Few people will refuse grilled steaks, barbecue and baked vegetables. But, as they say, you like to ride, love to carry sledges - after a delicious meal, it's time to clean the grill. For many, this process causes hostility. We offer once and for all to end negative associations and learn how to clean the grate quickly and easily.
Best ways
Rough mechanical action and caustic chemistry destroy the non-stick coating, as well as the metal bars themselves. As a result, the grill is quickly covered with a layer of rust. For it to serve faithfully for many years, one must give preference to gentle methods of cleaning.
Manufacturers are advised to clean the grill by calcination or in soapy water.
Calcination
At temperatures exceeding 250 degrees, the remnants of food, oil and all compounds on the rods turn into ashes. Annealing is the easiest and most affordable way to clean the grill and its parts.
Cleaning Instruction:
- After cooking, return the empty wire rack to its place. Throw firewood if necessary. Flames need to appear.
- Leave the grate on the fire for 10-15 minutes. During this time, fat and all organic residues will burn up and turn into ash.
- If you have not a barbecue, but a coal or gas grill, set the temperature to 280 degrees and heat the grill under the lid for 20 minutes.
- Brush the ashes with a brush with metal bristles.
If the grill is non-stick, you can do without a brush. After removing it from the fire, sharply lower it under water, and then tap on a hard surface. You can also replace the brush with a lump of aluminum foil. Pinch it with forceps and rub the hot rods. And people use a stale piece of bread for cleaning.
Sometimes strong heating of the grill leads to the separation of the rods. Usually this happens with poor welding. If the device looks flimsy, it is better to resort to the second method of cleaning.
Soak
This method will come to the rescue if the picnic is over, the fire has gone out, and the dirty grill has safely returned home. To clean it you will need:
- liquid soap or dishwashing detergent;
- plastic bags in size - 2 pcs.;
- sponge and brush with stiff bristles.
So what we do:
- We lay out the package and place the grill on it.
- We squeeze out the detergent and with a sponge we carefully coat the rods from 2 sides.
- We wrap it in a bag, tie it and forget about it for the whole day (or better - for 2-3 days).
- We unfold the bag and wash it under running water with a brush.
- The deposit becomes very soft, supple and easily lags behind the metal.
The advantage of soaking in the bag is obvious. You do not need to look for a suitable container, to occupy a sink or even a whole bath. Although if there is a suitable bowl, you can simply add liquid soap and pour the lattice with boiling water for 2-3 hours. The effect is exactly the same.
What chemistry can be used to clean the grill grate?
Special tools for cleaning grill grates are available: Weber, Forester. They are intended for the care of grill equipment. If you have the usual “barbecue”, buying them does not make sense. But it is not recommended to use “Shumanit”, “Sanoks” and other chemistry with the postscript “anti-fat”: they are poorly removed from the surface, can get into food and cause poisoning. Use safe chemistry for washing dishes.
How often do you need to wash the grill?
The grill must be cleaned after each use. Food burns harder to contaminated rods, soot hardens and is more difficult to clean. When cooking, it gets into the products, worsens their taste, appearance and negatively affects health.
How long can the grill last?
From a year to 6 years. Service life depends on frequency of use and proper care. Avoid using aggressive chemicals. Do not leave the grill wet. Do not attempt to clean it with a metal washcloth, knife or other sharp objects.
Lattice cleaning seems to many a difficult and dirty job. The fault is the lack of information on alternative cleaning methods. No need to scrub her and handle chemistry with gloves and a mask. In fact, everything is simple: to clean the rods, the grate must either be calcined or left in soap for a day or two. No special equipment, manual labor and other hassle. But a good brush still doesn’t hurt.