Cleaning The Grease Tray/cup On Your Gas Grill
The grease tray/cup on your Nexgrill should be emptied and wiped down periodically, and washed with a mild detergent and warm water solution. We all know how dirty grilling can get. Dont allow excess grease to accumulate and overflow out of the grease tray/cup.
Pro tip: You can place a small amount of sand in the bottom of the grease tray to absorb the grease.
Your Nexgrill is your outdoor cooking companion. You saved for it, youve prepare delicious meals on it, and you should also take care of it. To ensure maximum quality and efficiency, be sure to follow these tips for cleaning your gas grill.
Hey there! Did you know that every piece of your Nexgrill has at least a 1-year warranty? And many of our gas grills have a 5-year warranty on the main burners. Thats why its important to keep your receipt. So that our Customer Service staff can ensure that your warranty is honored, and your Nexgrill keeps providing.
What Tools Youll Need To Clean Your Grill
You may already own some of these tools. If you dont, theyre worth getting to make cleaning your grill easier. Have these items on hand.
1. A wire grill brush: Its your grills best companion for a reason. Scrub away at any tough residue your homemade grill cleaner may have missed, or use it for a quick brush after cooking. Be sure to wipe the grates down after using a wire brush. You should also use a new, quality brush so youre not leaving any bristles behind no one likes topping their burger with some wire.
2. Stainless steel tongs: Use tongs to wield whatever youre using to scrub down grates. This tool is especially useful if your grill is still warm while youre cleaning. You dont want to risk touching the hot surface, even if you have gloves on. The tongs will also give you extra reach for getting to the back of the grill. You can use a grill fork instead of tongs when cleaning with lemons or onions, as we mentioned above.
3. Putty knife: A flexible, yet sturdy, putty knife is great for working on stubborn residue. Scrape racks, trays and the inside of your grill with this tool.
4. Grill scraper: Scrape your grill grates after cooking with this tool, which you may already have integrated into your grill brush. You could also use it when doing a deeper clean. Scrape in the direction of your grates from front to back, shaking off residue into the garbage between passes.
Remove The Remaining Rust With Cloth Or Old Rag
The salt and vinegar mixture will have done its job overnight and dissolved most of the rust, but you will need to get in there with some rags and give your grill grate a good rub down.
Remember to make use of the remaining salt to work as an abrasive and help you shift any rust thats left.
Depending on how rusty your grill was to start with, it might need a few trips through the salt and vinegar bath to get rid of it all.
If salt and vinegar arent an option for you, there are a few other methods you can use.
You May Like: How To Grill Prime Rib
How To Clean Hot Plates
Cleaning the plates while theyre still hot will make your job much easier and maximise the results.
Hot plates have a flat surface and tend to get food stuck in them. To make them clean again, remove the food from the plate and leave the BBQ turned on for a while. The heat will burn off anything left on the plate. After that, take a spatula and scrape the residue left from the food. You can also use a newspaper for scrubbing. Just make a ball from it and scrub it on the plate.
Once the BBQ has cooled off, pour a bit of cooking oil on the plate and wipe it up with a brush. After that, use a microfiber cloth to dry it up.
Before the next use, repeat the procedure. Pour some cooking oil and distribute it evenly with a brush until the BBQ gets too hot.
How to clean greasy plates?
Hot temperatures kill the bacteria, but you can still get sick if old fats go into your food. Its not the bacteria that may cause diseases, and its the toxins they contain.
To get rid of the grease from your plates, turn the BBQ to a high temperature and let it warm up. Scrape off the surfaces with a spatula or a scraper until the residue is removed.
Turn off the BBQ and sprinkle salt on top of the surface. Let it absorb the excess grease. When the BBQ is cool enough, use paper towels and wipe up the surface.
How to clean rusty plates?
Step 4: Pour regular cooking oil on the BBQ plate and rub the surface with the grill stone. Pay extra attention to the rustiest spots.
Seasoning method:
Are Rusty Grates Ok If So How Much Rust
A little rust is ok since all metal surfaces can oxidize with the right conditions. Even foggy weather will make this happen and you can get a light rusty coating that is easy to clean off. But if you go full Titanic mode and see rust taking on a life of its own, your metal might be too damaged. Seeing big rust chunks is not a good sign and that means theres also a water or moisture problem.
Metal grills naturally react with water and start to break down like everything else. Keep your grill covered and away from moisture.
Recommended Reading: How To Deep Clean Gas Grill
What Is The Easiest Way To Clean A Gas Grill
The easiest way to clean a gas grill is to remove and soak the grill grates and burner covers. Then, vacuum the inside to remove any loose dirt, charcoal, and food. Spray the outside of your grill with a kitchen degreaser and wipe it with an old rag. Soak tough stains with hot water and soap. Then, let it sit for 30 minutes or more before rinsing, drying, and reassembling it.
You dont want to spend much time scrubbing your grill grates. Its highly likely that you wont ever be able to get the tough grease off if you havent cleaned your grill in a long time. Or, it will take way too much time to be worth it.
Soaking your grill grates is quick and easy. Not only that, but its easily repeatable. So, if you have hard-to-remove stains, no need to worry. Just swap out the water and soap and soak the grates again.
You might also consider using half vinegar and half water to soak your grill grates and burner covers. The acidic nature of vinegar helps cut through the grease with ease.
Always use diluted vinegar for safety reasons or dilute concentrated vinegar with water. Concentrated vinegar is corrosive and can be dangerous to your health. You dont want it to come into contact with your face or eyes.
Alternate Between Quick Cleanups And Deep Cleans
Not every grill cleaning experience has to take a long time. When you finish grilling, spend 10 minutes scraping and wiping your grill. You can usually get rid of at least half the splatter and mess immediately.
How often should you deep clean? It depends on how often you fire up the grill. Most pitmasters who regularly grill adopt monthly cleaning routines. Just make sure your deep clean is done on a cool grill, not one thats warm.
You May Like: What Is The Largest Weber Kettle Grill
Clean The Grills Exterior
Grills that are left uncovered year-round will develop rust spots.
Stainless steel grills: Use a mild abrasive to clean stainless steel grills. This homemade soft scrub cleaner works and so does Bar Keepers Friend. Stainless steel does not rust, so any such spots you see are probably particles of some other substance and will disappear with gentle scrubbing.
Enameled or painted grills: Use plain, soapy water and a soft-bristled brush to wash your grills exterior, then rinse it well. Lightly sand and prime rust spots, then paint them using a matching paint designed to withstand high heat.
Why We Dont Like Brushes For Cleaning Grates
Everybody thinks that wire brushes work best, but in reality, they can be dangerous if not used properly. You need to use a scraper to knock down the dried-up stuff that a wire brush cant do easily. Like brushing your teeth huh? Not really, since little wire hairs can snap off and stick to the greasy spots you cant get to. You wont see it there until it gets in your food. Sending your BBQ guests to the hospital is never part of the plan.
Only use a wire brush after youve scraped off all the grease and given the grill a good inspection. Dip your wire brush into water before doing any scrubbing after the grill is free from oil and junk. If the grill is still hot, the water will vaporize and causes steam to remove anything left-over. This will also prevent little wires from sticking to the grill surface too as theyll drop down into the grill bed.
Also Check: Can Any Grill Be Converted To Natural Gas
Poligo Grill Brush And Scraper Through Deluxe Grip
Need an excellent brush and scraper for housework your BBQ? This instrument from Poglio uses harmless wire stainless steel and is seamless for your ultraviolet, porcelain, charcoal, or gas grill. Maximum surface rust will derive with a combination of ammonia, heat, and scrubbing. Stain the barbecue portions well later than scrubbing, then permit them to arid in the fresh air earlier to assemble them again.
Should You Clean Your Barbecue Grill
The short answer is yes.
For years, my husband and I argued over this. In his view, a crusty barbecue grill was much like a well-used cast iron pan: seasoned with layers of oils that create a polymerized coating after repeated exposure to heat. I maintained that cooking on a dirty grill was dangerous and gross, period.
As with many of our arguments , it turns out Im right.
Don’t Miss: What Weber Grill Do I Have
Burn Away Food Scraps
The first step in cleaning your grill gratesis to burn off any food scraps left from cooking by heating it on high for5-10 minutes. Once youve done this, turn off the grill and allow it to cool.Iron grill grates and other heavy-duty grates can hold onto heat for a while,so make sure your grill is completely cool before proceeding.
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.
Read Also: How To Grill Pork Chops On The Grill
How To Clean A Charcoal Bbq
If you have a charcoal BBQ, you need to deep-clean it at least once a year. Even more often, if youre using it regularly. Carbon and ash can accumulate from the barbecues frequent usage, which can be extremely dangerous for your health.
Clean the grill grate and the charcoal grate. Remove the ash and clean the bottom of the BBQ and the tray. Reassemble the BBQ back and leave it to air dry before putting it away.
Follow the step-by-step process of how to clean a charcoal BBQ:
What Youll Need To Clean Your Grill
The simplest way to clean a rusty grill is with salt and vinegar. Thats right standard chip seasoning will get your grill backing in working order.
Before you get started, its best to assemble everything you need for the cleaning. Once you get cleaning, its going get very messy indeed, and the last thing you want is to be leaving rusty handprints all over the kitchen cupboards.
To clean your grill with salt and vinegar, you will need:
- 1 cup of regular table salt
- 2 cups of white vinegar
- 1 heavy-duty garbage bag
- Disposable cloths or rags
The given amounts of salt and vinegar are for cleaning one reasonably standard grill grate, so if you are doing more than one, just add the same amounts again per additional grate.
Recommended Reading: What Seasoning Do You Put On Grilled Chicken
How To Clean Grill Burners
Now, remove the burner tubes and clean themthoroughly. They may be attached with a screw or cotter pin, depending on yourgrill. Removing burners can be quite complex with some grills. Old Weber Genesis grills had a complex system,where the electrodes were mounted to the first burner, and a crossover tubecarried the flame to the other two. Over time, corrosion would tend to freezethe screws attaching the crossover tube, preventing you from detaching it,which required an elaborate workaround to change the burner .The point of this digression is that burners are complicated, and vary a lotfrom model to model, and brand to brand. If you cant look at the burner andfigure out how it works before disassembling it or if parts are frozen inplace feel free to . Wed be happy to talk you through it.
Remove the igniter and wrap the wire endscarefully in foil to keep them free of debris. Be sure to note exactly how theigniter fits into the burner failing to reinstall your igniter assemblycorrectly is one of the surest ways to have your grill refuse to light.
To insure you get the correct burner from your grill, measure the burner from end to end and compare the dimensions to what we list on our site.
How To Clean A Gas Bbq
To clean your gas BBQ, you need to disconnect the gas first to ensure your safety. Detach all removable parts and clean them individually. Wash the body of the BBQ, leave it to dry and reassemble the grill back.
Here is the detailed process of how to clean a gas BBQ:
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Prime Rib Steak On The Grill
Cleaning The Stainless Steel On Your Gas Grill
When it comes to cleaning stainless steel, we recommend starting with the mildest cleaning procedure. There are many different stainless steel cleaners available on store shelves that can help you to scrub off leftover grease.
If you look closely at the stainless steel on your Nexgrill, youll notice that it has a grain. Be sure to scrub in same the direction of the grain to help avoid scratching.
Specks of grease can also gather on the surfaces of your stainless steel, and bake onto the surface over time, giving the appearance of corrosion. To remove these spots, we recommend using a mild abrasive pad in conjunction with a stainless steel cleaner. Be sure to scrub with the grain to avoid scratching the surface.
Chrome / Nickel Plated Wire Grates
If you own a standard Weber grill, youve seen these shiny cheap grates before. They work well for a while but after a couple of good years of service, theyre ready to toss out. The plating eventually comes off and they tend to rust quickly. Not too much loss, but then again theyre made to be replaced. These grates work excellent since the grate is thin enough to get a good sear on your meat.
Weber/Kettle Grill Hinged Grates
Recommended Reading: How Do You Grill Fish
Shop Grill Cleaning Products
If the grates are really dirty, soak them a second time to help soften and remove more gunk without expending extra elbow grease. Or, try the new Sienna Grilltastic Grill Steam Cleaning System. Fill this electric scrubber with water, plug it in and in seconds the combination of the dishwasher-safe stainless steel brush head and hot steam will be blasting grease from your grates. Finally, rinse the grates well and let them dry.
If scrubbing isnt your thing, there’s Carbonas 2-in-1 Oven Rack and Grill Cleaner. This kit contains a large zip-top bag and a 16 oz. bottle of cleaner. Simply place your grates in the bag, pour in the liquid, seal the bag and shake gently so the cleaner coats the racks. Let it sit eight hours, or even overnight. Afterward, remove the racks from the bag, lightly scrub away any stubborn residue and rinse them well. In our GH Institute Cleaning Lab tests, even grates from a charcoal smoker came out clean with virtually no effort, thanks to this product.
