Make sure your next grilled meal is delicious with just a few simple steps

Whether you are a fan of cooking with a pellet grill, charcoal grill or gas grill, there is one thing that is inevitable — cleaning. Even though your grill can produce enough heat to burn off residue, it won’t get it all and the charred residue will affect the flavor of your next roast. So, with summer in full swing and even though it’s scorching hot outside, grilling enthusiasts won’t be held back.

While some people think that cleaning their grill is an absolute no-no because the seasoning adds flavor, it can also introduce bacteria into your next meal. Whatever’s left over from your last cook can breed bacteria or mold because it hasn’t been refrigerated and possibly because it wasn’t cooked all the way through. And who wants tonight’s steak to taste like last night’s fish? No thanks. So, whether it’s fish, steak, or even pizza, let’s make it all taste the way it should.

Failure to maintain a properly maintained grill can put you at risk for grease fires and prevent your outdoor cooking appliance from performing at its best. To ensure that every meal you prepare on your favorite grill cooks properly, tastes the way you want it to, and reduces the risk of illness, follow the steps below to get your grill shiny and clean for every barbecue.

How often should you clean your grill?

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to how often you should clean your grill. However, experts say a good rule of thumb is to deep clean your grill at least twice a year, with lighter maintenance cleaning after each use.

However, if you are someone who uses the grill as their primary cooking source, you may want to perform the deep cleaning cycle three or four times a year. If you use your outdoor cooking appliance sporadically or seasonally, you will want to deep clean it halfway through the season and then again before storing it.

How do you properly clean a grill?

1. Take it apart

Yes, that’s right. To thoroughly clean your grill, you’ll need to open it up and take it apart. But Please Make sure the grill is completely cold. Safety first. While you won’t be taking the grill completely apart, you will want to remove the cooking grates, any heat deflectors, and any grease or ash catchers and set those parts aside. And if your grill happens to have a removable firebox, remove that as well and set it aside with the other parts.

2. Start with the inside

Regardless of the type of grill you use, there will be some form of oil or grease that will coat the major parts of the inside of your grill. If you are using a pellet or charcoal grill, you will also find ash and condensed smoke that you will need to remove. If your grill has a built-in temperature probe, make sure to find and clean it so that it can continue to provide accurate temperature readings while you cook.

There are plenty of handy grill tools that can make cleaning a little easier. But things like a good putty knife are also good. I prefer a wooden scraper like this one from Amazon because it is less likely to scratch the grille, and gloves are some essential parts of a grill cleaning kit. Those gloves are also great for getting your food ready for your clean grill.

For your charcoal and pellet grills you want to remove all ash from the grill. I use this small shop-vac that does double duty to clean my truck. Not only does a vacuum get the job done much faster, but it also sucks up all the gunk you scraped off the rest of the grill.

As for the inside of your gas grill, you’ll want to clean the burner tubes. These are the metal tubes that have small holes in them and, when clogged, they prevent the propane from passing through. This results in uneven cooking temperatures and a greater risk of a grease fire. If it’s possible to easily remove the tubes from your grill model, do so. Then, gently scrub the tubes with a wire brush. Make sure to brush from the center of the tube outward, sideways (not up and down). Otherwise, you may push dirt into the tube or holes themselves instead of cleaning them out. When you do remove them, make sure to get rid of any dirt that may have gotten into the small holes.

3. Make the grids awesome

After you’ve reassembled your grill, it’s time to clean the grates. The easiest way to do this is to heat up your grill, then open the lid and give the grates a good scrub. Depending on the type of grate your grill has — cast iron, stainless steel, or porcelain — you’ll approach this part a little differently.

Stainless steel is not much to worry about and can be cleaned with a good wire brush. There is some debate on this topic though as some feel that a wire brush can leave behind some bristles. Therefore, you want to make sure you use a quality brush that is designed for cleaning a grill. I like something like this GrillArt Grill Brush and Scraper because it has a wire brush and a scraper for the harder bits.

Using a nylon brush can be safe for all types of grills, but it should be used on a cool grill and may not remove some of the more baked-on bits as easily. Cast iron grills can take a bit more of a beating than porcelain, but you’ll want to follow the same cleaning methods as you would for a cast iron skillet.

4. Keep it clean

Cleaning a dirty, greasy grill isn’t a fun process, but it’s necessary for the best outdoor cooking experience. There are a few things you can do to keep your grill cleaner longer, so you can extend the time between those dreaded scrubbing sessions.

While keeping the inside of your grill clean is an unavoidable task, you can minimize the mess on your grates. One option is to lightly oil the grates before cooking using a spray oil. I prefer avocado oil because it has a higher smoking temperature. Some say that using a sliced ​​raw onion on your grates before cooking can also help. You can also use a brush without bristles to clean anything that could ruin the cooking experience.

In addition to performing regular maintenance on your grill by thoroughly cleaning the grates after each cook, vacuuming the ash, and emptying the grease traps, it’s also helpful to use a good grill cover. This is especially true if you’re using a pellet grill and don’t like having to empty your hopper after every cook.