You’ve got a beautiful piece of salmon on the grill. But when you try to take it off, it sticks to the grates and it breaks apart. You can prevent this food tragedy by cleaning and oiling your grill before or after each use. By doing so, you’ll be able to flip food more easily and create those stunning grill marks that make food look so appetizing. Learn how to properly clean and oil a grill grate with these tips.
Cleaning Your Grill Grates
Before you oil your grill grates, it’s important to brush off any burned food particles that might be left from the last time you barbecued.
The easiest way to do this is with a premium nylon grill brush. A brush with Cool-Clean Technology™ — like one from Char-Broil® — is best. It allows you to clean off your grates without turning the grill on.
Simply scrub the grates until all burned food is removed.
Once you’re done, you’re ready to move on to oiling the grates.
Oiling Your Grill Grates
Oiling your grill grates prevents food from sticking to your grill. Here’s how to do it:
When Your Grill is Hot
1. Dip a bunched up paper towel into a high-heat cooking oil (such as Canola oil, olive oil or peanut oil). Be careful not to saturate the paper towel. You want enough oil on it to coat the grill grate, but you don’t want it dripping everywhere.
2. Using an oven mitt and tongs, carefully wipe the paper down on the grill grate.
When Your Grill is Cold
1. You can also apply the same high-heat cooking oil (Canola, olive, peanut) when the grates are cold. Cover the grates with the oil and remove the excess with a paper towel.
2. Light your grill and let it burn until the oil on the grates starts smoking or burns off.
When to Oil Your Grill Grates
Char-Broil coats its cast-iron grates with porcelain to prevent them from rusting. It’s recommended that you preheat new grates made with stainless steel or porcelain-coated cast iron before using them for the first time. This will remove any processing residue.
You should always oil your grates before or after each use for best cooking results.
