Best Grills: Bells And Whistles
If youre investing in a higher-end gas grill, Anderson appreciates the added perk of rotisseries, which he said are a must for the best tasting grilled chicken the rotating grill cage bastes the meat in its own juices. Otherwise, youll find options like built-in lights for night cooking, side burners, ceramic infrared burners, warming doors for finished foods, porcelain coating, searing stations, smart connectivity and easy-packing features.
Cast Iron Grill Grates
Cast iron grill grates are heavy-duty and retain high heat for a more extended period. The more heat it maintains in the grill, the faster the food cooks. This type is iron covered in enamel with a matte or glossy finish making it more physically appealing. Its beautiful aesthetic also adds protection against rust.
Iron is heavy, so as the grates material, and it attests that the heavier the metal, the better. It also costs more than the stainless steel grill grates but guarantees to last. Those who use and own cast iron grill grates keep their grates for years or even a decade!
Using cast iron grill grates will also give you a good sear on your meat, as well as good grill marks on it. These grates are excellent heat conductors, so you get the color and flavor of delectable and juicy meat.
Further, cast iron grill grates are perfect for high temperature and short cooking time. The surface is resistant to sticking, and it does not require you to use a non-stick spray during your grilling. It transfers direct heat to the food you grill, which creates a beautiful dark external layer.
It is also highly recommended to check on it when you store them to prevent corrosion due to rust present. Uncoated cast iron can ruin the flavor and maybe unsafe. Lastly, the consequence of dropping your cast iron grill grate is that you have a cracked or broken one. Handling a cast iron grill grate requires more care than other types of grill grates.
- Fragile
Webers Commitment To Safe Grilling
Weve already touched on Webers methods of ensuring safety when it comes to burners and fuel sources, but what about other elements of safety? A safe burner doesnt help you much if your entire grill falls over on your foot. Fortunately, Weber has ensured that this will never happen.
Weber grills are built with perfectly balanced bodies and a low center of gravity, making tip-overs nearly impossible. Meanwhile, all wheels lock in place to avoid unwanted rolling while in use. Plus, Weber engineers eliminated all sharp corners so you dont have to worry about cuts by any extruding edges. Nothing derails a fun grilling session like an injury on the field, so Weber has taken every step to guarantee that this doesnt take place.
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How To Prevent Food From Sticking To Steel And Iron
Either you use stainless steel or cast-iron grates now or intend to get one in the nearest future, one of the biggest issues we all have is preventing stuff from clinging to the surface. Here are some suggestions to help you avoid this.
- Keep your grates clean and tidy during and after cooking
- Grates should not be oiled. instead, grease your food
- Patiently wait. If the meal is sticky when you attempt to turn it on the other side, wait a little longer
- Heat your meat first to keep it from sticking. Food that is chilled will stick to a heated grate more than food that is heated.
Types Of Materials Used To Make Grill Grates
Besides the material used in the construction of the grill body, the type of materials used in making the grates is also important. The grates need to be well constructed from high-grade materials or else they will succumb to the high heat from the grills.
If you get low-quality grates to save some money, they can wear down and impact the quality of grilled food over time. Hence, we recommend that you invest a little more in choosing the right grates that can give you perfect barbeque food every time.
The grates may be made of plain stainless steel, nickel-plated steel, cast iron, porcelain-coated cast iron, or steel coated with porcelain enamel. Keeping the grates clean and in the best shape can help you ensure that they last for longer. Lets take a look at the pros and cons of both stainless steel and porcelain.
Stainless steel grates are studier and more highly durable than the cast iron grates. They are less likely to rust and tarnish than the latter. They can also benefit from frequent lubrication using cooking oil spray and regular cleaning after each grilling session.
The stainless steel grates can in various forms such as a rod, hexagonal, or cast form. The rod-style grates are made of simple rows of solid tubular stainless steel. They are connected together by a horizontal bar, and this is one of the most widely used stainless steel grids.
Pros
Cons
Pros
- They have better non-stick abilities compared to stainless steel
Cons
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Buying The Right Grates For Your Grill
To find the right grate for your Weber Spirit click this link for Weber Spirit Grill Parts.
To find the right grate for your Weber Genesis click this link for Weber Genesis Grill Parts.
To find the right grate for your Weber Summit click this link for Weber Summit Grill Parts.
To find the right grate for your Weber kettle click this link for Weber Charcoal Grill Grate Options.
How To Prevent Food From Sticking To Your Grates
Its disappointing when the delicious crust that you seared into the food gets stuck on the grates. As you flip your meat, the perfectly browned grill marks disappear and drop into the fire.
Cleaning the grates properly can prevent this from happening. So can the following techniques for preparing and cooking the food.
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Weber Q2200 Gas Grill
Weighing in at 42.5 pounds and sporting two folding side tables, this small grill is easy to take on camping trips or tailgating adventures but still has enough cooking space and power to prepare a delicious meal for four. It has a heavy-duty cast-aluminum cook box, providing an even convection heat inside it, said Phan. The cooking grates are porcelain-coated cast iron, which not only maintains many features of cast iron, such as great searing, but also includes a porcelain outer layer for easy cleaning and rust resistance.
Weber Grill Side Burner
A side burner is an extra burner thats usually located on one of the side tables outside the main grilling area. These can be used for a variety of purposes, but many grillers use them to warm or cook sauces, or to cook additional sides that will accompany the main event. If you often find yourself multitasking while youre grilling, a side burner might be a great idea.
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Keeping It Cooking: Maintaining Your Weber Grill
Keeping your gas grill clean and maintained is not only important for ensuring it has a long life, its important for keeping you safe. Here are some of the most important regular maintenance tasks you should be doing on a regular basis to keep your Weber grill in tip-top shape.
Check for Leaks
Weber grills are designed to remain free from leaks, but things happen and leaks may occur. One way to check for leaks in your hose or tank is to use a soapy water solution in and around the connection points of your tank and tubes. Then turn on your tank, and if you find bubbles forming its a pretty sure sign that youve got a leak. This means you should not use the grill under any circumstances until the leak has been fixed.
Clean Your Burners
Use a grill cleaning brush to remove food pieces, oxidation and other debris from the surface of your burners. This not only keeps them looking clean but also keeps burners from becoming blocked, which can lead to fires.
Get Rid of Excess GreaseGrease will naturally collect on parts of your grill, but too much grease can be damaging and unsafe. Use a scraper to scrape off any grease thats been solidified on the grill down into the grease tray. From here you can empty the solidified pieces from the grease tray down into the catch pan. The catch pan can then be emptied, and youre ready to go once you replace a new aluminum liner. Easy peasy.
Best Pellet Grill And Smoker: Weber Smokefire Ex4
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After giving up a big marketshare to Traeger Grills, Weber introduced the new pellet smokers and grills under the marketing name SmokeFire. The Weber pellet grill comes in two sizes the SmokeFire EX4 a.k.a. 22510201 the 24-inch pellet grill and smoker and the SmokeFire EX6 a.k.a. 23510201 which is 36-inches .
Please keep in mind that the current product line up is the 2nd generation release. The company ironed out many of the shortcomings of the initial launch of the product from two year ago. In fact, Weber had to go initiate a recall even to collect unsold 1st generation product and replace them with the up-to-date versions.
The most striking feature of the Weber SmokeFire EX4 is its ability to reach high temperatures with relative ease. This makes the pellet grill very effective in searing. The Weber SmokeFire operates in 200 to 600 F range to both smoke and grill. The porcelain enamel finish on this Weber smoker is durable and maintains its shine over years to come with or without a cover.
Weber uses its typical firebox design with the SmokeFire. Stainless steel flavorizer bars are seated under high quality grates. The usual Weber grease management system is flanked by the the ash collection bin. In the past few months Weber caught some bad press on grease management from early users specifically complaining about grease flare ups. Although we think the grease collection holes can be larger, clogging will happen without basic upkeep.
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My Cast Iron Grate Is Getting Rustywhat Should I Do
Mistakes or accidental carelessness might lead to your grates getting rusty, which is terrible. For example, it might happen if you forget to cover your grill or if you havent been using it for an extended period of time, causing moisture to penetrate the grill.
Unless you want to ruin the seasoning on the surface, do not clean your cast iron with water and soap. When trying to remove corrosion from any form of metal, its recommended to start with an abrasive scrubbing instrument. Cast iron may be cleaned using wire brushes or steel wool.
Try using vinegar, baking soda, or salt paste if you prefer to speed up the process with a cleaning solution.
After cleaning your grates, give them a nice rinse before properly drying them. You wouldnt want any moisture to remain since it will cause corrosion to reappear very soon, perhaps even overnight.
Grill Grates Lids And Other Materials
The two most common materials used for grates are stainless steel and cast iron. Although stainless steel is rust-resistant , they dont conduct heat as well as cast iron. You can sear steak better on a cast iron grate, but one caveat is that you have to spend more time caring for it or else it will rust, Phan said. If you cook a lot of steaks, go with cast iron, but if you cook a lot of burgers, brats and seafood, stainless steel is a better choice.
High-quality gas grills are made from durable stainless steel but not all stainless steel is created equal. Stainless steel is an alloy that comes in different numerical grades, depending on its composition, which impacts its overall strength, heat durability and rust resistance. Among the different grades, Phan said 304 and 430 stainless steel are most common. Grade 304 is much better than 430 and that comes with a higher price tag, he explained. That said, if you take care of your 430 grill, it will probably last a bit longer.
Not all gas grill models come with a lid. Phan emphasized its importance for backyard cooks, though. With a lid, you can turn your grill into an oven, meaning that you can cook food with convection heat, he says. It will cook your food more evenly than conduction and radiant heat.
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Is Bigger Better Choosing The Right Grill Size
When it comes to the size of their grill, many cooks and backyard chefs think that bigger is always better. But when selecting your grill you should keep in mind the factors that matter most, because going big is a tradeoff in other areas that you might not initially consider.
There are two significant disadvantages to choosing a larger grill. First of all, large grills take a longer time to heat up. Its simple sciencea larger space requires more heat and energy before it reaches a certain temperature. Just imagine trying to heat a gymnasium with a space heater. as opposed to a small bedroom. This means budgeting for longer prep times when cooking for eager mouths.
The other disadvantage of larger grills is that the use more gas. While gas grills have become more efficient, its a fact that those with larger burners and more burners to fuel will use up gas much quicker than smaller models.
Keep all of this in mind when selecting your gas grill. How much grill space do you really need? Do you entertain larger groups often, or are you generally cooking for you and your small family? Are you big eaters or do you like to enjoy smaller portions? All this will help determine whether you should opt for a smaller grill or go big. Its a personal choice, and there are inherent benefits and drawbacks on both ends of the size spectrum.
Best Grill Grates For Weber Genesis
I LOVE my Weber Genesis! ;We grill all year round, no matter the weather. ;Rain, sleet, snow, or sun, we have fired up our Weber Genesis.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
So what are the best grill grates for the Weber Genesis? ;I recently had to replace my grill grates, so I did a ton of research before making my decision. ;I started out with cast iron grill grates that were rusted from leaving them outside of the grill on several occasions.
There are two important things to consider when you are selecting a grill grate for your Weber Genesis:
- Your Budget
Pros:;Great heat distribution since it is cast iron, for those nice grill marks. ;Lower maintenance than regular cast iron.Cons:;Porcelain can be delicate and prone to scaling and chipping.
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Grill Burners Ignition And Cooking Area
Most shoppers want at least two burners so they can set up different heat zones. This way, meat can be cooked on the highest heat while veggies are grilling on a medium zone, and maybe buns get thrown to the lowest zone, if possible. But the number of burners a grill has isnt the only consideration its just as important to be aware of the distance between the burners. The closer they are, the more even the heat is, eliminating any cold or hot spots, explained Thinh Phan, the chief editor of BBQInProgress.com. He also recommended paying attention to the material of the burners. Stainless steel is better than cast iron because the latter tends to rust quicker.
Another consideration, he noted, is how a gas grill starts: There are two types of ignition used in gas grills: electronic and piezo.
However, if either version is low-quality or slow to produce a spark, it can be potentially dangerous. Pushing the button pumps gas into the burners until a spark ignites but the longer this takes, the more gas that’s released. Once the spark hits, all the gas buildup can explode into a fireball. This is one reason to consider investing in your new gas grill rather than cut corners.
Thinh Phan, Editor, BBQInProgress.com
Stainless Steel Vs Porcelain Grill
If a grill features a stainless steel body then its by all means a gas or propane grill. Stainless steel is not only durable and strong, but it also resists rust and corrosion that may occur due to exposure to harsh weather conditions. The gas burners provide a quick grilling option without the mess associated with most charcoal-fueled grills that produce ash.
Many grill manufacturers, including the well-known brand Weber uses a porcelain coating in both gas and charcoal grills. The classic charcoal grill typically comes with a porcelain enamel coating both outside and inside the grilling chamber.
The porcelain coating protects the core stainless steel body from heat damage. As porcelain is a better insulator, it can also help the grill retain more heat than the stainless steel structures. Cast iron is also an excellent material as it helps to retain a good amount of heat.
However, when compared with stainless steel, cast iron turns out to be more vulnerable to rusting. Hence, they are coated with porcelain or enamel to make them last longer. The coatings reduce the need to cure the material to protect it from the outdoor elements that cause rusting.
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