Cleaning Your Grill 101
by Joe · 33 things on Twos
- When it comes to cranking out the best hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, a clean grill is essential. Listed below are Feltman's Coney Island's favorite tips to get the grill sparkling clean.
- Choose Your Cleaning Equipment...Wisely
- Nothing beats a long-handled wire brush, a five-gallon bucket, and some elbow grease.
- Avoid using toxic chemicals to clean your grill since they can leave an undesirable taste on the food you're grilling.
- Instead, all you need is some warm water, grease-cutting dish soap, and a simple concoction made of white vinegar and baking soda.
- Plus, if your grill has a stainless steel outside, a good stainless steel cleaner can add that extra shine.
- Light Her Up
- To clean a gas grill, start by firing up the grill, closing the hood, and letting it come to full temperature.
- Wait at least 30 minutes for the extreme temperature to burn away any sticky food or grease.
- Next, dip the wire brush into a bucket of warm, soapy water and scrub off all the gunk from the grates.
- Then turn off the gas, and disconnect and remove the propane tank.
- Let the grill cool completely.
- Get It Soapy
- Once the grill is cool, remove all the grates and flavor bars and totally submerge them into a tub of warm, soapy water.
- Let them soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove anything else from the grill that you can easily take off, such as burner-control knobs, warming racks, and grease trays.
- Scrub, Scrub, and Keep Scrubbing
- While everything is out (including the propane tank) and soaking, use this as your opportunity to clean the firebox.
- We recommend a putty knife to scrape away the gunk, and a hose to wash it all away.
- After the grates and panels have soaked, take them out and scrub them with the wire brush.
- For really stubborn gunk, mix a paste of white vinegar and baking soda and apply it directly to the worst caked-on food bits.
- Rinse all surfaces clean, making sure to thoroughly dry cast-iron grates to avoid rusting.
- The Final Touches
- Empty the bucket of dirty water, and then refill it with clean soapy water.
- Scrub down the entire outside of the grill using a large kitchen sponge.
- Be aware the steel wool, metal sponges, and coarse scouring pads can cause scratches, so avoid using them on the finished outer surfaces.
- After washing the outside of the grill, use micro-fiber towels to it wipe down and dry all surfaces.
- Once everything is clean and dry, reassemble your grill back to its original state.
- Finally, reconnect the propane tank, shut the hood, and fire up the grill.
- We like to let it heat for at least 15 minutes, then turn it off.
- This firing will help burn off any remaining cleaning solution, season the cast-iron grates, and serve as confirmation that you reassembled everything properly.
- Enjoy your freshly cleaned grill. Happy grilling season!