Simple Grill Cleaning After Each Use
While it is super important to clean the grill after every use, this usually doesnât require too much effort if you have the right equipment. All you really need for some simple charcoal grill cleaning is a high-quality grill brush. Youâll be tempted to buy the cheapest brush you can find, but this will be a mistake. Spending a little bit more on the brush will allow you to get a deeper clean each time you grill, which prevents you from having to do very many deep cleaning sessions. Additionally, the higher-quality brushes will last you longer!
Simply take your brush while the grill is still warm, but not hot, and scrub down the grates or basket vigorously. The goal here is to remove any of the debris and color that could stick and build upon the grill.
Cover Your Gas Grill Between Use
Be sure to cover your grill in between uses with a cover as this will help to keep it clean and presentable, as well as prolonging its life.
A cover stops dust collecting, insects and even animals getting inside, and just generally protects it from the elements.
A good grill cover might seem like an unnecessary expense, but they more than pay for themselves by lengthening the time between grill replacements.
How To Clean Bbq Grill Grates
These are the workhorses of your cooker and because they come in direct contact with your food, they need to be clean. Start by removing the cool grates and wiping or brushing off as much of the big, loose debris as you can with a mesh or nylon scrub pad or a brush. In a sink or large bucket, mix up a sudsy solution of a grease-cutting dish liquid, like Dawn, and hot water and place the grates in to soak. If they dont completely fit in, immerse one half, soak, then flip it over to get the other side. After soaking 15 to 30 minutes, put on some rubber gloves and scrub the grates clean with a sturdy grill brush or scrubbing pad. Take extra care with porcelain grates, because you don’t want to damage them.
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Good News: Grilling Season Is Almost Upon Us Before Firing Up Your Gas Grill Take Some Time To Learn How To Clean It
If your gas grill is a workhorse during the warm weather months, its worth learning how to clean it. Follow any of these options to get your gas grill clean, which will help your food taste great and keep your grill in good shape for years to come. Be sure to tune up your grill at the start of the season, too.
For grilling safety, always make sure your grill is cool and both the grill and its gas supply are turned off before you start cleaning.
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Signs Its Time For A Replacement
After you followed our steps on how to clean your grill, you might find yourself looking at a chipped greasy mess of a “grill” and think it’s time for an upgrade. In fact, you should look for these signs that you need to replace your grill.
Luckily, Howards has a massive selection of grills and a team of customer service professionals that can help you find the perfect replacement!
*Always check the manufacturer’s instructions before beginning any deep cleaning.
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How To Clean Porcelain Grill Grates
Porcelain grill grates are made of more than just porcelain. They contain an outer layer of porcelain to protect an inner layer of metal, making them rust-resistant.
You want to keep porcelain grill grates clean, and you need to care for them properly to avoid chips and scrapes that lead to rust.
When using metal tools for cooking, you need to be careful. And you should never use metal or wire brushes to clean porcelain grill grates. Instead, choose a soft bristle brush or nylon grill brush.
To clean porcelain grill grates, burn off any residual food. Then, use a soft brush to gently scrub the remaining char off once the grill has cooled down.
How To Deep Clean A Gas Grill
Regular grill maintenance will help keep your grill working smoothly, but even if you’re diligent about brushing down the grates, your gas grill will need some TLC after a few months of use. Note that since you will be disassembling some parts of the grill for cleaning, you will need to know how to put it back together again, so take photos for reference if needed.
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How To Clean A Bbq Grill
Cleaning your grill may not be as fun as cooking on it, but regular upkeep is crucial for extending its lifespan as long as possible. Food residue and carbon buildup that remain in your grill for extended periods of time will cause components to break down and even rust, leaving you looking for replacement parts or a new grill altogether. While we recommend cleaning your grill grates after every cook, you should occasionally perform a deep clean on the entire grill to ensure its in proper shape.
Deep-cleaning is done from the top down, which allows debris and scraped-off gunk to fall into the removable drip pan at the bottom of the grill. That means you shouldnt start the process unless your grates are completely clean. If you didnt burn off leftover grease and grime after your last cookout, just follow these simple steps to get up to speed:
Turn all burners to high and close the lid for about 1015 minutes
Open the lid, turn all burners off, and disconnect the gas if necessary
Allow grill to cool to a moderate temperature of about 250300 degrees Fahrenheit
Scrub each grate back to front with a grill brush or wadded ball of foil
Take one final look at the grates to make sure there isnt any stuck-on grime that still need scrubbing. Once theyre totally spotless, you can begin cleaning the whole grill.
Scrub Down The Grates
With your grill nice and hot, this is your chance to give those grill grates a scrub with a wire brush.
If youre concerned about wire brushes, the easiest alternative is to get your aluminum foil from before and ball it up. Use tongs to hold the foil and scrub the hot grates. Clean the grates as much as you can.
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Cleaning Your Heat Shields Orceramic Briquettes
Depending on the model, your grill may use heat shields or ceramic briquettes. A heatshield or heat deflector is a piece of metal that sits over the burner todistribute heat. Ceramic briquettes look like little tiles, or stylized piecesof charcoal, all the same size and shape.
Its also possible that your grill has lavarocks little clumps of volcanic rock that look like charcoal. Lava rocks arehard to clean. Their porous surface absorbs grease, and theyll fall apart ifyou try to scrub them. If you have lava rocks, we recommend replacing them withceramic briquettes.
Ceramic briquettes are easy to clean with awire brush. Remove them, and scrub until any debris falls off. If you have a heatshield, spray it with a degreaser, then clean it with a wire brush or brillopad and wipe it clean with a cloth. Do not use water or degreaser on briquettes as they will crumble.
Both heat shields and ceramic briquettes willwear out eventually, so you should inspect them carefully as you clean. If yourbriquettes are starting to crumble when you clean them, its probably time toreplace them. However, cracks or nicks on a few briquettes shouldnt be aproblem. As long as theyre mostly intact, they should work fine.
Heat shields, on the other hand, are often thefirst thing to wear out on a grill. If your heat shields are rusty or warped,they cant disperse heat evenly, and may not protect the burner from drippingheat. That means its probably time to replace them.
Clean Your Cooking Grids While The Grills Still Warm
One of the best times to clean your grill is while its still warm. Its much easier to scrub off any residual grease or food from your grills surfaces while theyre still hot from the cook. If you wait until your grill cools, any leftovers have a better chance to harden and stick to your grills surfaces.
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Clean All Parts Once A Year
Clean everything elseincluding the burners themselves, the side walls, the bottom of the cooking compartment, and the drip panat least once a year, using warm, soapy water. This seasonal or annual cleaning requires some simple disassembly so you can clean each part separately let and dry it thoroughly before reassembling the grill. Make sure to disconnect the gas hookups before removing the burners.
The burners require special attention. Makes sure the jets are free of debris. A thin wire or small nail can help to open up any holes that are plugged.
Conclude by wiping down the outside of the grill, using warm water. Wipe dry to prevent rust.
Clean Out Used Charcoal Or Wood
If you have a charcoal or wood chip-burning grill , you can use a garden trowel or even a fireplace ash shovel to remove old coals and ash from the bottom of your grill.
Dispose of the ashes properly, in a trash bag or other closed container. Check the ash box for any damage or holes, while you use a small brush or hand broom to remove any remaining ashes.
Make sure all grill vent holes are clear of debris while you remove ash.
Note: Check our tips for grill maintenance checks you can perform on all parts of your grill, from fuel hoses to the joints on the chassis.
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Soak Off Hardened Grease
Sometimes due to age or through neglect, greasy gunk can build up on the grill to the point where scrubbing with detergent will get you nowhere. For cleaning really tough, baked-on grease:
Another good reason to clean your gas grill regularly is to check for any damage or repairs that are needed.
- If a problem is covered in a layer of gunk and grease, by the time you spot it the issue may be beyond repair.
Cleaning is also an opportunity to check that the hoses, clamps, valves and gas lines that feed your grill from the propane tank are in good shape and working properly.
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How To Season A Blackstone Griddle
One of the best things you can do to your grill before you even use it is season it. Dont be thrown by the terminology here: this isnt a process of adding salt to its surface. Instead, its where we apply a thin layer of oil to the surface of the griddle. We then heat the oil and allow it to set.
What this does is create a thin layer shield over its surface, helping to prevent food sticking to it, and protect it against the threat of rust or wear.
Simply fill a bucket with warm soapy water, and use a dishcloth or rag to wash down the surface of the grill. This will help to remove any residue or dirt from it being in storage.
Leave the griddle out to dry for about an hour.
Now its time to start seasoning it. Apply a thin layer of oil across the surface of the grill, and use a cloth to spread it as evenly as possible. Cover every inch of the griddle, working into every area you can.
Turn the heat up on the griddle, onto medium-high heat. Allow it to heat and for the oil to smoke.
Once it starts to smoke, turn the heat off and allow it to cool. Wash down once again with warm soapy water. Allow to dry completely.
Your griddle is now ready to use.
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Ultimate Cheeseburger And Grill Cleaning Guide
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Summer grilling season will be here soon and my Ultimate Cheeseburger and Grill Cleaning Guide is all you need to keep the family fed and happy. Before you BBQ chefs fire up your neglected grills for the first time since last fall, get your grills in the best shape with my grill cleaning guide.
I grill most of the winter but the cleaning and care of my grill is not part of my cold weather routine. The performance of your grill can diminish over time if has not been maintained properly.
Low temperatures, uneven heat, hot spots and food sticking to grates are all possible side effects of poor grill cleaning and maintenance. A clean grill is a happy grill.
Clean Grates And Racks After Each Use
Cleaning chores are much easier if they are done often, after each use of the grill. This is critical with gas grills since the high temperatures can bake on grease and foods, making it challenging to clean the grates and racks once they cool and the grease hardens.
Make sure to clean these parts after every cooking session.
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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:
Which Cleaners Should I Use
Weve tried out a variety of cleaners on the MAK in order to see which types work the best without any long-term negative effects. After years of testing different products and collecting customer feedback, these are our top picks:
1) Mild Soap and Detergent
Very basic, but very effective. Its hard to beat good old-fashioned soap and water. This option is also the cheapest since you dont have to go out of your way to buy a specialized product. Most people keep these types of soap around the house for other purposes and if not, you can always find some at your local dollar or grocery store.
2) Bar Keepers Friend
Another option that also does a great job at removing grease and food soils is Bar Keepers Friend® MORE Spray + Foam. We havent found anything that this cleaner cant remove, even that black mystery grime that seems to have permanently taken hold of your grill.
3) Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes
Once your grill is rid of grime, you may want to polish and buff it a bit. These wipes work great for quickly wiping down your grill before you host a backyard BBQ or if youre one of those who simply love a shiny grill. Youll first want to use the wipe in the direction of the metal grain on your MAK Grill and then buff it with a dry, soft cloth for best results.
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