Old School Genesis Cast Iron Grates?

[RodA]

Been lurking for many years and learned a lot from this forum.
I rescued an old redhead Genesis and I think it came with uncoated cast iron grates. I’ve owned porcelain coated grates and they were wonderful until the coating started chipping off.
Are these uncoated cast iron grates?
Are they worth saving?
I assume the process would involve an angle grinder and some type of wire wheel to clean the surface rust, then reseason them like I would an old cast iron pan.
How difficult are they to maintain?
Both grates appear to be in amazing condition other than the surface rust. It almost looks like they were never cooked on.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
RodA

 

[Ed P]

Score!!! Those are pristine! Some other members will be along shortly that are much more knowledgeable on the history, care and maintenance of cast iron grates than I am, but those grates are like new. I agree, those have never been cooked on. Nice, very nice!

But yes, those are uncoated, and yes, they are definitely worth saving! I would not take an angle grinder to them until you hear otherwise. It looks like surface rust to me and I don't think you need to be so agressive, but wait for the experts to weigh in here.

 

[Steve Hoch]

Rod, welcome to the forum! Those do appear to be the old, uncoated cast iron grates. Personally I wouldn't bother with them although I think they are worth saving. If you want to use them, hitting them with a wire wheel to get the surface rust off is the way to go. Season them with vegetable oil and heat them up to 500 degrees or so. You should be good to go. They will only get better after repeated use. If you use them regularly you shouldn't have to worry about rust reappearing, much like a cast iron pan. You got this!

 

[THyde]

Maybe even start by just scrubbing that rust with steel wool.

 

[Scott Smith]

I echo everything that Steve said above. Be aggressive as you want with a wire wheel getting the rust off, cast iron is fairly indestructible. If you choose to keep and use the grates, keep them indoors so they don't re-rust. Never dishwash as that will remove the oil that soaked into the porous metal.

 

[Richard in NS]

I sometimes get a bit of surface rust like that when I haven’t used a grill over the winter. I usually get away with using the dreaded SS bristle grill brush and reasoning them. Occasionally I have to use a drill with a wire brush in it. I like the drill for light rust as I can slow it down as needed in the tight corners. I find the full speed angle grinder/cup brush too aggressive and too big in between the rods of the grates. For heavy rust though, the cup is Great.

 

[RodA]

Appreciate the info guys. I’m gonna tackle those CI grates when I get some time. Gonna start with a drill and wire cup then progress to an angle grinder if necessary.
Some basic info since this is my first post...
I live an hour south of Atlanta. I don’t actively pursue Genesis gassers but I rescue them if they’re destined for the landfill. I’ve acquired about 6 old Genesis’, 4 kettles, and a nice E 330 I bought new. I love the 330 but have already replaced the bottom panel due to rust, so I’ve come to appreciate the durability of the old “open cart” Webers!
This Redhead is nearly identical to a 98 Redhead I restored a few years ago. I’ll try and upload a pic if I can get my horrendously slow internet to cooperate
This is a great group! You guys are super patient with newbs who can tend to ask questions that have been answered over and over again. I’d also like to thanks Chris Allingham who appears to be the site moderator. This site and it’s forums are top notch in every way! Thanks for allowing me to be part of the group!
Rod

 

[RodA]

My recently rescued Genesis…

 

[THyde]

That's a nice 1000. I think at this point the most valuable part is the large drip tray that is partially pulled out. Don't throw those away, they are no longer available from anywhere!

 

[RodA]

Big 10-4 on keeping that drip tray! It’s actually in amazing condition. I didn’t realize how valuable drip trays were becoming until I threw away a disgustingly greasy aluminum one from a 2 burner Silver A just a few months ago!
The tray was in great condition but I was just too lazy to fool with it.
I won’t make that mistake again!!

 

[Rich Dahl]

Pretty much what Steve said my E320 and gen 2000 have bare cast iron grates and I love them. Living in dry AZ I don't have any issues with rust, but I still maintain them like my numerous cast iron pans and Dutch ovens. I re season them once a year and have no issues at all.

 

[Ed P]

Pretty much what Steve said my E320 and gen 2000 have bare cast iron grates and I love them. Living in dry AZ I don't have any issues with rust, but I still maintain them like my numerous cast iron pans and Dutch ovens. I re season them once a year and have no issues at all.

Gotta love cast iron! Unless you live in an area of high humidity or the rain forest, of course. I just like that it feels like it's been around so long that it's become part of our DNA.

 

[Jon Tofte]

Very late to this party, but I will throw in that those grates are the BEST! Yes, stainless rods are great, too, but I still have an affection for cast iron. However, as has been observed, all the plated ones eventually become sources for metal junk in your food. Those grates iwtht he patent# on them, on the other hand, are the real deal. Yes, they will require a lot of attention and can't be left sitting out unused all winter. But, if you are up to it, they can be made to look new again and will season beautifully. I have used a wire cup brush on a grinder without issue. You have to get all that rust off to start clean when re-seasoning.

 

[Rich Dahl]

It's definitely worth the effort to keep the seasoning intact rather than having to bring them back to life, a lot less work. Barb and I are big fans of CI cookware. We use CI pans for our daily cooking much more than the non-stick.

 

[RodA]

I started cleaning the rust yesterday with a drill and wire cup. It took about 30 minutes to get most of the rust off both sides of one grate.
I’m gonna take Jon Tofte’s advice and make sure I get the grates completely rust free. My plan is to clean all rust, then use a garden hose to blast them as clean as possible, let them dry in the hot sun for about the hour then spray them liberally with pam cooking spray…then season them on the grill at about 450 for an hour or so. I’ll let them cool down then respray them with another coat of pam spray then reseason them on the grill the next day.
Please let me know if y’all see any flaws in that plan and I’ll make any necessary adjustments.
Porcelain coated grates are my overall favorite but I’m tired of replacing them every few years. I’m currently using stainless grates and I also have a few sets of aluminum Grillgrates, they work well but I’m eager to experiment with some old school cast iron. I’ll keep y’all posted!
Rod

 

[Scott Smith]

Your plan is great. I would simply advise you not to overthink it. Keeping cast iron grill grates going is not that hard. People grilled just fine on cast iron grates for hundreds of years without garden hoses, Pam spray, thermometers, or clocks.

 

[Ed P]

I started cleaning the rust yesterday with a drill and wire cup. It took about 30 minutes to get most of the rust off both sides of one grate.
I’m gonna take Jon Tofte’s advice and make sure I get the grates completely rust free. My plan is to clean all rust, then use a garden hose to blast them as clean as possible, let them dry in the hot sun for about the hour then spray them liberally with pam cooking spray…then season them on the grill at about 450 for an hour or so. I’ll let them cool down then respray them with another coat of pam spray then reseason them on the grill the next day.
Please let me know if y’all see any flaws in that plan and I’ll make any necessary adjustments.
Porcelain coated grates are my overall favorite but I’m tired of replacing them every few years. I’m currently using stainless grates and I also have a few sets of aluminum Grillgrates, they work well but I’m eager to experiment with some old school cast iron. I’ll keep y’all posted!
Rod

I would oil them immediately after washing them, without letting them dry in the sun...they will start to rust right away. Wipe 'em dry with a towel and oil them. It's not considered good form to wash cast iron with soap and water, or put them in the dishwasher. People still do it, but it's not considered proper etiquette.