Grill Cleaning Tips and Hacks

July is National Grilling Month so I decided to pass on a few tips to keep your grill in tip top shape. Since this weekend is July 4th, many part time BBQ chefs will try to fire up their neglected grills. I suspect those grills are not in the best shape and need a little love. The performance of your grill can diminish over time if has not been maintained properly. Low temperatures, uneven heat, hot spots and food sticking to grates are all possible side effects of poor grill cleaning and maintenance.

Most of the year I use my grill at least two times a week. I try to keep my grill clean and ready to go. I give my Weber a thorough cleaning in the spring and fall and also follow these tips from Weber.com monthly. I also have provided 10 grilling hacks to help you become a grill master. So get out there, clean up your grill and cook up some great food this weekend.

Happy Grilling!

Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Burger

Grill Cleaning and Maintenance Tips:

1. Wipe the outside of the grill lid with a paper towel and cleaner (glass cleaner for porcelain-coated lids and stainless steel cleaner for stainless steel lids). If your grill is stainless steel, you’ll get the best results by buffing with the grain, not against, using a microfiber towel.
2. Clean side tables with a microfiber towel and stainless steel cleaner. Again, make sure to buff with the grain. If your tables are made of theromset plastic, use a mild dish detergent and warm water instead.
3. Cleaning a cook box may seem tricky, but it’s actually extremely simple and can have a big impact on the way your grill performs. When your grill is completely cool, carefully remove your cooking grates and Flavorizer bars. Then, using a stainless steel grill brush, brush all excess grease and debris from inside the cook box into the bottom tray. From here, it will be easy to discard.
4. It’s a good practice to burn off any food residue left on your grill by turning all your burners to high for 15 minutes before grilling. When your grill reaches these high temperatures, food debris will turn to ash, and will then be easy to brush off using a stainless steel bristle brush. Courtesy of Weber.com

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Grilling Hacks

1. Use an onion to clean and oil grill grates. Place 1 tbsp of oil in small bowl. Cut onion in half and soak cut side in oil. Use fork to rub onion on grill grates. Cleans and oils the grates and adds a nice flavor.
2. Bring marinated meat to room temperatures and pat dry before grilling. Excess marinade on meat will cause it to steam and not grill, even at high temperatures. Baste with sauce if needed.
3. Place meat on a platter covered with plastic wrap before bringing to the grill. After placing meat on the grill, remove plastic wrap. You have a clean platter ready to serve cooked meats.
4. Bring all meats to room temperature before grilling.
5. Make sure your grill is hot before starting.
6. KEEP THE LID CLOSED as much as possible to retain heat and create even cooking.
7. Brush sauces containing sugar on the meat the last five minutes of cooking. Keeps the sauce from burning.
8. Cook all meats to proper temperature. Nothing ruins a party like under cooked meats.
9. Check gas level before starting to grill. Keep and extra tank on hand. I have my grill hooked up to my homes natural gas so I never run out.
10. Sear meat on high direct heat then finish cooking meat on indirect heat to ensure moist even cooking.

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