Cleaning racks

[Musky-Hunter]

Please tell me if I'm crazy and perhaps killing myself slowly. I don't understand the desire to "clean" a smoker. I do the best I can with the grates by brushing them with a wire brush, then wipe them down with paper towels (no water, soap, etc). The pan is always gross. I usually just wipe it out with paper towels requiring 1/2 roll or more. The pan has a cooked on layer of grease that is hard and crusty and just doesn't seam worth the effor to get off. As for the chamber, well lets just say its never been cleaned.

Am I the only one that doesn't see the need to "clean" a smoker?

[This message has been edited by Musky-Hunter (edited 09-17-2001).]

 

[Guest]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Rita Y:
Has anyone used EZ-Off oven cleaner on your racks? I suspect that it might affect the finish or corrode the nickel plating, but if I have to buy new racks every few years it'll be worth not having to spend and hour or two cleaning them after each cook
</font> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There's no reason you couldn't use oven cleaner. The racks in your home oven are basically the same nickel plated construction as the grill racks and they do just fine with oven cleaner. You could also use it on the porcelein water pan -- the inside of most ovens is porcelein coated.

Personally, I don't do much to grill racks except brush them off. Every few years, they are starting to get pretty tired anyway, so I just replace them.