.
- Stop there. Anything past this is a job for Viking Repair Issaquah — call (425) 920-9484.
When to call
Call when a tray will not sit square in a level range, when rust has gone through it, or when spills are escaping past it.
Call (425) 920-9484Asked about the drip trays and pull-out pan
Where are the drip trays on my Viking range?
It depends on the model. Viking's service manual for its older self-clean gas ranges removes a drip tray to reach the burner adjustments, a griddle has a grease trough at the front, and a char-grill has a drip pan and tray. Viking Repair Issaquah identifies yours from the model plate; call (425) 920-9484.
Can a grease-filled tray really catch fire?
Yes. Viking's manual warns that grease left in the griddle trough is a fire hazard and asks for it to be cleaned after each use. Any tray under a heat source works the same way. Empty and wash it before cooking again, and call Viking Repair Issaquah on (425) 920-9484 if one is damaged.
Why will my drip tray not slide back in straight?
Often the tray is fine and the range is not level: the same service manual notes that levelling is needed to line up the doors and drip tray. A bowed or rusted tray also binds. Viking Repair Issaquah checks the level and the tray together; call (425) 920-9484.
