A Clean Grill Is A Well
A clean grill is a well-functioning, well-performing grill, says cookbook author and grilling expert Diane Morgan.Follow the manufacturers instructions for cleaning the grill annually or semiannually depending on how much you grill.
You dont want any unsafe buildup of grease in your grill, and you want to make sure that the gas can flow easily through the ports. You do not want any scary flareups or strange smells coming from their grill!
If you dont have the original cleaning instructions that came with your grill, just follow our steps here!
Gather your cleaning supplies
Clean Your Grill Grate Before Grilling
Before you start to cook, get the grates super hot by turning on all burners, shutting the grill lid, and waiting approximately 15 minutes or until the smoke clears. The smoke youre seeing now comes from grease and doesnt flavorize food like wood smoke. Grease smoke covers the stuck-on food with bitter soot. The high heat will eventually burn off the grease and melt any leftover food particles into carbon.
Note: If you have reversible grates, flip them on the cooking surface in between cooking sessions. It will keep the gunk and goo from building up on the other side.
First, invest in a good quality brush and scraper. Heres a great option:
When The Season Ends
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Are There Bugs In Your Tubes
You need to check your venturi tubes and make sure there isnt any blockage. Bugs such as spiders tend to crawl into it when the grill is not being used. If its clogged by insects or even their web, this may become a safety hazard.
Carefully clean the tubes with a venturi brush, especially the curved parts. You can also use a hose to flush out the tubes and easily remove any insect or debris inside.
Give The Grates An Extra Good Scrub With Your Brush
Most of us brush the grates before or after use, but this time really make sure to get all the chunks and charred meat flesh, and use a little extra force.
Use the metal scraper on your brush if necessary. This will help eliminate those stubborn chunks of carrion.
After youve brushed the top side real well, take the grates out. Youll notice the bottom needs a good scraping as well. Do so now and set them aside.
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How To Clean The Exterior Of Your Gas Grill
You have cleaned the interior of your gas grill but the job is only half done. You cant just cook food on a grill that doesnt look good from the outside, as it will give a bad impression. Your guests might refuse to eat food you prepare on this grill thinking that you didnt clean it before using it to grill food. So before you throw a barbeque party, you need to clean your gas grill from the outside too. Heres how:
Grillart Grill Brush And Scraper
- Stainless steel, woven grill brush with attached scraper.
Take that stainless steel wire brush, dip it in water, and start scrubbing the hot grates with the wet brush. This will create lots of steam.
Be very cautious when it comes to using bristle brushes, especially the cheaper brands. Each year there are stories of people who consumed grilled food with tiny bristles embedded. This can easily be preventable by taking the appropriate steps to keep your BBQ grates super clean and free of debris, including bristle brushes. After scrubbing, run a damp cloth over your grates. Some experienced grill enthusiasts slice a lemon or half onion, running them over the grates to ensure the bristles are completely removed.
If your grates have a great deal of stubborn grease on them, put a sheet of extra heavy-duty aluminum foil down on top of the grates add some weight so it wont rise with the hot air, and just let the fire burn. After about five minutes, carefully remove the foil with a pair of tongs and scrunch it up. Next, grab the scrunched-up foil in the pair of tongs and thoroughly scrub your grates.
We also recommend sometimes using a mild enzymatic cleaner rather than a harsh chemical cleaning agent. But in most cases, water and a good scrubbing will do just fine.
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Our Final Thoughts On Cleaning A Gas Grill
Cooking with a dirty gas grill isnt just nasty, it is downright dangerous. Food bits and grease built-up can cause flare-ups and even full-fledged fires. Moreover, grimy grilling surfaces impact unpleasant flavors to the food you cook and get in the way of sear marks. This is why it is so important for you to clean the gas grill before you actually use it to cook food.
We have provided a detailed guide to help you clean the grill from the inside as well as outside. By following our advice, you will be able to remove the grime, grease, debris, and food bits from your grill. When you cook on a clean grill, your food will taste better. Moreover, your gas grill will perform at its best and last longer.
This is all we have for you today. Stay tuned to our blog for more interesting information about grills.
Charcoalseason To Season Tips
1. When the grill is cool, brush or scrape off built-up carbon on the underside of the lid.
2. Brush the cooking and charcoal grates to remove the leftover debris from your last grilling session.3. Use a scraper to chip away any hard-to-remove debris on the inside of the bowl. Use the One-Touch Cleaning System to push ashes and debris into the ash catcher.4. Make sure to empty the ash catcher – ashes left sitting in the ash catcher can promote corrosion.
5. Use our exterior grill cleaner to clean the outside lid and side tables of your grill.
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How To Clean An Outdoor Gas Grill
Last Updated: November 5, 2020ReferencesTested
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Outdoor grilling is a great way to get together with family and friends and enjoy tasty food. However, the outdoor fun is only possible with a grill that is cleaned and maintained throughout the year. There are a few simple cleaning steps that you can do after every time you grill, along with deeper, semi-annual cleaning steps to keep your grill working its best for years to come. An outdoor grill that is kept clean and maintained will stay in good working order and will ensure that the food you cook on it always tastes great.
Remove And Clean Grill Grates
Even if you use a grill brush or a grill scraper between cookouts, a deep clean will give you a chance to remove any leftover bits with a long soak and some careful attention.
Put the grill grates into a large basin or a deep utility bucket and cover them with warm to hot water and a grease-fighting soap, such as Dawn dish soap. Let the grates sit in the soapy water for an hour.
Afterwards, you should be able to easily wipe off any stuck-on debris with paper towels or a sponge. If you have any particularly difficult bits, you can remove them using a scrubbing pad, steel wool, or even a crumpled-up piece of aluminum foil .
If youre unable to clean the grates sufficiently with soap and water, try a dedicated grill cleaning solution, white vinegar, or a gentle cleaning paste made of baking soda and water.
NOTE: To clean cast iron grill grates, skip the soaking step and use a sponge and warm water to remove debris. After cleaning, immediately dry the grates completely to prevent rust. Apply vegetable oil to clean grates as noted below in Step 6.
Continue to the next steps, which will vary depending on what type of grill you have.
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The Best Way On How To Clean A Gas Grill
Cleaning your gas grill regularly is one of the golden rules every grill master should abide by to properly maintain their grill and guarantee a long life full of burgers, chops and ribs. How often you clean and maintain your grill directly impacts your grills longevity. As a gas grill owner, you are lucking out. Cleaning gas grills is actually significantly faster and easier compared to traditional charcoal grills. We wont be going into full detail on how to clean specific models or brands of gas grills, but we will be sharing our favorite tips on grill maintenance that applies across the board.
There two ways to maintain a gas grill: one is a routine cleaning usually done right after use, while the other involves deep cleaning, which should be done at least once a year. Here we give you the basic steps and things you should keep in mind on how to clean your gas grill. Think of cleaning your grill the way you clean your car: you wash it regularly and vacuum out the inside as routine maintenance, and then make sure it has an oil change on a regular basis, but not nearly as often. Your grill isnt so different and should receive them same level of tlc as your favorite ride.
Gas Grillseason To Season Tips
1. When the grill is cool, brush or scrape off built-up carbon on the underside of the lid. Then, brush the cooking grates to remove leftover debris from your last grilling session.
2. Brush or scrape the Flavorizer Bars® and Heat Deflectors until they are free of debris.
3. Using a clean brush, clear the burner tube ports of rust and debris by brushing across them, not down the length of the burner. If ports are extruded, use care when brushing around the ignition electrode to avoid damage.
4. Use a scraper to chip away any built-up debris along the sides and bottom of the cookbox. Push all the debris into the slide-out grease tray.
5. Scrape any debris in the slide-out grease tray into the drip pan. Replace the drip pan after wiping out the catch pan.
6. Be sure to inspect all hoses for cracks or abrasions, and leak check all gas connections, including LP tanks, using a soapy water solution. To leak check, dab a mixture of dish soap and water on all connections. With the control knobs off, turn on the gas. If bubbles form, there is a leak.
DO NOT USE THE GRILL! Please call our customer service team for assistance: 800-446-1071.
7. Use our exterior grill cleaner to clean the outside lid and side tables of your grill.
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How To Clean A Flat Top Grill
While gas grills and charcoal grills are the most common types of grills most people use, flat top grills, or Blackstone grills, are becoming the new thing at tailgates and for cooking for a crowd. Cleaning a flat top grill is a much simpler process because they dont have any grates for food and grease to drip through.
Tools and Materials Needed:
- Grill cover
Step 1: Collect Supplies
You only need a few supplies to clean a flat top grill, so grab them and head outside.
Step 2: Heat the Flat Top Grill
Cleaning a flat top grill goes much more quickly when the surface is still warm. Either heat the grill or clean it shortly after grilling a meal. It should be warm but not so hot that its uncomfortable to the touch.
Step 3: Scrub the Grilling Surface
After putting on rubber gloves, scrub the surface of the flat top grill with hot, soapy water and a sponge or grill brush. Use the scouring pad side of the sponge or the wire bristles of a grill brush and a food-safe degreaser for any stubborn food buildup.
Step 4: Wipe the Surface
Next, wipe the grilling surface down with a clean, dry towel.
Step 5: Clean Any Other Surfaces
Using your sponge and hot, soapy water, clean any other surfaces of your grill such as the lid, shelves, and knobs.
Step 6: Cover the Flat Top Grill
Cover the surface of your flat top grill so that it stays protected from rain, sleet, hail, and snow.
Photo via Chas’ Crazy Creations
Maintaining Your Gas Grill
Theres really not a whole lot you need to do to keep your grill in tip-top shape. Following the few tips below will ensure years and years of successful and safe cooking:
1. Routinely check for propane leaks. On a monthly basis, run some soapy water along the gas line and connections . If you see bubbles form, you know theres a leak, and you either need to tighten the connection or replace the line.
2. Cover your grill. Keep your grill covered when not in use. Most brands make their own covers, which of course have to be bought separately, but theyre well worth it. Protecting your grill from the elements keeps it from rusting and becoming dirtier than it needs to be.
3. Clean it regularly. Beyond the detailed cleaning below which should be done every few months when grilling a lot you should also spot clean it after each use. Brush the grates, and wipe down the exterior with some Windex, and youre good to go. Its also a good idea to turn the grill up to high for 15 minutes once a week or so to burn off some of the excess gunk. Doing this ensures that grime doesnt build up too much, which can happen quicker than you expect it to.
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What To Do With Charcoal
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The end-of-the-day, just-ate-a-ton-of-meat laziness is kicking in, and with it, the total desire to ignore a problem at hand: the remains of spent fuel.
I implore you, overcome your meat coma and clean out that ash. See, a pile of ash left in the grill can collect moisture, and ash plus moisture can equal a cement-like substance that can become your biggest challenge to cleaning your grillif you can manage to clean it out at all.
To make quick work of this, I keep a big bucket by the grill where I can dump ash at days end. Not only am I more likely to complete this annoying chore if it’s that much easier, but I can also safely move still warm coals out of the grill to finish extinguishing. I store that bucket somewhere where it won’t get wet, then trash the collection of ash when it’s full and I’m positive there’s no coals still burning.
Ash disposal becomes even easier if you opt for lump charcoal, since it creates relatively little ash when compared to briquettes.
How To Clean The Outside Of Your Grill
Wipe the outside of the grill lid with a towel and cleaner, says Kolman. If you have a porcelain-coated lid, use a glass cleaner and paper towel. If you have a stainless steel lid, youll need more specialized materials. Some paper towels have bits of cardboard in them and these can scratch the surface of stainless steel, Kolman explains. Instead, use a microfiber towel, special stainless steel cleaner and buff with the grain of the stainless.
Do the same with your side tables. If they are stainless steel, use a microfiber towel and stainless steel cleaner. If your tables are made of thermoset plastic, use a mild dish detergent and warm water instead, recommends Kolman.
And one word of advice with the cleaner: Be patient, says Kolman. Let the cleaner sit for 5 to 10 minutes . That will make the cleaning process much easier.
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Clean The Burners And Plates
Two or three times a season, youll want to get really down and dirty to get your grill extra clean!
Underneath the burner protectors are the burners themselves. You may not want to remove these for fear of damaging your grill. Instead, just take a soapy sponge and clean off the parts that you can easily reach. Rinse with a wet rag. The burners usually have ash residue, not food, so it should be fairly easy to get the built up gunk off.
Under the burners are the plates. You can usually pull these out easily between the burners. Clean the plates with the grill brush. This will get rid of large chunks of grease and food to keep your air filtration in your grill clean. You want just the right type of smoky!
