There is no doubt that BBQ is an occasion, an excuse indeed to have fun with your family and friends. You will hardly find anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good BBQ. But how many of you actually enjoy the maintenance procedure afterward? I bet not everyone follows all those BBQ grill maintenance tips and tricks.
I agree it can be very tiring and troublesome to keep your grill in tip-top condition. After a tiring party or a BBQ fun time with your kinsmen, all you want is to have some rest. Even I get tired from all the cooking and serving duties.
That is why being an expert, I will now try to share some BBQ grill maintenance tips with you all to help you keep your grill well maintained and neat:
10 BBQ Grill Maintenance Tips: The Ultimate Guide To BBQ
BBQ grill maintenance tips exist to help you with your struggles to keep your grill well maintained. And I am here to show you the right way to utilize these tips. Below I will be mentioning ten tips to assist you in retaining your BBQ Grill:
1. Protect Your Grates From Old-Stuck Food By Brushing Oil:
After you are done cooking for your guests, have you ever noticed there is always some food left behind? There is always some food stuck in the grill grates. I guess everyone has experienced this. This happens due to the lack of moisture in the grates.
To avoid such things from happening to your grill grates, apply some oil that has a high smoking temperature. For example, peanut oil is great for such purposes. Apply a few coats before cooking. You can also use cooking spray if you can’t find peanut oil.
Among all the BBQ grill maintenance tips, this one is the most basic. This tip is something you might get to hear from any expert chefs around you. That is why I also recommend using these tips.
2. Never Forget To Scrub Your Grates Afterward:
As I have mentioned earlier how food gets stuck in your BBQ grate. This BBQ grill maintenance tip is also related to the same problem. Previously I said to use a greasy substance to ensure nothing gets stuck on the grates. But is it enough?
There are some stubborn food items that get stuck into the grilling grates even after layering them with greasy products. They just won’t go unless you scrub them off. For that, you need to:
- Scrub your BBQ grates using a wire brush
- You may also use an aluminum foil ball using a tong.
- If you have a stainless steel grate, use a brass wire brush.
- If you have a cast iron grate, then choose a stainless steel brush.
Using any of the ways mentioned above, always scrub off the excess grease left on your grill.
3. Always Use A Wet Paper Towel To Wipe Away The Greasy Spills:
When I cook, I always try to keep my surroundings clean. I hardly let anything spill around the corners. But not everyone is as skilled at doing such things as me. There are some people who have just started cooking and still can’t grasp the techniques completely.
Especially, if you are a beginner, it is quite natural for you to be clumsy. There are many instances of being clumsy while barbecuing. Such as:
- Spilling oil while pouring it in the pan.
- Spilling the sauces while mixing with the food in the pan.
- Spilling greasy substances while flipping the food on the grates.
In such cases, the stain may get stuck forever over your precious grill if you don’t clean it soon enough. If you use a dry cloth or towel to clean this, the stains might not go away easily. In such circumstances, always use a wet paper towel to wipe down the filthy area.
4. Place A Grill Mat Under Your BBQ Grill:
There is no guarantee that you will always get an even surface to cook on when you are cooking outside. There might be mud, grass, sand, and if it rained before you started grilling. Then the muddy surface condition might be worse for your grill.
This next BBQ grill maintenance tip is for the BBQ stands exclusively. For this, you will need to:
- Buy a mat big enough for your BBQ from any nearby shop.
- If you can’t find any rug big enough, then get a towel big enough for your
BBQ.
- Put the mat right under your grill.
- Place your grill at your desired place.
This is how you can keep the stands from getting dirty and keep them clean for a longer period of time.
5. Discard The Charcoal Ashes After You Are Done Barbecuing:
If you are using a charcoal-based BBQ, you might want to look closely at this BBQ grill maintenance tip. This is something that only a negligent person will avoid. And he might as well suffer the consequences of this.
Charcoal BBQs need charcoal to work. You can get many types of charcoal around, such as lump charcoal, charcoal briquettes, etc. Among them, the charcoal briquette is the most used one. However, any charcoal you use will leave ashes behind after being used.
After you are done cooking the BBQ grill, you will find a lot of ashes from the used charcoal. Now your job is to take all the ashes out from the BBQ grill and clean it thoroughly. But before you do that, make sure the ashes have cooled down.
6. Try Using Vinegar To Clean The Interior Part Of Your Grill:
To keep your interior part of the grill is a crucial part of the maintenance task, and you cannot avoid it. If you think it is okay to skip the interior cleaning part, you will lose your grill quite earlier than anyone else.
When you use your BBQ grill either regularly or occasionally, your BBQ grill gets dirty. It can get greasy from the oils and butter that you use while cooking. Also, BBQ contains many spices that may get stuck there. So, cleaning the grill religiously is a must.
To clean the interior of your grill:
- Take 1 liter of warm water.
- Mix 1/4th of a cup of vinegar with that water.
- Put the solution in your grill and leave it for a couple of hours.
- Then clean the grill with fresh water afterward.
7. Kerosene Is Not Your Lighter Fluid Substitute:
To light the charcoal in a charcoal BBQ, mostly people use lighter fluids. Though they give off a weird smell, they are pretty helpful and come in handy. But the question is, what happens when you run out of lighter fluids? Can you use kerosene as your charcoal lighter fluid substitute?
Kerosene is a really strong medium to light a fire. Do not ever think about using kerosene in your BBQ grill for cooking purposes. Even not for a bit. You will end up burning down your whole grill, if not your entire house.
So, if you run out of lighter fluid, you can use old paper. But never use kerosene. Also, if your charcoal takes longer to burn with lighter liquid, don’t lose your patience. Give it some time. Prevent yourself from using too much lighter fluid.
8. Clean Your Grill Thoroughly By Disassembling The Parts:
Previously I have mentioned the importance of cleaning the BBQ grill. In this BBQ grill maintenance tip, I will explain to you the need to thoroughly clean your grill by disassembling its body parts.
There are many parts of a grill. Such as:
- Burners or chimneys,
- Charcoal trays,
- BBQ grates,
- Heat plates,
- The lid.
And many more parts depending on the type of BBQ grill you are using.
Such parts of a BBQ grill can get filthy within a period of time after using it. If you use it on a regular basis, the chances of it getting dirty are higher than usual. That is why, once every 5 to 6 months, it is necessary to open up the grill part by part and clean it through and through.
9. Use Grill Friendly Utensils Only:
Another essential tip among other BBQ grill maintenance tips is to use the proper utensils that are grill-friendly. Metals are great to use on grill BBQs. There are different types of kitchen tools such as plastic, wooden, or ceramic. Never even consider using them on your BBQ.
BBQ grills are of exceptionally high temperature. They are hotter than usual cooking stoves. If you use a plastic instrument over your BBQ grill, it will melt right away due to such an amount of heat. That melted plastic may ruin your BBQ grill forever. It may not be removed afterward.
That is why you need to choose the right tool to cook in your BBQ grill, and it is of great importance. Otherwise, it will not only ruin that utensil for you, but it may damage your whole grill.
10. Place Your BBQ Grill Away From Flammable Substances:
Selecting the place where you will keep your BBQ grill is really important. You cannot get negligent about it and just start grilling anywhere. Even if it is your backyard, you need to be responsible while choosing the area to BBQ.
There are certain things that you need to keep in mind before starting to barbecue. I will be mentioning them below:
- Always keep away from gas lines, water lines, and the electric lines of your house.
- Even if it is your backyard, don’t just start grilling anywhere. Look around for hazardous substances.
- Make sure you are far enough from your neighbors so that they don’t face any troubles.
- Never BBQ right under a tree. Trees can catch up with a flame quite quickly.
- Always keep your kids and pets away from the BBQ grill while barbecuing.
Related Questions On BBQ Grill Maintenance:
Should You Clean BBQ Grill After Every Use?
If you wonder whether you should clean your BBQ grill after you use it every time or not, let me give you the answer.
Yes, you should always clean your BBQ grill. If you are planning to put it away for a long time then, my recommendation will be to clean it more thoroughly than usual. Otherwise, just clean it with a wire brush or regular BBQ cleaning brushes while the grates are still warm.
Should You Burn Off The Grill After Cooking?
After you are done cooking, there is always some fat, oils, and other greasy stuff left behind in the grill. There are many ways to clean it. But the question here is, should you burn off the grill after cooking?
The answer is yes. It is a fantastic idea to burn off the residues using the flames. It makes your cleaning process a lot easier. It takes up the goo-ey greasiness off the grills. So, when you clean it afterward, there is nothing much to clean.
Will Aluminum Foil Burn On The Grill?
There is a common practice of laying aluminum foil on the grates and then burning it down to remove any filth left in the BBQ. Now, you must be wondering if it is worth it? Does it actually help?
No matter how many people suggest you. I never prefer using such a risky process. This can damage the grill by preventing airflow inside the grill. It will eventually damage the whole grill.
Should You Spray Your Grill Before Cooking?
One of the BBQ grill maintenance tips that I gave earlier was to prevent food items from sticking on the grates. This means to ensure the longevity of your BBQ, and they need to be cleaned from any leftovers.
If you wonder whether you can use cooking spray on your grill before cooking to avoid food items getting stuck on the grill, let me tell you that you can. But if you ask me that, should you? Then I will say that no. It is not compulsory to use cooking spray. You can even use peanut oil.
Can You Use Aluminum Foil Instead Of BBQ Brush?
BBQ brushes are used to clean the grates of a BBQ grill. It is a must-have item for your BBQ grill. But what can you do if you don’t have it right at the moment? Should you skip cleaning the grills, or can you substitute the BBQ brush with anything else?
The answer is simple. You can substitute your regular BBQ brush with aluminum foils. For this, you’ll need:
- A tong
- Aluminum foils
Make a ball using the foil and hold it with the tong. That’s how you can get your DIY BBQ brush substitute.
Conclusion:
To conclude everything that has been said so far, the maintenance of your BBQ is highly dependent on cleaning and hygiene matters. The more careful you are about your BBQ grill, the more it will last.
I hope the BBQ grill maintenance tips were helpful to you. Happy barbecuing!
