Cast Iron Grates Flat or V side up?


 
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Dan Leighton

TVWBB Pro
Eleven years in with my gasser and after joining the forum, I wonder which side up for cast iron grates? My Genesis came with the v-side up vs. the flat side. Always have run it this way since. Wondering others preferences on the grates? How does this impact flare ups, etc. I know with the v-side up, I get narrower grill marks on steaks. Would love to hear how others position their grates.
 
I beleive they are intended to be flat side up, but like you, many have used them both ways. In fact, a lot of people just assume they are supposed to be V side up. I will be interested to see the responses by those who have the V shaped grates.
 
Well some of the grates have like raised dividers in the field bars going from right to left. IMO making them impossible to use this way because if you want to flip burgers or what have you your spatula will always be hitting those stupid dividers. Turn them over and you have a nice flat "flipping" surface. So it seems on those grates Weber has made the decision for you. On my Silver B CI grates they can be easily used either way and depending on what I am after I freely use them either way
 
It's even a controversy at Weber per one of the order reps I talk too. Like Larry said some are fine to use either way others not so fine. On my 2000 for the first fifteen years I had them skinny side up and now the wide side up. Why wide side up.... looks better:rolleyes:
 
Rich, we all know it is because you can't talk the wife into cleaning the other side of the grates.
 
I agree that it seems that Weber has made the newer grates with the idea that they be used flat side up. I am not as sure about the original cast iron grates. It certainly is up to each person’s preference, so you can’t really go wrong. I will just say that my own experience has pretty much sealed it for me that on the old cast iron I like how the pointed side sears better:

This is flat side up. The perforated aluminum is my experiment to make an alternative to GrillGrates that I labeled “LarryGrates”:

b7f052.jpg


Same set up but with pointy side up:

2s8nupk.jpg


I guess people would have different preferences even based on these pictures, but I just like the narrow sear marks better. What do you all think?
 
I never knew the answer to this, so I have always
flipped them after every two or three uses. I also
rotate the flavorizers at this time, to hopefully increas
their life span.
 
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