It's summer....or spring...well who knows, all I know is it's not snowing. I've been sitting outside a lot more because it's warmer out, and there is one thing I can't get enough of and that's a grill warming up and getting ready to release the hidden cook in all of us. Yes the smell of propane or briquettes heating up to a peak temperature for cooking steak, burgers, and chicken filling the air makes me melt. I'll tell you what doesn't make me melt, and that's when the lid is open and you find that your grill is filthy and the smell is awful. Hopefully this will help you keep your grill clean so you can avoid the awful smell.
First things first. I can't stress it enough. PAM makes a grill spray that WORKS. One of the main reasons your grill smells funky is the residue collecting on your grill grates. To avoid a massive build up, use the PAM each time to keep your food from sticking to the grill. It also makes clean up easy and quick. According to
PAM's website
pam4you.com, its "Specially formulated for no-stick performance at higher temperatures, it makes cleanup a snap and all your grilled foods simply come out better." That's good enough for me!
Second. Clean your grill each time AFTER you use it and not BEFORE. If you clean up
the grill grates when you are done cooking, your grates are already warmed up and ready to be scrubbed by the grill brush. Scrub the grates down and if you want to take it a step further, take a towel folded up wet with mild soap and wipe the grates down to keep them extra clean. This will keep your grates cleaner and help, along with PAM, keeping food from sticking to them.
Third. Show some love to the "PIT". Once and a while it's
ok to take the grates off, hose them down, maybe scrub them with soap and allow them to dry. But more importantly, when the grate is off, clean the pit area. Wait for the grill to completely cool off, then take the briquettes out (if you have them in there) and use a
degreaser cleaner that is
ok to spray on stainless steel to clean it out. Pledge makes a great "Multi-Surface" cleaner that is safe to use on stainless steel. If you have a Wet Vac...I know it sound silly, but it works...use that to vacuum up all the dust and Replace the
briquettes with new ones if necessary.
Fourth. Keep the drip tray clean. Most people I've talked to whom haven't grilled before were not even aware that there was one. Odd right? That's
ok...not a requirement to be a good grill chef. However, no matter how your set up is (a drip pan, a coffee can, soup can, whatever...) you need to keep it clean at least every other time you use the grill. If not, you'll spill all over your patio or grass and it's not good if you don't want animals visiting your backyard cause they smell something good (good to them at least).
Lastly. Keep the outside in ship shape. You're bringing raw food out, then replacing it with cooked food, you're boiling stuff if you have a burner, you're cutting vegetables, etc. You show love to the grates, now show the same to the side shelves and burners. You'll need to find a cleaner that is a disinfectant and is safe for stainless steel. Use
Citrushine to keep all non-cooking stainless surfaces clean, shiny, and looking like new.
Grill covers are highly recommended too even if you have it under an overhang or umbrella. They keep your grill looking newer, longer.
If you're a rookie
griller or even a grill aficionado, you need to try these steps to keeping your grill clean and cooking to it's maximum capability. Your grill will last a long time and will look great too. Trust me, people like me, will thank you for the
pleasent smell, and may come next door and ask for a burger!
Take Care,
-Brian
