Cooking Article

How do I prepare my grill for spring?

Be sure to clean spider webs out of the venturi tubes as described below.

You may open your grill in the spring and find remnants of the meal you cooked on it last season. Don't worry. According to Howtocleananything.com
cleaning the grill is actually easier than most people realize
and you can usually forego the brushes
dirty sink and elbow grease if you start the day before you need the grill. However
use the following method only after checking with your owner's manual. Some manufacturers warn against using oven cleaner on any part of their grill.
Lay a plastic bag on the ground
followed by a newspaper
then lay your grill on top of the newspaper. Spray liberally with an oven cleaner
and cover with another layer of moist newspaper. Follow this with another plastic bag and weigh down the edges so the whole mess doesn’t end up in your neighbors yard. Now instead of scrubbing and scouring
just let the oven cleaner do the work for you overnight. The next day
remove the grill and place all the saturated newspaper into one of the garbage bags. Wear gloves and follow all of the manufacturers safety precautions whenever working with caustic cleaners
such as oven cleaner. Rinse the grill thoroughly
and then wash off any remaining oven cleaner residue with some soapy water. Rinse again
coat with a light brushing of vegetable oil
and you're ready to go!
It is a good plan to fire up your barbeque for 30 to 45 minutes on High temperature to sanitize everything before the first use of the season.

How do I season the cooking grids for the first time?

For a new grill
you need to burn off the protective oils that are applied by the manufacturer by running the grill on high for about 30 minutes. After the grill cools
coat the grids with a vegetable oil spray and run for 30-45 minutes on high. This will draw the oil into the grids and prevent foods from sticking.

How do I clean the cooking grids?

As soon as the food is removed from the grill
brush the grills with a grill brush for about 10 seconds. If you have porcelain-coated grills make sure you only use a brass bristle brush
never scraping the grill with the scraper that is usually attached to most brushes.

Then turn off the grill immediately. After the grill has cooled down spray vegetable oil
such as Pam
liberally on the grill (this should also be done before you light the grill each time as well). What this does is loosen whatever food is stuck to the grill
knocking it into the bottom of the grill where it will be incinerated the next time the grill is pre-heated.

Turning the grill on high for ten minutes will emulate a self-cleaning oven
but that is like using your grill twice. Of course you may forget you are burning off your grill
and it can easily be left on for 30 minutes or more. This puts your grill through the same stress as using it 3 or 4 times
meaning you will need to purchase new parts
or even a new grill
much sooner than you should have to.

If you feel you just must burn off your grill
once a month won't really hurt anything
but religiously brushing for 10 seconds as soon as you're done cooking and keeping the grills well oiled is all anyone should have to do.

To help make the grill easier to keep clean
don't apply tomato based sauces until the last few minutes before the food is removed from the grill. Marinade and baste the food with vinegar
citrus or soy-based mixtures to help make clean up easier.

How do I clean the burner?

You will from time to time have to clean the burner to keep the burner holes clean. The flame coming from the burner should be blue
if the flame is orange or red you may need to replace or clean the burner. At this time you should also check the gas supply (venturi) tubes to be sure that there are no obstructions. If you use your barbeque heavily you may want to spray a food safe organic cleaner or degreaser and let it sit for a while and hose the entire barbeque off. And for safety sake on your BBQ
you should only open the propane tank valve half a turn. It will work just as well and if there is ever an emergency
you can shut off the gas in an instant!

How do I clean the inside of my grill?

Remove the cooking grids. Using a soft brass wire brush
clean loose debris from casting sides and insides of the lid. Scrape sear plates with a putty knife or scraper
and use a wire brush to remove ash. Remove sear plates and brush debris off of burners with a brass wire brush. Brush all debris from inside the grill into the drip pan. Accumulated grease can cause a fire hazard. Do not line the drip pan with aluminum foil
as it can prevent the grease from flowing properly. The pan should be scraped out with a putty knife or scraper
and all the debris should be scraped into the disposable grease tray. This tray should be replaced every two to four weeks
depending on gas grill usage. For supplies
see your dealer.

How do I clean the outside of my grill?

Do not use abrasive cleaners to clean any painted
porcelain or stainless steel parts. Porcelain enamel components must be handled with additional care. The baked on enamel finish is glass like
and will chip if struck. Touch-up enamel is available from your dealer. Exterior grill surfaces should be cleaned while warm to the touch
with warm soapy water.

How do I clean the stainless steel parts of my grill?

According to the Specialty Steel Industry of North America
stainless steel needs to be cleaned for aesthetic considerations and to preserve corrosion resistance. Stainless steel is protected from corrosion by a thin layer of chromium oxide. Oxygen from the atmosphere combines with the chromium in the stainless steel to form this passive chromium oxide film that protects from further corrosion. Any contamination of the surface by dirt
or other material
hinders this passivation process and traps corrosive agents
reducing corrosion protection. Thus
some form of routine cleaning is necessary to preserve the appearance and integrity of the surface.

Like any surface that is exposed to the environment
stainless steel can get dirty. Dirt and soil can consist of accumulated dust and a variety of contaminates that come from many sources
ranging from the wind to everyday use. These contaminates will vary greatly in their effect on appearance and corrosivity and ease of removal. Frequently
warm water with or without gentle detergent is sufficient. Next in order are mild non-scratching abrasive powders such as typical household cleaners. These can be used with warm water
bristle brushes
sponges
or clean cloths.

Ordinary carbon steel brushes or steel wool should be avoided as they may leave particles embedded on the surface which can lead to RUSTING. For more aggressive cleaning
a small amount of vinegar can be added to the scouring powder. Cleaning should always be followed by rinsing in clean hot water. When water contains mineral soldis
which leave water spots
it is advisable to wipe the surface completely with dry towels.

Fingerprints and Stains - Fingerprints and mild stains resulting from normal use are the most common surface contaminates. Fortunately
these usually affect only appearance and seldom have an effect on corrosion resistance. They are easy to remove by a variety of simple cleaning methods. Fingerprints are probably the most troublesome marks to remove from the surface of smooth polished or bright finished stainless steel. Fortunately
they can be removed with a glass cleaner or by gentle rubbing with a paste of soda ash (sodium carbonate) and water applied with a soft rag. Once again
this should be followed by a thorough warm water rinse.
For more stubborn stains see the Specialty Steel Industry of North America's web site.

How do I clean the aluminum parts of my grill?

This is the beauty of cast aluminum...all you have to do is hose it down. About once a year
take some detergent soap that you would use to wash your automobile
and wash your aluminum grill. With die cast grills
you can leave it outdoors all year round
regardless of the climate. (taken from outdoor-patio-furniture.info)

How do I clean spider webs out of my venturi tubes?

If you notice that your grill is getting hard to light or that the flame isn't as strong as it should be
take the time to check and clean the venturis. See our pictures at www.gasgrillsnow.com/GasGrillHowTo.htm.

In some areas of the country
spiders or small insects have been known to create "flashback" problems. The spiders spin webs
build nests
and lay eggs in the grill's venturi tube(s)
obstructing the flow of gas to the burner. The backed-up gas can ignite in the venturi behind the control panel. This is known as a flashback
and it can damage your grill and even cause personal injury.

Shut off
then disconnect the gas supply to your grill. Disconnect then tilt the burner down below your control panel. Run a long handled pipe cleaning brush back and forth in the venturi tubes as pictured below. Reconnect the venturi tubes and gas supply.