During the first part of the year, a tour of the garden allows us to contemplate the remains of the outdoor cooking activities of recent years. Often our grills are left out in the open, uncovered, and in many cases have seen much better days.
It’s this time of year that we start thinking about cooking our favorite food on the grill outside during the warmer months with our friends and family, but before we’re ready to start throwing charcoal and fire starters on the grill, it’s Time to shift our attention to cleaning our kitchen equipment so things start hygienically.
Barbecue cleaning methods
wire brushing
A stiff wire brush is a great help in cleaning your grill. Just give your rack a thorough scrub before and after each use. If you’ve used oil to coat your grill, cleaning the grill should be easy with just a brush. Brass-bristled brushes are especially good for cleaning porcelain-coated grills, as they won’t damage the porcelain.
grill stones
Grill stones are specially designed to help remove grease and stuck-on food from the grill. They look like a large pumice stone with a handle for easy scrubbing and is also an excellent heat carrier like volcanic rock, ceramic tile, etc. The main difference to a stone grill is that it has no holes and due to this feature it greatly reduces the chance of flare-ups and poor cooking. Grilling stones are capable of withstanding incredible heat, up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Grill stones are ideal for use on most grill shapes and sizes, as the stone’s design allows it to work with almost any grill format.
Burned
This is one of the most common methods for cleaning barbecue grills/grills. All you have to do is leave your barbecue on after cooking once you have removed all the food. Once you have done this for about a quarter of an hour, allow the grill to cool down for about 5 minutes and then use an old trowel or flat piece of metal and gently scrape both sides of the grill to remove any tough sticky residue. . Keep in mind that ceramic grills can be very easily damaged if too much force is applied with sharp objects, so be careful which tools you choose.
If you have an old metal kitchen utensil, such as an egg turner, these are ideal tools to make the job safer and easier.
However, you should be careful that the grill manufacturer does not prohibit this method lest you accidentally void your warranty.
Ensure your own safety if you use this method by wearing a pair of suitable oven mitts or special heat resistant gloves.
Soaking
If all else fails, letting your grill grates soak in warm water will help loosen stubborn dirt and food debris. This can be good for really cleaning the edges of the shelves, which are often difficult to scrub properly.
Grease the grill
A good way to reduce the pain of cleaning a barbecue is to prevent the worst of the residue from sticking to the grill in the first place. To do this, coat your grill with a layer of oil before you start cooking. This will help prevent food from burning and sticking to the grill and will also make cleaning up the grill much easier afterwards. Remember to only spray oil on a cold grill. If sprayed on a fire or a hot grill, the oil will ignite and could cause serious injury.
steam cleaning
If you use your barbecue several times throughout the year, why not invest in a steam cleaner? This will speed up the time needed to clean the barbecue after use and can be very effective; So if you’re fed up with scrubbing to remove barbecue residue, an investment in a steam cleaner can go a long way and save you time.
When you’re done cooking your food, soak an old newspaper in water and place it on top of your hot grill with the lid on tight. After about three quarters of an hour, open the lid and wipe out the residue. Don’t let the newspaper sit on the grill rack for too long, as it will dry out and create even more work for you.
Preventive measures to keep your barbecue clean
Using a cover on your barbecue
The number one way to help keep your barbecue clean is to simply buy or make a cover to put on your unit while it’s not in use. To give your barbecue some protection from the elements, it’s a good idea to cover it with a plastic sheet, or preferably a manufacturer’s cover that’s specifically designed to do the job right, as these generally have a tighter fit and are more effective.
During the winter months, you can also remove the grill and store it in a dry place, away from moisture and the elements. This will slow down the rate at which rust forms, and you will benefit most from doing it in conjunction with the lubrication method mentioned above.
This helps inhibit rust during the months when your barbecue is not in regular use.
The sheet “tray”
Now that you have the basics of cleaning your indoor grill, you should now turn your attention to cleaning the inside of your grill.
After several uses, there’s a fair amount of dirt left on the bottom that hasn’t particularly benefited from being outside in the elements. Over time, this buildup can become unsanitary and become an additional chore to deal with.
Charcoal grills suffer the most from this, and the best way to deal with this without breaking the bank is to first give the inside of the grill a good clean by removing any hard, dry residue first with an old dustpan and brush (something you of us should have it in the garage somewhere), and then remove any dirt stuck to the edges of the grill with general household cleaners. There are many barbecue-specific cleaners available, although these can cost two to three times as much as regular household cleaners. Feel free to try them, though from experience, regular cleaners get the job done adequately.
Just spray on a decent amount of the liquid and allow it to absorb properly for about 10 minutes, then gently scrape off the worst of the buildup with a plastic scraper. Once you’ve gotten this far, you’re ready to place on the kitchen foil.
Use good quality kitchen paper, the thicker the better, and line it in three layers and turn the edges to look like a tray. Place this in the bottom of your grill, and then add a layer of sand about a quarter inch deep. This will help soak up the grease and excess juices that run off the grill during cooking, and will make your life MUCH easier in the long run.
After several uses, simply remove the entire tray and discard. Quickly brush and wipe down the inside of the grill, and insert another of your homemade aluminum pans to keep your grill clean for future uses.
If you don’t mind spending a little extra money, you can use an aluminum catering pan and throw it away after a few uses… just use common sense and dispose of it when it looks like it’s past its prime.
Another tip you can try is to pour your leftover coffee back on the grill. Clean with a dry cloth. For a really good clean, spray the grill with your regular oven cleaner and leave it in a plastic garbage bag overnight. Hose down the next day and you should have a gleaming grill ready to go.
You can also add vinegar or dishwashing lotion to the water for extra cleaning power.
Another widely used grill cleaning method is to simply rub the grill in the sand. This will remove most of the fat etc. Once you have done this, hose down the grill. Depending on how caked the grill is, you may have to repeat this process 2-3 times, but it’s well worth the effort.
Gas taps often become difficult to use during the colder months, causing the plastic knobs to crack and, in the worst case, break. Remove the plastic knobs and spray the area with a light oil to loosen them. You can also try using a small amount of machine oil on each tap and then coating them with a light grease to prevent the oil from escaping.
If one or more of your burners do not produce a strong blue flame, you may have a clogged gas jet.
If you lift up the burner on the barbecue, you’ll see little brass nozzles called venturis. These are like a small raised walnut with a small hole through them. They can be simply removed with a small key. If you cannot clear the clog, buy new nozzles from a specialist supplier.
Insects tend to nest inside the venturis when not in use and the openings can become blocked. Use a venturi brush to clean the venturi openings. If you’re not going to be using your grill for a long time, consider using some venturi covers to keep something out.
Reconnect the gas supply and check the connections by coating them with a 1:1 mixture of dishwashing liquid and water. Any failure in the gas supply will be easily detected at this point and you will know that you will need to do something to fix it. You can start by tightening the connections or replacing the seals, and if this doesn’t work then you should replace the faulty unit per the manufacturer’s instructions or return it to your local service center.
Barbecues with wooden carts can be kept in good condition by re-greasing them once a year. All you have to do is lightly sand the cart with a high grit paper and then use a suitable furniture oil or specially formulated BBQ cart oil. This will not only absorb oil stains on the top of the cart, but will also help prevent new stains from forming.
Volcanic rocks also need care, if you use them. Be sure to clean or renew them every year, as they always get clogged with grease and oil. Remember to discard the old litter from the drip tray, wipe the tray clean and spray it with cooking oil before lining it with aluminum foil. Place fresh washed sand on top of the aluminum foil to help keep it clean.
If your volcanic rocks show signs of cracking you can replace them, you may consider replacing them with porcelain briquettes. These disc-shaped “rocks” are less porous than volcanic rocks and are considerably easier to keep clean.
If you live near the sea or in an area where the density of salty air is high, please note that you will need to take extra time and precautions to ensure that your grill is not unduly exposed to the elements which will invariably lead to component failure and rust. .
Wash the outer surface periodically with fresh water and dry immediately for best results.
