How do you keep Stainless Grates and Grille itself clean?


 
Seth G in Indiana

Seth G in Indiana

New member
Okay so I just bought a S-345 from Costco. Love the grill. Used it 3 times so far and want to keep on top of cleaning it. I have the outline marks from the protective plastic over the stainless after install to clean in addition to cleaning up after cooking. I bought a stainless cleaner but it is a cleaner and a polish and I don’t like the polish due to the residue it leave.

What do you guys use to keep your stainless wipes down?

Is there something special I need to do to make it so the food doesn’t stick to the stainless grated so bad?

Sorry if these are newbie questions but I truly love this grill and want it to last for a long, long time.

Thank you so much for your help.
 
Hey Seth,
Welcome to TVWBB! No bad questions here. We are all in it to learn and share. While many of us are very loyal fans of the older "classic" Genesis grills, I will be quick to say that you got a sharp, powerful Weber grill. Keep an eye on the painted metal and try to keep your grill out of rain and humidity as much as possible.

First, my recommendation to clean your stainless rod grates is a Chargon. It may look like a pain to use, but really doesn't take that long. I don't anything else will so as good a job on a rod type grate.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00UI1X0L2/tvwb-20

I would then say that you may need to set your sights a little more realistically. Your grates aren't supposed to stay sparkling, shiny silver;). That's just to get you to buy! No, you don't want caked on old food, but the dark seasoning that will be left behind after you use a Chargon is part of what helps your grates not stick. As long as you pre-heat your grill, there is nothing to worry about.

I use Crisco spray oil for grills a little before I put the food on. It works, but I admit it is a lazy and messier way to keep your food from sticking. The professional way is to directly rub oil on them. Less mess that gets into your grill. Sometimes you can use excess fat cutoffs from your meat. If you pick up a grate lifter tool, you could also spray them with Crisco (or Pam) grill spray with them removed from the grill and avoid getting the spray in the insides of your grill.

Best wishes on years of great grilling! Post a picture of your grill when you can.

p.s. Where in Indiana are you? I am moving from South Florida in June to a very small town (Quincy/Cloverdale area) west and a little south of Indianapolis.
 
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+1 on the Chargon for getting the gunk off of the grates. Yah, your grates will not look shiny after a few cooks and that's perfectly fine, just think of them as being seasoned. If you really want to keep them looking nice then a pressure washer and Member's Mark Oven and Grill Cleaner should do the trick.
 
Jon Tofte said:
Hey Seth,
Welcome to TVWBB! No bad questions here. We are all in it to learn and share. While many of us are very loyal fans of the older "classic" Genesis grills, I will be quick to say that you got a sharp, powerful Weber grill. Keep an eye on the painted metal and try to keep your grill out of rain and humidity as much as possible.

First, my recommendation to clean your stainless rod grates is a Chargon. It may look like a pain to use, but really doesn't take that long. I don't anything else will so as good a job on a rod type grate.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UI1X0L2/?tag=TVWB-20

I would then say that you may need to set your sights a little more realistically. Your grates aren't supposed to stay sparkling, shiny silver;). That's just to get you to buy! No, you don't want caked on old food, but the dark seasoning that will be left behind after you use a Chargon is part of what helps your grates not stick. As long as you pre-heat your grill, there is nothing to worry about.

I use Crisco spray oil for grills a little before I put the food on. It works, but I admit it is a lazy and messier way to keep your food from sticking. The professional way is to directly rub oil on them. Less mess that gets into your grill. Sometimes you can use excess fat cutoffs from your meat. If you pick up a grate lifter tool, you could also spray them with Crisco (or Pam) grill spray with them removed from the grill and avoid getting the spray in the insides of your grill.

Best wishes on years of great grilling! Post a picture of your grill when you can.

p.s. Where in Indiana are you? I am moving from South Florida in June to a very small town (Quincy/Cloverdale area) west and a little south of Indianapolis.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the suggestions. I am in Northern Indiana. About 20 min south of the Michigan state line. Just outside of South Bend, Indiana.
 
Seth, welcome!

I have never been successful with oiling or seasoning my stainless steel grates before cooking, and I've tried since 2002! I use PAM on anything that sticks...pork tenderloin, boneless skinless chicken breasts, veggies, sometimes on lean burgers.

virtualwebergasgrill.com

How To Prevent Foods From Sticking To Grates - The Virtual Weber Gas Grill

There’s nothing more frustrating than foods that stick to the grate. We’ve dealt with this subject numerous times on The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board…a new Weber owner is about to kick his $700 gas grill to the curb in frustration because no matter what he tries, everything seems to stick! In my...
virtualwebergasgrill.com virtualwebergasgrill.com
 
+1 on the Chargon tool for cleaning the grates and I do what others do an that is to spray some cooking oil on the meat before I drop it on nice, pre-heated grates. I find that getting the grates heated up nicely before dropping the food on helps with keeping it from sticking as well.
 
Personally I have found if you buy really high quality brushes (I prefer Libman) and change them often there really is no issue and they clean much quicker. I also follow up with a wet towel which steams off anything else and serves to pick any remaining possibility of a loose bristle
 
Welcome Seth,

As far as oiling your grates, my family and I have switched to cooking with only Avocado/ Coconut oil for the health reasons and the fact that they don’t burn at higher temps. I usually pour some in a cup and use tongs and a paper towel to spread a liberal amount on my grates. No issues of sticking on my Genny or my kettle.

As cleaning goes I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Chargon tool and plan to invest in one but have yet too. Another option if you really want to get serious you could hit them with some Bar Keepers Friend and some elbow grease and they will probably shine back up. But personally I’m of the mind set of if you clean off the major chunks of food the rest is just cosmetic.
 
Nick, I remember 20 years ago, coconut oil was the poison of the oil world. Basically, every movie theater was using it for popcorn and some study came out about it being so bad for your that virtually all of them switched to something else as did most other commercial users. Now, somehow is has become the new Olive Oil.
 
Ya it’s funny how a few “scientific studies” and a ton of corporate money can sway the mindset of so many. We mainly use Avocado oil for the ease that it stays in a liquid form at room temp.
 
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I'm an enthusiastic chargon user as well. The video below tells all about its advantages and shows it in action.

There's no doubt a brush is slightly faster than a chargon. BUT on a normal sized 2 to 4 burner weber grill using the chargon to clean the grates literally takes 1-2 minutes. Personally I can spare an extra few seconds for a tool that is both safer and saves money (because it doesn't ever wear out) vs a standard wire brush.

I'll also add that I never oil or spray the grates. And I never have a problem with sticking? It might be because I cook enough foods that are fatty so my grates stay seasoned naturally.

 
Welcome, we as said are learning here.
To clean grates, I use what my Dad used overc45 years ago, a weed digging tool from your local garden center cheap and works well 5 to 7 bucks. ACE calls it a steel weed cutter 6.99.
 
That would be a poor mans Chargon. THe chargon has a U shaped grove which matches the grill rod shape.
 
Thanks Bruce, looks that has some what a “blade” style edge. Will this damage the grate rods?
 
Pretty tough to damage stainless steel. The Chargon is stainless steel as well. You can use that weed digger, but it isn't going to work as good as a real Chargon.
 
I only brush my SS grates to get rid off the rough stuff. I actually want a brown patina on my grates. This patina works like an anti stick surface. Shiny grates tend to stick.
 
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