Maintaining Grids
When it comes to barbecuing, maintaining grids is one of the most important things to do. There are many reasons to why that is. In this blog, we’ll explain why.
There are many different types of grids out on the market. However, there are three main ones that you can find in most North American barbecues. They would be stainless steel, cast iron, or porcelain enameled steel. Their qualities differ by quite a bit, maintaining grids like these require different ways to clean.
At Sun Country, we only carry stainless steel and cast iron grids as we find the porcelain enameled ones wear the fastest.
With all grids, it’s best to NOT burn off the excess food you have on your grid when you’re done cooking. The best practice to maintaining grills is when you are finished cooking – to take your food off right away and turn off the barbecue. Then scrap the grids down right away, rather than letting them “burn off.” The reason to this is that burning off the grids wears away at either the porcelain enamel or the burners of the barbecue. It’s easiest to clean them when the food is ready to come off – not burnt on.
In terms of keeping porcelain enameled grids clean, it is best to apply oil on the grids before you start cooking. Doing that, as well as not burning off anything helps with their longevity.
With Cast Iron grids, seasoning them with oil before use is key. You’d season them like you would a cast iron frying pan – coat the grids completely in oil before use and bake it on for about 30 minutes on a medium heat. That helps prevent food from sticking and the grids from rusting. Doing that once every six months to a year is important.
Stainless steel grids are easy to take care of as there is not much to them. Adding oil to the grids before cooking helps prevent food from sticking. They can be cleaned in most self-cleaning ovens or even in warm soapy water and a good bristle brush.
For more tips about maintaining your grids, please visit us at Sun Country today!