I have had 2-3 standard chrome cooking grates from Weber that have never seen a S’nS or Vortex and within 3-4 cooks the chrome was burned off above the coals.
By burned off I mean that the chrome layer is 100% GONE from the grate above the coals and I can easily see copper or brass under plating.
1st time I saw this it was really bad and not just a small spot. This was on my new 2011 22” Premium Grill with Weber flipper grate using the Weber charcoal baskets for indirect cooking and by the 3rd cook the flippers were yellow from the copper or brass. At the same time I could see the entire lid was covered with white/Gray dust? Chrome Smoke ?
I had this also with my smokey joe from about the same age.. but by that time I was being more careful about getting coals close to the grates, but it had the same results.
Since that time I have had many grills and most of them were older and none of them ever showed the same type of damage. Even my 1978 weathered warrior had the factory grate and was in better shape after so long.
I have since been lucky enough to score myself an assortment of SS Weber grates that I use 100% of the time so I don’t have this problem anymore.
I’m just wondering if anyone else noticed a problem with the chrome grates from around 2010-13?
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