Kitchen Tips & Tricks
Grill Cleaning and Maintenance: The Best Guide
Family gatherings in the weekends are best enjoyed around barbecues; but in order to get the best out of this experience, a clean and a properly functioning grill is a must! Despite what you might think, this task isn’t that hard, especially if you follow these easy guidelines!
Cleaning the grill
1- Clean after use immediately!
Clean after use immediately!
Always make sure to clean all areas of your grill immediately, including the smokers, after using it to easily remove food residue and bacteria. But before touching it, leave to cool to avoid burning your hands. If you’re using a charcoal grill to barbeque, make sure that the coals have completely cooled down.
2- Scrub the grilling grates
Using a wire bristle brush is the best way to get rid of food residue on the grilling grates. Scrub well before washing them. Remove and soak them in a big bucket of hot water and white vinegar. This will facilitate the washing; use any dish soap with a steel wool pad to remove any remaining debris. Rinse well.
3- Clean inside the grill
If you’re using a charcoal grill, sweep the ashes and remove the remaining coals then scrape it well to get rid of the food grease then wipe with a wet damp cloth. If you have a gas, propane grill or an electric grill, remove the tray underneath the grilling grates. Scrape well and wash.
Maintaining the grill
1- Check it regularly
This applies mainly to the gas grill; check the gas line to make sure that there is no leakage. Then turn the fire on to check that the burner tubes aren’t blocked.
2- Cover your grill
An essential part of grill maintenance is to cover your grill when not using it, many grill models come with their own covers. If not available, make your own either with an old bed cover or a big plastic wrap.
Make sure to follow this grill guide regularly to prolong the lifespan of your grill.