Friday, April 17, 2009

Cleaning Gas Grill before Grilling

After you have grilled the last steak, if you take a few minutes to clean your grill it will be so much easier the next time. The excitement of inviting everyone over for a bite to eat, dims when you have to face a dirty grill.

When all the food has been cooked, turn the gas jets up, all the way. Close the lid on the grill. You want to burn off all the stuck on food bits and pieces. This should take no more than five minutes. You want to take extra special care that no guest, especially children, are in your cleaning area.

When the burning off phase is completed, turn off the gas not only on the grill but at the tank also. Using a wire metal brush, go over the grill until the all the residue from your cooking is gone. If you have no brush, take a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil, crush it in your hands then precede to clean the particles off the grill. If you have a pair of work gloves, wear them as the grill will still be very hot.

Wash the side bars of the grill with hot soapy water to get rid of any grease that might have splattered in the cooking process. Rinse well, as old grease can get a terrible odor with age. When all the cleaning has been done and the grill cooled enough, cover it. This way it will be waiting for you when the party urge hits you the next time.

At least once or twice a year, depending on how often you use your grill, make the effort to do a complete cleaning. Take the grill apart, down to the gas jets. Yes, this means taking out the rocks and any other grilling aids you have added to your pit. You want to be able to see the bottom of the grill. Check for flaws, such as small holes, cracks and/or built up grease pockets. Using hot water and soap, wash the inside of the grill. You will want to rinse until all signs of the soap are gone. A water hose is a great rinse tool. It helps to get into all the small places, plus with a small tool at the end of your hose you can pressure wash the remaining debris out and away.

Once the washing and rinsing is finished, turn the gas back on. Letting the flames burn long enough to dry the grill inside and out.

You may also want to use this time to repaint your grill. You can buy grill spray paint at most home centers or auto stores. A fresh coat will make everyone think you have a new grill. Replacing your grill rocks at this time is usually a good idea too.

As with most things, when taken care of, grills will last many years. Bringing pleasure to you, your family and friends.

Bon Appetite, Faylee

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