How To Clean Cast Iron Grates Quick Tips
Cast iron grill grates are incredibly durable. They can tolerate any temperature that youd be able to generate. Even though cast iron pans are durable, water is not their friend. It can cause rust.
So, avoid soaking your cast iron grill grates in water to clean them. Instead, use a brush or burn off the food. Well go over these methods a little later.
To help prevent rust, wipe your cast iron grates with vegetable oil after youre done cleaning.
Like with porcelain grates, avoid wire brushes or steel wool. These tools are too abrasive and may damage the finish.
Best Grill Cleaner Smell
There are no right or wrong smells when it comes to grill cleaners. Any product will clean your grill, regardless of how they smell. However, this could be a deal-breaker for some people.
If you tend to get bothered by strong smells, you would be better off picking a non-scented grill cleaner. Look for customer reviews to give you a clue into what each product smells like.
Dont Use A Wire Brush
Theres a story we came across a while back about a four-year-old boy who got hospitalized after he accidentally swallowed a metal bristle from a wire brush. Yikes!
While wire brushes are marketed explicitly to barbecue grill owners, we dont recommend using them to clean your grates. Theres always a chance that some of the bristles from the brush may fall off without you noticing, latch onto your food while youre grilling, and end up in your body. Its simply not worth a trip to the ER.
There are several other safer alternatives you can use that work just as well. One option would be to crumple up a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and shape it into a ball. Then, use a pair of tongs to grab it, and voila! You have a safe tool to clean your grates with.
Alternatively, you could also use a wooden grill scraper instead. The best thing about it is that the block will start to develop groves that fit your stainless steel grates perfectly after a while of using it.
Now, if you live on the wild side and insist on using a wire brush, ensure you double-check and even triple-check your grates for any stray bristles that might make their way into your food. Be sure to run a damp cloth across the grates once youre done scrubbing. You can never be too safe.
Also Check: How Long To Cook Pork Loin On Grill Per Pound
Don’t Miss: What Temp To Grill Halibut
Grill Rescue Barbecue Scraper And Cleaner
As its name suggests, Grill Rescue has designed a grill cleaner to rescue you from a dirty grill. The nifty two-in-one tool features a sponge-like cleaning head made from super durable aramid fiberthe same stuff in firefighter gearwhich can be used on hot grills up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It also sports a thick scraper made of brushed stainless steel that can tackle caked-on grease, along with a robust handle that promises a nice sturdy grip. Its nice and safe, too, since there are no dangerous metal bristles that can end up in your food. When its time to clean the cleaner itself, you can simply put the sponge into the dishwasher and youre done.
Amazon
Baking Soda And Scour Sponge Grate Cleaning
If you have porcelain or enamel grill grates, this is the method for you. Metal such as a wire brush or aluminum foil can scratch the finish of coated grill grates, so using a scour sponge or nylon bristle brush is best. Dont worry though, the power of ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda will help dissolve and abrade the charred on food bits to get your grill grates clean.
- Remove the stainless steel grate from the grill and place on a flat surface.
- Moisten the grill grate with water.
- Sprinkle ARM & HAMMER Baking Soda liberally over the stainless steel grates and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Using a damp scourer sponge, scrub the grate going up and down each wire.
- Rinse with water and return the grate to the grill.
Read Also: Clean Weber Stainless Steel Grates
Clear The Burner Tubes
If you have a gas grill, one part that often gets clogged are its burner tubes. One symptom of dirty burners is reduced flame size. They may also burn with an orange color instead of the usual blue. Both indicate abnormally low temperatures and an underpowered grill.
Typically a gas grill has multiple burner tubes, though some may have only one. Use a nylon or steel wire brush to gently clean the small holes on the tubes. Be sure to brush from the center of the tube outward, moving sideways . Otherwise you may push debris into the tube or holes themselves instead of clearing them.
Use a metal scraper instead of a steel brush with bristles.
What Is The Best Cleaner For Stainless Steel Grills
The Kona Grill Cleaner is a heavy duty degreaser and stainless steel cleaner that works like a charm. The fast acting formula cuts tough grease and baked-on food in no time. Instead of dripping off of the grill, it clings to the surface to break down difficult stains. This grill cleaner is all purpose, so you can use it on the inside, outside, wheels, grates pretty much anywhere!
Here are a couple of other cleaners that work great on stainless steel grills:
Recommended Reading: How To Cook Steaks On A Traeger
How To Clean A Grease Tray
Soo’s secret weapon for cleaning grease trays is actually a preventative measure: Line your grease tray with aluminum foil. Once your grease tray is filled up with gunk, make sure you dispose of it right away. Bag up the grease or put it into a container, and then put it in the trash. Soo says you shouldn’t let the grease tray sit out overnight or else it’ll coagulate and turn into a disgusting mess. Also, don’t throw that grease down the sink, a mistake Soo says he’s seen even profressional pitmasters make. If you do, that grease may end up clogging your pipes. If it doesn’t do that, it will lead to fatbergs, or rock-like buildups of biodegradable solids, in the sewer system at large.
Easy Off Professional Oven And Grill Cleaner
The Easy Off Professional Oven and Grill Cleaner is a heavy duty cleaner that takes care of baked-on spills in an oven or grill. The formula cuts through grease quickly, making it effective against burnt on food and grime as well.
Spot cleaning with this product only takes 3 minutes, so its great for cleaning up everyday messes! This grill spray is multipurpose. You can use it in your home, kitchen, office, or wherever else.
Check out the Easy Off Professional Oven and Grill Cleaner .
| Pros |
|---|
| Safe for use on glass and aluminum surfaces |
| Great for deep cleaning ovens or grills |
Recommended Reading: Weber Grill Parts Sale
Choose The Merch Produced By The Reputable Companies
You should also consider looking at the company that manufactures the merch to make sure they are reputable. If you decide to do some research into the company, you will want to look for information on how long it has been in business and if they have a good track record. You can find this information by looking up their name or website online and seeing what else has been said about them.
It will help give you an idea of whether or not they stand by their item if there are any complaints. More importantly, it will show if other people have had problems with them in the past or if there were not any complaints at all. This is another way that you can determine whether or not something is worth purchasing before actually spending any money on it.
This will allow you to feel more confident about your decision to buy something because you will know what other customers have experienced with the product. The available online information makes researching these products less complicated and time-consuming than doing research in a store or through personal interactions. You can look up anything within minutes on the Internet, including customer feedback, creating a list of pros and cons for each other, price comparisons, and company reviews.
Grill Grate Cleaning Method: Store
- Total time: 20 minutes
- Rating: 3
The method: I used Mean Green Super Strength Cleaner & Degreaser, which says to spray on the surface, wipe clean, and rinse thoroughly. The label also says not to let the stuff dry before rinsing, so this is definitely not one of those spray-and-sit situations.
How it went: This was one of the most hands-on methods and, by far, the messiest. It did yield great results, but it took a lot to get to that point. While I was very happy with the grate after the cleaning, I did have lots of grease splatter marks on my shoes and pants! Id be willing to put in the effort if there wasnt an option that topped this one, which brings me to this next method
You May Like: Best Way To Bbq Halibut
How Often Should You Clean A Grill
Unlike a pan that you should clean after every use, you don’t actually need to clean a grill every time you finish using it. Soo definitely doesn’t clean his grill after every cook. Instead, he judges when it’s time to clean his grill based on how much gunk has built up. But when it comes to pellet grills, you should be clearing out that ash buildup after every use.
Best Way To Clean Grill Grates
Well-maintained and clean grates are the key to a sumptuous and well-cooked meal. Not only will you achieve perfect and DEFINED CHAR MARKS, but youll also be doing your grill a favor.
There are 3 regular cleaning methods you can try at home. Well also go over the safest and fastest deep cleaning method for stubborn greasy grates!
So, grab your grates, and lets get cleaning!
Don’t Miss: Who Makes Napoleon Grills
Diy Grill Cleaner Tip For Gas Grills
Its essential to clean your grill regularly for two reasons: to catch buildup that has stuck around and to prevent future build up from forming. If your hot grill is made from stainless steel or cast iron, use these few tricks.
If youre using a grill that is gas operated, turn on the clean knob to preheat the grill to soften grease and residue and make it easier to remove. Use your wire brush to scrape off the extra gunk.
What Is The Best Way To Clean Grill Grates Fast And Efficient Methods
Cleaning your grates is an important step to making them last longer. But the question is – is the cleaning process the SAMEfor all types of grates?
The BEST way to clean them actually depends on the TYPE of grates you have.
Dont worry as our experts have prepared a COMPLETE guide on how to correctly and efficiently clean grills of any kind!
Recommended Reading: Best Way To Clean Infrared Grill Grates
Weber Grill Grate Cleaner
I have been a Weber Genesis owner for a number of years now, and always swear by Weber products.
Weber’s grill cleaner is no exception. I bought it when I bought my grill, and have been sure to keep it clean with this.
For some strange reason, there are no reviews on this 2 pack version on Amazon, but you can read reviews on the 1 and 3 pack versions here.
Are the reviews mixed? As with anything they are, but it seems like most people wait until their grill is almost unusable before they clean it, which makes for a more difficult cleaning exercise.
How To Clean The Inside Of A Bbq Grill
With the grates removed, brush down the inside to clear out any loose particles that have collected in the bottom and around the sides. Scrape off any large peeling flakes of carbon and grease and if yours is a charcoal grill, empty the ash catcher. Dont forget to clean the drip pan and grease cup in warm soapy water and line them with aluminum foil so theyll be easier to clean next time.
Read Also: Grease Stain Removal From Concrete
How To Burn Debris Off Your Grill Rack
Utilize the grill itself to clean stuck-on-food off the racks. To do so:
Covering the rack with foil and burning off the foil is another technique for cleaning grill grates.
Cleaning Grill Grates With A Dry Sponge
If you aren’t looking to do a crazy cleaning of your grill grates, but just get off some caked on food, a dry sponge works wonders.
No joke. I do this on a cold grill all the time. A dry sponge is hard enough to get the stuck debris off, but soft enough that it won’t damage your grill grates if they are made out of porcelain.
Plus, if your grill is cold, it is much easier to put a little elbow grease into it, since you do not have to worry about getting burned.
Recommended Reading: Pork Chop Grilling Temperature
Nothing But Elbow Grease
Without a grill brush, you are going to have to use some elbow grease. Get ready to scrub down those grill grates!
You can do a good number on your grill grates with just plain water, and something to scrub them with.
The most important thing is to know what your grill grates are made out of.
Some things you can scrub your grill grates with are:
- Paper Towels
- Steel wool
- Rags
Simply fill up a bin or your kitchen sink and go to town. For really bad grates, you may want to add a tiny bit of liquid dish soap.
While we are on the topic of dish soap – there is only one kind I ever buy.
Blue Dawn. The kind with the animals on it.
It has to be the one with the animals on it!
This is what they use to clean the poor animals that get covered in oil during an oil spill.
It works on everything. I’m notorious for getting grease on my clothes while cooking. I put a few drops of this on immediately, throw it in the washer, and my clothes are saved.
It is powerful, yet gentile, and perfect for getting caked on grease off of your grill grates.
If you do use soap, remember to rinse them thoroughly. You can even send them through the dish washer on a rinse cycle without soap to ensure they are squeaky clean.
If your grill grates are made out of cast iron, do not forget to season them after cleaning, or they may rust.
Best Grill Cleaner Reviews
We hope you love the products we recommend. TheMeatHouseBlog.com may earn a commission on qualifying purchases from Amazon Associates or other vendors. Read more here.
We ALL love barbecues and outdoor parties in the summer, but sometimes it can be challenging cleaning the grease and food stains off the grill afterward.
Heres where a top-notch grill cleaner comes in handy. The best of these products should work on multiple metallic surfaces and effectively remove coagulated fat, oil, and grease from your grills grate.
Grill cleaners come in several different forms. You can use a solution for soaking your grills racks or a spray. You can wipe down your grill with specially-designed pads or use a hard-wired brush to scrub out the worst stains.
Here, youll find our pick for the best grill cleaner available, followed by a rundown of other options that work well for budgets, light stains, hard surfaces, and other requirements.
Also Check: Did Macaroni Grill Go Out Of Business
Best Grill Cleaners Of 2021
The summer months are finally here, and you know what that means. Its time to fire up the grill! But before you do, make sure your grill is clean and ready to go. Cleaning a dirty grill can be a messy job, but it doesnt have to be.
Weve compiled a list of 12 best grill cleaners on the market today. Well go over each products pros and cons so that you have the tools you need to choose the best grill cleaner for your situation. At the very end, well take a look at a few grill brushes too.
If you want to learn how to clean your gas grill, check out the video below.
How To Clean Stainless Steel Grates Quick Tips
Stainless steel grill grates can handle 800+ degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than any residential grill will get. Unlike cast iron, stainless steel is somewhat rust-resistant.
The easiest way to clean the grates is to simply brush them. Well go over this method below.
With stainless steel grates, you can use a nylon brush or wire brush, but nylon is the safer bet. You always run the risk of scratching the grates using a wire brush if you press too hard.
Also, the bristles can break off in your grill and cook into your food, which is a health hazard. So just be mindful of how much pressure you use when cleaning your stainless steel grill grates.
Now lets get into eight different methods you can use to make them look nice and shiny.
Read Also: Grilling Pork Chops Temp
What Is The Best Way To Clean Grill Grates Without A Brush
Picture this. You are about to host a BBQ, but your grill grates are disgusting, and you don’t have a grill brush.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Or, you just got your brand new grill and forgot to pick up a brush to go with it!
Neither situation is good, but let’s face it it happens. We forget things all the time, or our grill brush is worn out, lost, or eaten by the dog.
Never fear, where there is a will, there is a way!
In This Guide
