Grill masters know that one of the keys to perfectly grilled foods is keeping your grill properly maintained. Clean grills are safer, last longer, and give you the highest return on your purchase. If you’re new to grilling, or just need a refresher, use these tips to make sure your grill is firing away at the peak of its abilities.
Charcoal Grills Need a Warm-Up
You can create a lot of maintenance problems for your new charcoal grill if you do not break it in properly before you using it. Before putting that burger on a new charcoal grill for the first time, set the grill up and let charcoal burn in it for around 45 minutes. This burns off any chemicals or materials left by the manufacturer and allows all of the anti-rusting and other protective elements to take effect. The same routine can be used for gas grills as well.
Scraping the Cooking Grids
If you are the kind of person that only does major grill maintenance once a year, you still have to keep the cooking grids clean for food safety reasons. A quick way to clean the cooking grids is to remove the grids and scrape them with a grill cleaning brush. The stiff wire bristles should make the process fast and simple. For any stubborn food or grease particles, you can remove the grid and soak it in warm soapy water.
Clearing Away the Clouds
If you have a grill that has a window in the lid, it will probably become cloudy after just a few uses. The fast way to clean off the grill window is to spray some oven cleaner on it, wait about 20 minutes, and then remove the oven cleaner with a wet sponge.
Cover the Grill
Most of the exterior parts of a grill are treated to withstand the elements. But most people do not realize that not every part of a grill can stand the rain and snow. Make sure that your grill is covered when you are not using it to prevent it from being deteriorated by the weather. Always wait until the grill has cooled off before covering it.
Clean the Burners
Over time, food particles will get onto your gas grill burners and slowly erode the grill's burning efficiency. You can quickly clean the burners and restore the cooking flame by scraping them down with a wire brush. It only takes a few minutes, but it will make all of the difference in the world.
Do a Full Wipe-Down Once a Week
During the peak season for using your grill, a lot of debris can collect on the outside that makes the grill look unsightly. In some cases, this extra debris can also become a fire hazard. Once a week, when the grill has cooled off, take a wet towel and wipe down the exterior of your grill. It is up to you how comprehensive you get with your cleaning, but you will notice a difference no matter what you do.
A backyard grill is the focal point of any summer gathering. Following these easy maintenance tips will keep your grill working as it should for years to come, or at least until the next must-have model is released.
