Has your grill rusted through or stopped heating your food evenly? Are you trying to get the most out of your cookout sessions year after year? When it’s time to update your backyard cookouts, you want to ensure you take the best care of your grill. Rusted-through grills, dented charcoal chambers, and damaged propane burners can be avoided with maintenance and proper upkeep.
When you pick up a new Lanchester Grill & Hearth grill, you buy quality cooking equipment to keep your family and guests fed and entertained. Keeping your grill at its best isn’t difficult – just a few simple grill maintenance steps can add years to your enjoyment. From hearths to smokers to wood pellet stoves, we are your experts in all things fire and heat! Explore our store to find the perfect grill for your needs, or see what other amazing outdoor kitchen options could make you the talk of the block!
Cleaning the Grill Grate
Rusty and damaged grills aren’t just hard to look at. They can also cause harmful contamination of your food. Rust itself is dangerous and can flake off and be absorbed into the burgers you have worked so hard to season to perfection. Gas, charcoal, and open-fire grills all rely on clean cooking grates to safely prepare your food.
Remove your cooking grates and vigorously clean both sides regularly – at least 2/3 times a season. This is a good time to examine the grate for rust. Heat and moisture can lead to faster aging of your grill’s metal parts, so poorly maintained grills often must be replaced faster. Metal grill brushes can buff away surface-level rust, but rust is a common sign that it’s time to get a new grill.
Fix Burners and Watch for Uneven Flames
Your gas grill’s burners are relatively delicate pieces of metal, and they can be damaged by falling food, debris, or potential corrosion from the elements. Take the time to examine these during grilling, cleaning, and maintenance to check for damage. When pre-heating your grill, monitor your grill for uneven or lower-than-usual flames. When you have an issue with grill burners, such as blockage or holes, the propane won’t leave the burners as it should, which can be outright dangerous.
Clean Out the Grease Trap
Grease fires are a major danger across all cooking methods, and a full grease trap is a huge fire hazard. Cleaning out your grill regularly is a safety measure as much as a grill maintenance step. This step is particularly important after grilling fattier cuts of meat like pork chops or burgers. Most grease traps are easy to remove for proper cleaning and excess grease removal.
Many people don’t know how to dispose of cooking grease properly. You can compost cooking oil in small amounts, though this might cause stronger odors from the composting process for a time. The standard suggestion is to store grease in a plastic container and toss it with regular trash.
Check Hoses and Connectors
Never use a gas grill if you have any suspicion that there are leaks in the hoses or connectors. You should regularly check your grill for any damage or signs of aging in the gas system. Cracks and aging rubber are usually easy to see, but brushing or splashing soapy water onto the hoses can reveal air leaks via appearing bubbles. Damage to the propane system can be fixed, but the danger of these issues often necessitates a complete gas system overhaul. You may find that a new grill is cheaper and easier.
Tighten and Clean the Body
The overall structure of your grill is usually more sturdy than delicate burners and faces less harsh conditions than the cooking grate, but it deals with just as much stress. Wind, rain, and hail can all harm your grill if you don’t have a safe place to store it during summer storms; and carting it across the lawn or down the street to your community cookout can loosen up the nuts and bolts of your grill’s body.
Tightening connectors, greasing wheels and hinges, and cleaning off dirt and dust can improve your grill’s lifespan. While cleaning your grill to shine, keep an eye out for rust and corrosion. Any damage to your grill’s structure could lead to instability, leading to the grill tipping or tilting over in the middle of a cookout! Save yourself from danger with a newer and sturdier grill today!
Enjoy a Long-Lasting Grill with Lanchester Grill and Hearth!
Frequently replacing your grill, or replacing parts, is frustrating and expensive. And after buying a new grill from Lanchester Grill and Hearth, you want to avoid expensive repairs and replacements. Keeping your grill lasting longer doesn’t have to be difficult, just follow the tips above each grilling session to add years to your grill’s life.
Whether you are lighting up every day of summertime or popping a few burgers on the grill once a month, our grills form high-quality outdoor cooking solutions that you will enjoy for years to come! So come by our showroom in Gap, PA, to see our many grilling options and prepare for your next grilling season!