New
BBQ Grill Cleaning Why It Is Necessary

BBQ Grill Cleaning Why It Is Necessary

Cleaning your grill is one of the necessary essential things you can do to ensure that your barbecue meals are healthy.  Too often people forget to remove the charred bits of meats and vegetables left on the grill units.  Almost every producer and manufacturer suggests that you follow a strict cleaning regimen.  It's always best to review you manufacturer's manual for the best tips and information toward cleaning your grill.  In most cases using the high "burn" method will get the process started.  Please follow our methods below or add them to your grill cleaning process.

Grill Cleaning your Barbecue

For a gas grill: turn all burners to "high," close the lid, and let the grill run for 15 minutes. This will cook off most of the debris on the grill. Afterward, use a long-handled grill brush to scrub the grate while it's still hot.

For a charcoal grill: Scrub the grate with a long-handled grill brush while the grill is still hot. When the grill has cooled, empty the ash pan into a fireproof bag and discard.

What to Watch Out For When Grill Cleaning

If using cleaning fluids always ensure that the fluids have been washed off or completely dried before placing the grate over high heat.

Why Clean Your Grill?

We've been grilling for more that 40 years now and making sauce and seasonings for at least 20 years and in that time we've been asked at least a hundred times should you clean your grill?  Each time we get the question we ask a reverse question to the asker...what would cause your meat's flavor to change?  It's at that point that we generally see the light go on in their faces.  What causes a change to the meat and the taste of the food.  Meat flavor can change in many ways and if you leave carbonized bits of the last barbecue on the grill these bits will become harder and harder and will char under the meat.  Not to mention the fact that as the quantity of charred meats builds up under the meat and on the grill rods or beams they will create temperature differences on the metal with the end result being uneven cooking and longer grilling periods.  

Some say they will actually add some charcoal lighter fluid to the grill rods then light them on fire to burn off the charred bits of meat leftover.  They will get a nice visual blaze but unfortunately I tell them they really haven't solved the problem.  In fact in most cases they've created a second problem to which they are unaware. The second problem is the smell transfer that occurs when when meat is grilled and charred on these rods.  The first problem is that most times the fire does not completely burn off all the charred bits of meat.  

What's the Best Way to Clean The Grill?

The best possible way to clean the grill is the good old fashioned elbow grease way.  It means taking a wire brush or soap pad and working each and every grill rod to ensure that all meats and oils have been removed.  It means taking the grill plate out of the grill and cleaning it in sunlight to ensure you're able to see each and every area of the grill plate for cleaning.  Sometimes I will at first use a light cleaning solution that is spray on or like a spray for cleaning an oven.  The oven cleaner is very harsh but what I do not do is clean that then put the grill plate back on the grill.  I follow the spray grill cleaner with a light soap and water mix afterward I will allow the grill plate to dry.  I will wash the grill plate two to three times to ensure that it's fresh and clean.  

So cleaning the grill plate is about ensuring that the taste of the meat is not changed with charred bits of left over meat.  In addition there's not transfer of unwanted cleaning fluids or meat that might not have cooked thoroughly and can create illness.  We believe by grill cleaning the old fashioned way you'll notice a cleaner fresher taste on your grilled meat and vegetables.  



Ask a question about this item
Product 4/63

This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 21 September, 2017.