Season Your Grates After Cleaning This Is Essential
Regardless of how you cleaned your cast iron grates, you should always season them before you put them away.
Seasoning is simply the use of fat or oil that is baked into the pores of the cast iron at such a high heat that it polymerizes, forming a tough coating that prevents rust and forms a nonstick finish over time.
If your grill is hot and youve just cleaned your grates with a grill brush, one coat will be sufficient, but if youve just completed one of the more thorough cleaning methods described above, youre going to want to apply a couple of coats.
You can use cooking oil to season your grates, but a product Ive been using lately to season all my cast iron is Crisbee.
Made from bees wax, soybean & palm oil, its specifically designed for seasoning cast iron. Ive been using Crisbee for about 6 months now, and my pans have never looked better!
How To Clean A Barbeque With Vinegar
Vinegar, especially white table vinegar is essential for cleaning your barbeque grill.
Pour two cups of water and two cups of white vinegar into a spray bottle and shake to mix them.
Spray the mixture on the grills and in areas covered with grease.
Let the solution sit for about ten minutes.
Empty the water and white vinegar mixture into a bowl and refill the spray bottle with vinegar. Spray the vinegar to a piece of aluminium foil and use it to give the grills one last scrub.
You can use the water and white vinegar mixture to clean the outside of the grill. Clean the exterior of the BBQ with cotton cloth but dont spray the mixture directly on the grill, spray it on the cloth and work on the BBQ. Dip a cotton swab in the mixture and use it to clean the hard to reach places.
The Best Most Effective Way To Clean Disgusting Grill Grates
Cleaning my grill is one of those maintenance tasks I know I should do on a regular basis, but I dread doing. In fact, I dread it so deeply, I find myself stacking my chore list with anything and everything else. You should see how clean my windows are!
A big part of my problem, aside from the gross factor, is that I havent found a reliable way to get rid of all that built-up grease and char without a multitude of expensive specialty products or dont-breathe-while-using chemicals. I cant tell you how many grill bricks and bottles of oven cleaner and degreaser Ive blasted through. If I had one sure-fire way to clean it with stuff I typically have on hand Id probably be more likely to do it more often.
So, when I saw the recent results of Kitchns grill grate cleaning showdown, I was intrigued. The hands-down winner was a mixture of Dawn dish soap and baking soda two things Im never without. Could it be that the solution to my problem was in my kitchen all along?
With summer grilling season here, and my grates already looking really dirty , I realized it was time to stop procrastinating. Plus, I had no excuse. I already had everything I needed.
I followed the method in the article, mixing up a big batch of the cleaning mixture 1/2 cup baking soda and enough Dawn to make a thick paste. As recommended, I scraped the grates clean as best as I could with a ball of aluminum foil, then set them out on newspapers so I could coat every centimeter in the paste.
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A Better Way To Clean Your Bbq Grill
Its barbecue season, which means youre likely firing up the grill to whip up some of your summer favorites. But after a whole winter season sitting stagnant, it likely needs a good clean. So you get out your bristle brush and begin scraping.
Except the grime isnt budging. If no amount of elbow grease seems to get to the bottom of the stuck-on grime and oil, Jeff Rossen, NBC News National Investigative Correspondent and host of Rossen Reports, has some tricks up his sleeves to help you get through the grime and back to cooking up some tasty summer fare.
Choose The Right Tools To Clean Grill Grates
While some grillers opt for a traditional grill brush, many do not know wire grill brushes can be slightly dangerous. Wire bristles are notorious for breaking off and falling into your food. Without even realizing it, many people have accidentally ingested these bristles, too. If you feel like swapping in a safer tool, weve got plenty of other grill cleaning ideas you can start using today.
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Aluminum Foil: Grab a handful of aluminum foil, ball it up and use grill tongs to hold it while you scrub away. You can even re-use the same aluminum foil from cooking your favorite foil packet recipes.
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Nylon Scouring Pad: Grab a scouring pad from your kitchen and take it to the grill for fast and easy cleanup.
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Grill Stone: Gently rub this pumice-like grill stone back and forth across your grill grates. Then, finish it off by wiping the area clean with a soft cloth or water. Its that easy.
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Onion: It might seem a little strange, but you can use half an onion to clean your grill. Just spear the onion on a barbecue fork, and use the cut side to scrub grates clean. The acidic enzymes will break down grease without being overly abrasive. And if youre cooking with charcoal, the onion can simply be thrown into the coals to discard.
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How To Clean Cast Iron Grill Grates
This is going to sound obvious, but cannot be overstated: The best way to keep your grill clean and rust-free is to give it a good cleaning immediately after every use.
Once youve finished cooking and removed your food, open all vents if using charcoal, or turn up your grill to high if using gas and then close the lid to allow the grill to get hot.
This way youre able to burn off much of your stuck on food and barbecue sauce.
Once youve burned off your food, you can either close your vents to extinguish your charcoal or turn off your gas to allow the grill to cool to a point where its comfortable to put your hand in to clean.
While your grill is still warm, scrape the grates with a good grill brush.
A brush with a scraper is excellent here as youre able to scrape any remaining food off your grates easily.
After cleaning your cast iron grates and making sure theyre dry, you now want to apply a very thin coating of vegetable oil to help prevent rust from forming.
Just a wipe with a cloth or piece of kitchen towel lightly dabbed in oil is sufficient. Youre looking to apply a thin film, not coat your grates heavily.
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Wipe The Grates And Racks
Wipe the grates and racks with a damp rag to remove loosened bits, and make sure there are no loose brush bristles left on the grate .
If you have a cast-iron grate, clean it completely, then brush on some vegetable oil with a paper towel to keep your grate in proper shape. Bare cast iron needs to be inspected regularly, because it is more likely to rust.
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Does Vinegar Clean Grill Grates
Vinegar by itself can get the job done surprisingly well.
However, by adding baking soda, the mixture becomes much more effective.
Baking Soda adds an abrasive to the liquid and that makes scrubbing off charred bits and pieces a lot easier to accomplish.
Together, Vinegar and Baking Soda make an environmentally safe combination.
Vinegar plus Baking Soda is one of the best formulas for cleaning grill grates.
Hacks To Clean Your Grill
- Steam: Fill a regular, metal tin from your kitchen with water and boil it on the grill. Push the tin to the side and begin scrapping with a bristle brush. The steam helps the grime come right off!
- Beer: Pour half a bottle of beer over the top of greasy grates on a warm grill. The beer will break down the oil and grease, and it will come right off when clean with a bristle brush.
- Vinegar: Put regular, household vinegar into a spray bottle. Spray vinegar all over the grill, then take a balled up piece of aluminum foil and use that as a bristle brush to scrape the grime right off.
- Onion: Cut an onion in half, put it on the end of your grilling fork and rub it all over the grill grates, then scrub with a bristle brush. The enzymes from the onion will help break down the oil and the grease.
And remember to be extra careful about loose brush bristles left behind on the grill a huge safety hazard. Barbecue brushes have caused an estimated 1,698 emergency room visits from 2002 to 2014, according to a study published in 2016 in the journal Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Experts suggest replacing your brush regularly, and inspecting both the grill grates and your food for lose bristles.
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Directions For Cleaning Grill Grates:
Before cleaning, please consult the Owners Manual for any important precautions, instructions or warranty requirements.
& ast Biodegradable formula: This formula decomposes into elements found in nature within six months after disposal into a typical sanitary sewer or septic system.
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How To Clean Your Grill Grates Like A Grill Master
4 easy methods.
You looked up the recipes, prepared your grocery list, and then performed what can only be described as genius, Olympian grilling technique mastery.
Standing over those hot flames with guests just a few feet away, you had allll the right moves. We donât think itâs bragging to say the food was aah-maaazing.
But now, the guests have gone, the plates are empty, and those grill grates look a little, shall we say, worse for the wear? Donât worry grill warrior. Dirty grill grates are just part of the game. Itâs perfectly normal to go full throttle into cooking without considering what youâre going to do with the dirty grates when the partyâs over.
All it takes is a little, tiny effort to return them to new. And next time, when youâre ready to get your grill on, youâll know exactly how to clean them.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, the first thing you need to do is assess what material youâre dealing with. Are you grill grates porcelain? Cast iron? Or are they stainless steel? How you clean them will depend on this factor.
Porcelain grates are the most delicate of all. We recommend a soft-bristle or nylon brush to scrape them clean. The good news is that porcelain is rust-resistant, so gentle tools like these will do the job. For more tips cleaning your porcelain grates, consult your ownerâs manual and follow the directions precisely. The worst thing you can do is long-term damage youâll regret.
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Clean A Bbq Grill With Baking Soda
Baking soda/bicarbonate of soda is a wonder ingredient for dissolving all kinds of organic substances, and is brilliant at tackling grease and stuck-on food. Sprinkle liberally all over a damp barbecue grate and let sit for 10 minutes. Then activate the soda with warm water and a scourer sponge. Rinse and you should be ready to go.
Is White Vinegar A Degreaser
Yes, White Vinegar is an excellent degreaser. When heated, White Vinegar works as a degreaser by breaking down the minerals and ingredients of whatever it contacts.
I like to heat the Vinegar in the microwave so that it is hot to the touch before using it with a cloth or spray bottle.
Use caution when mixing in Baking Soda as the liquid may bubble up and make a mess.
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How To Remove Rust From Stainless Steel Grills
If you need to leave your grill outside, then the outdoor exposure is whats causing rust to develop. To keep it in good shape, clean your grill after every use. The longer you allow food debris to remain on the grill, the harder it will be for you to clean it off later.
Choose your cleaning method based on the type of material that the grates are made from. Most of todays grills are made from stainless steel or from another type of durable metal. Often, grill masters clean off their grills with a stiff wire brush after cooking on it. While this is an effective way to remove rust and food debris off most grates, it could damage the stainless-steel finish. Here are a few other cleaning methods that may be safer for the finish of your grates.
Best Scraper: Chargon Ultimate
Its the perfect alternative to using a wire brush. Its also handy to hang up with your other BBQ cooking tools. This design comes with a leather strap for hanging on your grill when you need to use it. It has an angled blade design that wraps around of the grate for better coverage on your grates.
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Grill Brushes Can Be Hazardous
Grill brushes are like a balding man. When one hair falls out, more are sure to follow. The difference with metal bristles is they can be fatal if swallowed. .
If you do use a grill brush, choose a brush with a solid head. Check to see tightly packed bristles before and after each use.
If you notice missing bristles, discard that brush immediately. Friction is what holds bristles in place. When one bristle falls out, there is less pressure holding the remaining bristles in, and they start to shed en masse.Use the brush only after you are finished cooking where you can rinse or inspect the grate before cooking again.
Quick & Easy Diy Grill Cleaner
The grilling season is upon us, and before we start cooking our favorite barbeque meals, we should get our grill cleaning products ready. Choosing a safe, non-toxic, and affordable BBQ grill cleaner may seem impossible, but trust us, its not.
- 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar
- 1 ball or sheet of aluminum foil
- 2 tablespoons of avocado oil spray
Fill a shallow tin with hot water and stick it inside the lit gas grill. Allow the water to steam inside the grill with the lid closed for approximately ten minutes as this will loosen any unwanted grease or food build up.
Combine the other ingredients to make your cleaning solution while the water is steaming inside of the grill. Mix the baking soda with Sal Suds and twelve ounces of warm water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and add vinegar.
Once the ten minutes of steaming is up, take the tin out and spray the solution onto the grates. Ball up sheets of aluminum foil until it resembles a baseball and scrub the grease and grime off the grates.
If youd like to use a grill brush, thats okay, too. Once youve finished scrubbing, spray avocado oil onto a paper towel and give your grill a quick wipe to stop the grates from rusting.
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The Lazy Approach: Burning
The idea behind this method is simple, get the grate super hot until all the caked on grease burns up. You can throw the grates in a self-cleaning oven or simply place some aluminum foil down on top of the grate, close the lid and light up the grill. After about 10-15 minutes all of the grease should be a white powder, simply brush it off and youre done.
Dont Clean The Grill Grate
So youre done cooking and the grill grate is covered with the blackened remains of the days feast. While its still warm, you clean that nastiness off, right? Wrong.
If youre a Mr. Clean, this may pain you to no end, but keeping the grate dirty here is a good thing. Go ahead and pick off any large pieces of food that may still be there, but the blackness encasing the grate will actually help protect it between cooking. Even though I know you have your grill covered, this adds another level of protection, arming you against dreaded rust.
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