In this edition of Clean Everything, we share the maintenance advice our grilling experts swear by. So you can focus on the good stuff: the food.
As you prepare for a season of searing smash burgers, blistering hot dogs, and grilling sweet corn in the great outdoors, our experts have some care and maintenance tips for your beloved grill. (And if you’re in need of a new one, we have recs for that, too.)
- Check for gas leaks: It’s virtually impossible to spot a gas leak with the naked eye, because propane is naturally colorless. So our experts recommend this easy soapy-water test. Spritz a soapy-water mixture onto the propane regulator, hose, and connectors. If there’s a leak, bubbles will begin to expand.
- Scrape the grates before every cookout: Clean grates are the best way to keep food from sticking to your grill. “I prefer wire grill brushes because they’re the fastest and most effective way to get soot and burnt food off of the grates super fast,” says writer and grill expert Lesley Stockton. In our tests, this sturdy wire grill brush removed carbonized bits and stuck-on sauce the quickest — we recommend getting in there while the grill grates are at their hottest, right before cooking. But if you’re concerned about wire grill brushes leaving behind errant bristles, we’ve got a few alternatives for you to consider, including this hardwood paddle. Its straight, tapered edge takes on the pattern of the grates and clears sticky, cooked-on sauce and charred bits alike.
- Give the grates a good wipedown: After scraping your preheated grill, always go over the grates again to clean off any remaining gunk, including those possible errant wires. A wet rag could work, but our kitchen experts also recommend this steamy grill brush. It soaks up water, so when it’s wiped over a hot grill, it billows with steam and clears away the soot and debris faster and more effectively than anything else we’ve tested. And it’s also just fun to use.
- After your grill session, clean the grease trap and drip trays: This is a vital and often overlooked step to prevent grease and crud from overflowing into the cabinet of your grill, or even worse, onto your patio, deck, or driveway. Be sure to scrape off stuck-on spots in the trap, scrub it down with soap, and empty the drip tray.
