Right… now that you have purchased your shiny new gas grill and have used it for a couple of months already, there is another thing you should take note of. Maintenance! You need to maintain your gas grill. After all, you can’t expect it to work at 100% without taking care of its individual parts, cleaning and maintaining it?
Remember: Your gas grill is only as good as the parts inside. So if you find any rusty, dirty, leaking parts, obviously, your gas grill won’t be in optimum condition.
Some of the main reasons why you should clean your gas grill are to prevent your food tasting like last weekend’s BBQ grilled steak. The other reason is just for maintenance sake (which is obvious enough) and prevents further buildup of food particles, ash and grease which will obviously make your gas grill look disgusting over time. Here in this article, I will highlight some rather important information to help with your gas grill needs.
You will need a few things to help you do a good cleaning job:
- Soap and water
- Grill brush
- Non-stick cooking spray
- Oven cleaner
- Steel wool sponges
Here are some essential things to look at to maintain your gas grill.
Before Using
- Brush cooking grates to remove residue and dirt before grilling. Obviously you want a clean cooking surface!
- Before you start grilling, preheat your grill completely. Besides burning off residual food, it also disinfects your gas grill.
After Using
- Now that you are done grilling your fav chicken wings, turkey and mushrooms, it is time to do a good clean by turning on the heat to the maximum to remove remaining food, grease and drippings.
- Once you’re done with that cover your gas grill but make sure it has cooled down before doing that.
After several cycles of grilling (8-10 grilling sessions)
- Clean the drip pan of all the grease. Soak them in hot soapy water and get rid of all the grease. Give it a good rinse and then put it back.
- The cooking grates would not look yucky, greasy and black so it is obviously wise to clean them too. Soak them in hot soapy water and get rid of all the grease. Give it a good rinse and then put it back.
- Don’t forget the area or metal parts around the grates. Those things will inevitably collect grease, black charcoaled material so give it a good scrap and clean. If possible give it a hot soapy wash too.
- Don’t forget the grill cover especially beneath it. If possible remove it and give it a good clean off grease before attaching it back.
- Once you’re done with that, heat up your gas grill until there is minimal smoke coming out from it.
How To Clean A Gas Grill
To clean the gas grill burner is very important if the burner is to burn evenly and also to maintain a hygienic environment. The burner will have to be removed when it is being cleaned. The best tool to use at the initial stage of cleaning is a wire brush. This cleaning tool will help to remove any loose corrosion or excess residue on the exterior of the gas grill burner.
It is possible to have the gas holes clogged with dirt and this can be removed with the help of a paper clip that has been opened. Most of the grill burners come with venture tubes which can be cleaned using the venture brush, specially made for this kind of cleaning task.
Corrosion damage is almost inevitable with any gas grill burner. An inspection of the gas grill burner should be able to determine the extent of the corrosion in the burner assembly. One of the places on the gas burner that is most likely to have corrosion is on the seams. These are areas where the metal is folded over each other during manufacturing.
The seams are notorious for trapping grease and it here that the corrosion often starts. If the gas grill burner shows signs of uneven burning then an inspection of the burner’s holes may reveal clogged holes or openings. This should be cleaned out and the flaked parts replaced.
Annually
If your gas grill has lasted this long, good on you but if it hasn’t then it is either your gas grill isn’t good or you just didn’t bother maintaining it.
Assuming that you take good care of it, this is what you need to do.
- Replace the drip pan. By now it should be really greasy and sometimes cleaning won’t restore it to its original condition. There are gas grill accessories where you can purchase drip pans for your grill.
- Remove the cooking grates and give it a good thorough wash. A hot soapy wash would do. You probably have to soak it a while to give it a good clean. If it looks impossible to clean, get a new one.
- Don’t forget the interior of the gas grill. Give it a good clean wash.
- Next, check the burners. Make sure everything is out of the way to properly check the burners. Fire the burners up and check for even burning. If it isn’t burning evenly, there might be debris obstructing proper burning. To do this, you need to remove the affected burners from the grill and with a pipe cleaner or small wire push through the ports. If the wire is able to go through, it should be fine. Otherwise, repeat the cleaning step. Some models may require a different cleaning procedure. Just make sure you check it out before cleaning it yourself.
- Now that you’ve taken care of the inner parts, don’t forget the exterior. Give it a good rinse and soapy wash. You can do this under the sun for quick drying
- Once you’re done with this, fire your gas grill up to dry up all the internal parts.
If you’re happy with all that has been done to this stage, cover your gas grill. A good premium gas grill cover is a worthwhile assessment to prevent dust and the elements affecting it.
Store it carefully and you’re ready for your next grilling session!