Everyone enjoys eating grilled foods but the thought of cleaning and maintaining is usually terrifying. It’s understandable because a lot of food oil get stuck on grills and everyone hates washing off oil or grease; it can be really frustrating. Lets know about how to take care of the grills in this blog.
Contrary to what most people think, cleaning and maintaining grills isn’t as terrifying as it is thought to be. The only grill that will require some more effort to clean up would be the charcoal grill because of all the ash you’d have to deal with. Asides from that, you’d find there isn’t much to do. Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QyJGpYqrVY to learn more about charcoal grills.
Whichever type of grill you own, you should know that they should be cleaned out before and right after use. Also, you will need to carry out some thorough maintenance routine a couple times a year to keep it in peak form.
When grilling, a lot of oil and grease stick to grills and go rancid if left unattended to. It is therefore important to have them cleaned out. Sometimes, the grilling grates themselves may be clean but oil may still be at the bottom area of the grill. The next time you cook, those bad oil will vaporize and taint the taste of your food; they may also pose certain health hazards.
Cleaning Grates
A lot of people recommend leaving the grease on the grates after grilling and although it contradicts what was said earlier, you’ll find that this method makes more sense. So, to make this easier, imagine this scenario.
You’ve just finished cooking some nice steak and they are looking as yummy as they’ll ever be. You take it over to the table where your guests are seated and you’re reminded that you have to clean out the grates while its still hot. The truth is, you wouldn’t care less about the grates while the tantalizing aroma of that freshly cooked, steaming-hot steak plays around your nose.
By leaving the grates and tearing on your steak, you not only enjoy a well-cooked piece of meat, you also prolong the lifespan of the grates. Reason is that the grease from the previous use sticking on the grates saves it from rusting. So, the next time you’ll be having that outdoor dinner, you can clean it up before cooking again. If you get the point, these are the steps to take to clean your grates:
- Heat up the grill with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes to get the grease burnt off.
- Once the smoke clears out, turn off the heat and allow the grill to cool for a few minutes before scraping off any residue.
- Next, scrub the grate with a still brush.
- Lastly, using a clean damp cloth wipe the grate to get rid of any piece of metal from the bristles of the brush. Click here to learn more about grates.
Cleaning Deflector Plates
If you use your grill frequently, then you should clean the deflector plates at least once every month to continue preventing flare-ups. Despite not being the main cooking surface, these plates still collect grease over time and may become damaged if not taken care of.
Usually, a grill will come with instructions on how to care and maintain these plates but, if yours doesn’t have cleaning instructions, this simple process should help. First, take out the plates, and then using hot, soapy water, wash both sides of the plates with a sponge. Once you’re satisfied, allow them to air dry before replacing them.
How to Maintain Gas Grills
Gas grill maintenance should be done before, during, and after the grilling season, which essentially means you’d have to keep an eye on it throughout the year.
Before Season
Before grilling season, clean out the grill inside out and make sure to get rid of any spiderwebs because they’ll surely be there. Grills may flare-up if they are ignited without first getting rid of spiderwebs.
Once the cleaning is done, reconnect your gas tank if you use propane gas. To be sure there are no leakages from the hose, open the valve and pour some soapy water on the hose. If there is any leakage, you should see some bubbling around that part. If after careful inspection, there aren’t any bubbling, then the hose is most likely still in good shape. However, if you discover it leaks, you can easily order a new one from sites that sell barbecue grills online at affordable prices.
During Season
During grilling season, there isn’t much work to do as the grill will be in frequent use. Nonetheless, make sure to clean the grate before any cook out to prevent old grease from ruining the taste of your food.
After Season
Once the season is over clean every part of the grill thoroughly. You should start first by disconnecting the gas tank to be safe. Once that is done, scrub the grate and firebox with soapy water to get rid of any grease.
When you’re done cleaning, store the grill covered, to keep it from rust and any other corrosive element. Remember never to store the gas tank inside the house, a small shed behind the house should do just fine.
Conclusion
Taking care of your grill may not be easy but it’s still best to take care of them so that they will last long and you can enjoy using it whenever you crave for something that needs grilling.
