Grilling season is here again, allowing you to grill every burger, steak, or veggie in your way. We’re here for all of it!
Like every other kitchen utensil, a grill–whether charcoal, gas, or flat-top–must be appropriately maintained. A well-maintained grill offers food safety, better flavor, and longevity. There is a proper way to use and clean your grill to ensure it makes tasty and healthy foods. This article will reveal more about this.
Pre-grilling checklist
Before using your grill, create a pre-grilling checklist. It’s easy to forget all that you’re supposed to do before grilling, but this checklist will remind you of the steps you must take for efficient and safe grilling.
Clean your grill and remove any adhering debris.
For a routine clean, use a metal scraper or a grill brush to remove any debris, and then wipe with a moist cloth or paper towel.
Oil your grates or grill tray.
Doing this prevents food pieces from sticking to the grill. Removing food stuck to a grill may damage your grates, and sometimes, it becomes too difficult to remove debris if you have left it for a while. The best defense is a good offense. You can stop things from getting this bad by preventing food from sticking to the grill in the first place.
Temperature control.
Test your grill’s temperature control to confirm if it is working well. Being unable to control the temperature could damage your grill and affect the food you’re cooking.
Safety precautions.
Last but not least, ensure you have a handy and working fire extinguisher. If the unpredictable happens, you want to ensure you can contain the situation as quickly as possible.
Grilling techniques
The grilling technique of any food depends on the food itself. Still, there are general rules that apply.
When using a grill, it is important to consider the placement and spacing of the food. This allows even heat circulation and proper cooking for each food. Also, pay attention to the cooking time of the food you’re making, and don’t flip it too often. Temperature control and monitoring are key in making the best grills.
Post-grilling routine
Apart from eating, part of your post-grilling routine should include cleaning your grill. For that, here is the equipment you would need.
- A grill brush: As the name suggests, this tool will help to brush off any adhering particles from your grill and grates.
- A scraper: If your grill brush doesn’t reach the mark, a scraper will do just fine.
- Long-handled tongs: Sometimes, it can be difficult to retrieve pieces of food that have fallen off the grill tray into the grill, especially if it is a charcoal grill. This tool helps with that.
- Heavy-duty sponge: After clearing your grill tray, you need a sponge that can wash it efficiently.
- Grease-removing solution or soap: This helps to remove grease and other dirt from your grill.
- Cleaning cloth: Use this to dry off any moisture from your grill after washing it.
- Rubber gloves: Cleaning your grill can be a messy process. Protect your hands from that mess.
Cleaning your grill has two parts: the routine cleaning, which comes after each use, and the deep clean, which is an occasional, total clean.
How to clean a gas grill
Heat your grill to loosen up the grime on the grates. Allow it to cool for some time and scrape off all debris while still warm. When it has cooled completely, use a damp paper towel to wipe the grates.
Scrape the grates with a grill brush or scraper for a deep clean. Submerge the grates in a bowl of soapy water and let them soak for half an hour.
Use your grill brush to remove grease and residue from the grill’s lid and burner tubes. Then, remove the bottom pan and wash it with warm soapy water (warm water makes it easier to remove grease).
Moisten your cleaning cloth with water before wiping the grill’s interior and sides. By now, your grates should be done soaking and ready for washing.
Using the sponge, wash your grates thoroughly until it is clean. We recommend going over the process twice. Afterward, wipe it with a clean, dry cloth.
How to clean a charcoal grill
When ash accumulates, it can block your grill’s air vents, affecting its working condition. Empty the ashes and then scrape out the grease trap. Use a grill brush to clean the grates and wipe it down with a clean cloth or paper towel.
The Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill is one of Amazon’s highly-rated storage grills. But this doesn’t mean it doesn’t require deep cleaning. Deep cleaning your charcoal grill is very crucial to ensure the longevity of your grill. After scraping off food residues, soak the grate in warm, soapy water for about an hour. If you cannot find a container large enough, use a bin bag or a plugged sink.
Afterward, use a reliable sponge to scrub through the grates until it is clean.
Brush off food particles from the grill’s bottom and lid. Next, use a piece of cloth and soapy water to wipe it down. Rinse with another piece of cloth and clean water, repeating the process a few times until it is completely clean.
Allow the parts of the grill to dry, or wipe it with a dry cloth. Finally, clean the grill’s exterior with paper towels or a rag.
How to clean a flat-top grill
A flat-top grill looks like a griddle but does not have grates, making it the easiest grill to clean. After removing debris and food particles, use warm, soapy water to wash the grill and rinse it with warm water. Use a dry, clean rag to clean off any moisture.
A deep clean for a flat-top grill is not always necessary, but your grill will surely benefit from it. Remove all debris from the grill. Allow the grill to warm up a bit before scraping off grease lumps. When it cools, use a sponge and warm, soapy water to wash it thoroughly.
Once it is clean, pat it dry with a dry cloth to prevent rusting due to moisture.
Tip: Use baking soda and some water to create a paste that removes tough grime.
Why you should clean your grill
Grime and adhering debris affect your grill’s performance by interfering with heat circulation, leading to uneven or poor cooking. Moreover, since bacteria and mold are attracted to the debris and grime on your grill, you put yourself at more risk of health-related problems like food poisoning when you use your grill without cleaning it.
When meat fat is incinerated, it leaves behind carcinogens that could harm you and also flame up to cause a fire hazard. For tasty and healthy foods, clean your grill. It only requires a few simple steps anyway.
Maintenance tips
To simplify your routine and deep cleaning, here are three maintenance tips you should swear by–okay, just kidding. But for real, these are important.
- Invest in a good grill cover to protect your grill from harmful elements when not in use. This is particularly important if you use an outdoor grill. Durable covers with venting are the best because they last longer, and the vent helps to keep out moisture and eventual rusting.
- Next, oil your grill after cleaning it…yes, after. Doing this extends your grill’s shelf life and protects it from corrosion.
- Lastly, if you notice parts of the metal coming off while you clean, it means those grates have to go.
Frequently asked questions
Should I clean my grill when it is hot or cold?
Remove clumps of grease and debris while it is still warm. But give it a thorough cleaning only after it has cooled down.
How long will it take to clean my grill?
Routine cleaning can take up to ten minutes, but a deep clean takes an hour or two.
I don’t have a grill brush. What should I do?
Crumple up a large sheet of aluminum foil into a ball. Its rough edges should make it a good enough make-shift grill brush.
Bottomline
The diversity and numerous possibilities of what you can grill are almost endless. Using your grill the proper way will go a long way in helping you make the most delicious meals. One secret to perfect grills is a clean grill. For longevity and optimum function, it is important you clean your grill regularly and give it a deep clean every now and then. You can protect your health and tastebuds by following the guide in the article.
