I've got a GREAT question

[AJ328]

Sorry, I meant GRATE...

How long do the regular plated grates last you? I was planning on getting stainless after the plated ones wear out but I can't really tell if my one OTG grate is rusted or just needs to soak overnight. It's about a year and a half old with 5 day a week spring and summer use.

Also how do you like the stainless steel grates, are they worth it. I know the price rocketed up in the last 6 months to $50, but I'm thinking stainless will pretty much last the life of the grill, won't it?

Let me know what you think.

[1buckie]

I've got a GREAT question

Sorry, I meant GRATE...


 Those words are curiously interchangable on this website......like nowhere else, apparently.....


 I have regular ones that have lasted 11 years, still going, not with quite as much use as you're talking..... more kettles/greats in a wider, hence slower, rotation......most everything stays pretty well coated in smoke & bacon grease at all times........

 As we were talking about down at the meetup on Napa.......scrape the coating off & there's clean bare porcelain underneath a lot of the time.....that's the kettle inside......the grates, taking more heat & being coated differently will give up the ghost, but keeping a seasoning & avoiding screaming high heat mostly has worked well for me......


 If you do have rust, one possibility is to scrape it down & soak with vinegar & baking soda sprinkled on.......soak like that, then scrape again & clear it & season with cooking on it & spreading the resulting oils around or spray on cooking oil as a seasoning / preservative.......

 The stainless I have not used yet.............

[addicted-to-smoke]

I think it was gummi who just said the other day not to use steel bristle brushes because it scratches the chrome plating (or something to that effect?) and hastens rust. If that's the case I'm screwed because steel bristle brushes work best for me. I've tried the gray "stone like" grit bars but all they do is quickly wear down and leave grit on the grates, which is not great.

Other than that, rust comes from moisture, so don't leave grates outside like mine is right now. Find a way to hang them up inside, build little hooks in the garage or basement etc. It's gotta help a little.

But for 5 day a week cooking you can easily justify cast iron cooking grates. If you get a porcelain coated one and don't scratch it, it should stay rust-free (I think).

Lots of threads here about round cast iron ... Craycort, and grates made for Stok and CharBroil are 22.5" and fit our Webers.

I like the Lodge 15"x11" grill grate because it doesn't matter what condition your regular grate is in, it gives you the benefit of cooking on CI and since it lacks a porcelain coating, just needs a water wipe down (use a non-steel bristle brush to clean) and light coat of oil . It fits nicely between a 22.5" grate's flip-up sides for adding coals.

[1buckie]

"said the other day not to use steel bristle brushes because it scratches the chrome plating (or something to that effect?) and hastens rust. If that's the case I'm screwed because steel bristle brushes work best for me. "


On Stainless grates......the dissimilar metal of the brush contaminates the stainless & it starts to degrade......heard it from people who really know metal & if I had a FIFTY DOLLAR GRATE, I'd do what they say.......

the regular ones are fine w/ a brush....re-season with bacon......of some type.............

[AJ328]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll just stick with the regular ones and maybe check out the cast iron in the future.

[Johnpv]

The stone ones work really well for me, though the one I have is really heavy.  I've noticed the lighter ones aren't as effective.  I guess it should be noted too that it just cleans the top of the grill grate and not the sides. 

[kaz]

My grates look grate. I have the SS but frankly think the nickel would be good enough for me. I season mine every time as part of my starting ritual.

Lay down some paper towels, pour cooking oil onto them. Fold them up to get a good soak, and rub the grate down, then use this oily paper towel bunch to light your chimney.

My grates are completely black and non-stick. They basically are thin seasoned cast iron now. I have the weber triangle brush but rarely use it. I use it mostly on the gas grill.

[addicted-to-smoke]

My grates look grate. I have the SS but frankly think the nickel would be good enough for me. I season mine every time as part of my starting ritual.

Lay down some paper towels, pour cooking oil onto them. Fold them up to get a good soak, and rub the grate down, then use this oily paper towel bunch to light your chimney.

My grates are completely black and non-stick. They basically are thin seasoned cast iron now. I have the weber triangle brush but rarely use it. I use it mostly on the gas grill.

So, you're saying the grates look black but not gunked-up-black. Very interesting! Happen to have a decent picture? And I really like how you repurpose the paper towels. Never thought to use those in a chimney ... do they burn fairly clean or is there ash leftover?

[kaz]

Yeah any burnt chunky bits usually wipe off with the paper towel. Also I repurposed a bucket in my utility room (just off from the kitchen) and I put a grocery bag in the bucket then put used paper towels, not the gross or chemically ones. But, if I just washed my hands then used a paper towel to dry them, or paper towels from drying rinsed potatoes that type thing. I will put them in the bucket and I use these as my grill paper towels. They dry in the bucket overnight.



Just took it, I cooked a london broil on it last night and burgers Sunday night.

And I'll wipe it down with a fresh coat of oil before lighting it next time. Also, the oil is some used oil from frying a turkey. It usually takes me 6 months atleast to go through a gallon.

[kaz]

They leave a little ash but that's it. And nothing compared to kingsford. And it falls through the grates SS soon as I dump it. The seasoned grates and the chimney lighting everytime far outways the lil ash. I used to use a smokey Joe for lighting chimneys but now I'm all-in-one.

[mike.stavlund]

I pick up clearance grates at Target every fall, and switch them out every year or so. I also got Craycorts for Fathers Day last year, and love them. I think I'd rather spend $100 on Craycorts than $50 on SS Webers.


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[mwmac]

I have the standard plated, SS and Craycorts for my Performers and SS for my WSM and Cajun Bandit.  I must admit that I have ruined the plated grates more times than I can remember to the point of rust getting under the plating.  Since getting the SS grates, the plated ones I have now have not been used.  I find that burnt sauce/marinade leftovers clean up very easily from the SS, not something I could always say about the nickel plated grates.  Craycorts are kept well-seasoned and are tough to beat for steaks...my .02

[Bbqmiller]

The SS grate on my 26 is original. This grill has been used a lot over the past five years. As others, I always brush off any loose stuff, and wipe down liberally with cooking oil on a paper towel. There are no signs of rust at all. Another thing, if you cook with any CI on the grill, this is a great way to bake any stubborn stuff off. The cast iron over a good fire turns everything to dust that can be easily wiped away.