Is this a rust, and how dirty is grill before season start?
- Thread starter Mica-No
- Start date
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Definitely some rust on the grate. Hard to tell on the flavo bars. If you have one with "stainless steel" ones know Weber uses cheaper grade steel now (430 vs 304) so they will develop a "patina". However they will not likely "burn or rust" though within the guarantee period
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Honestly not trying to come across badly but you need to stop worrying. I can't say anything about the grates as I know nothing about those. But the bars are fine. They're not done in until they burn/rust through
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Cast iron grates are a lot of work. I think you can lightly wire brush off the beginnings of rust that you have and then season the cast iron like you would a skillet. Don’t leave them outside for long periods of non-use (like winter). They should be stored in a dry place if not used regularly. Keep them well covered with cooking oil.
It might be your best bet to look for decent (304) set of stainless rod grates to replace those. They will cost you a fair amount but then you can just relax and not worry about rust.
These are pricey but nice and thick stainless:
QuliMetal 18.7" SUS304 /9MM Cooking Grates for Weber Genesis II 400 and Genesis II LX 400 Series, Genesis II LX E-410, E-435, E-440, S-410, S-435, S-440 Gas Grills, Replacement for Weber 66089 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QPYS9X9/?tag=tvwb-20
Here is their 7mm version which is still decent:
It might be your best bet to look for decent (304) set of stainless rod grates to replace those. They will cost you a fair amount but then you can just relax and not worry about rust.
These are pricey but nice and thick stainless:
QuliMetal 18.7" SUS304 /9MM Cooking Grates for Weber Genesis II 400 and Genesis II LX 400 Series, Genesis II LX E-410, E-435, E-440, S-410, S-435, S-440 Gas Grills, Replacement for Weber 66089 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QPYS9X9/?tag=tvwb-20
Here is their 7mm version which is still decent:
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Thanks for tips to both!
Is it possible to use any kond of grates on any kind of grill? Once Weber told me on phone that I couldnt pit SS on genesis ii E-310. But I didnt get good explanaition why not. Here in Norway mostly (95%) sells as PCI grates, I dont get a reason why is like this.
Is it possible to use any kond of grates on any kind of grill? Once Weber told me on phone that I couldnt pit SS on genesis ii E-310. But I didnt get good explanaition why not. Here in Norway mostly (95%) sells as PCI grates, I dont get a reason why is like this.
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
You can use stainless grates on your Genesis II. They were sold with stainless grates on some models of the Genesis II. I love cast iron, but it is a lot of work, especially if you have cold and wet weather! I understand you can’t buy from US Amazon, but hopefully you can find some stainless options if you decide it is worth it to replace the cast iron ones you have now.
p.s. My last name - Tofte - is Norwegian. It is very rare here in the US but I understand more common in Norway. My family history is poorly documented, but I understand my ancestors who came from Norway chose to just stay in New York where they landed. Most immigrants of Scandinavian descent soon traveled on to our states of Minnesota and North Dakota - maybe because the cold climate there reminded them of home!
Steve Hoch
TVWBB Hall of Fame
Most of the grills here come with cast iron grates as well, the stainless steel ones are either part of a special edition grill or available as an upgrade. My grill came with cast iron grates that I upgraded to stainless a few years later because I didn't like the original ones.
John Burns
TVWBB Fan
Here in the US, the stainless steel cooking grates for a Genesis II E-310 are part # 66802. I'm not sure if they are available in Norway, but you could try reaching out to Norway Consumer Care to see what they have available. https://contact-emea.weber.com/hc/no/requests/new
Chris has posted how to deep clean Weber gas grills on the Virtual Weber Gas Grill site: Gas Grill Deep Clean
John Burns
TVWBB Fan
Here's an FAQ I wrote on cleaning the inside of a gas grill. #IworkforWeber
Just to second what John posted in the link above about Flavorizer bars and rust, I've been using stainless steel ones in my 2002 Summit since it was new and they do develop surface rust when exposed to direct flames from the burners. Stainless steel is not impervious to rust under these conditions, despite assumptions to the contrary.
Thanks, I did exactlly like described.
Only I think is better to wait after grilling for grates to cool down and then just wash then with soft nylon brush in sink, if needed scrape them with plastic scraper and then without any soap just gently wash them and dry them with the cloth. Put back and heat the grill to dry any moisture on grates.
This way you dont stay with black debrief after brushing. Plus that brush destroys apperently coating.
John Burns
TVWBB Fan
The procedure you've outlined is acceptable, and shouldn't cause any harm, but seems a bit overkill to me. My time is too valuable to spend so much of it trying to get cooking grates back to a "like new" condition. While I can appreciate that corrosion can be concerning, if it's minimal I tend to look the other way until or unless it begins to spread further, in which case I would file a warranty claim. A wire grill brush shouldn't damage the grates at all unless you're applying an excessive amount of pressure. We've done extensive testing here at Weber HQ of our grill brushes in conjunction with our porcelain enameled cast iron cooking grates.
My only other suggestion to offer would be to store your grates indoors when you're not using the grill. This can be helpful if you do not use your grill for several weeks at a time. Generally, cooking on the grill more frequently coats the grates with more oils from the food, which can help protect them from corrosion.
From 2010 to 2020, I worked in the Americas Consumer Care department helping consumers resolve every problem imaginable, and a trend I observed was that cooking grate corrosion could be more prevalent on grills that saw long periods of non-use.
If you grill more than once a week I can appreciate that bringing your grates in and out constantly would become annoying, however, if you're already taking them inside to wash them every time your down using the grill then I'd probably just keep them indoors after you're done with your cleaning procedure and bring them out the next time you're going to cook.