I saw a Vitamix engineer say the container is meant to be a little loose to offset the massive torque of that powerful motor. Just got my A3500 yesterday. I literally LOVE this blender. The Food Processor attachment is amazing as well!
Glad it helped! I would say that the condition I got the grill was quite nasty and I'm sure Easy Off would work well but I wanted a less abrasive/natural method. Hence, replacement of the grill grates, I'm not sure the grate would be salvageable with Easy Off due to the deterioration. Ultimately, I did a couple no food / burn off cycles just make sure no left over cleaning substances we're left over. Best of luck!!