How to Clean Cast Iron Grill Grates?

Cast iron grill grates are a durable and reliable piece. They are bound to last really long if adequately maintained. Regular maintenance is needed to make the grill grates function perfectly and cook excellent food. In this article, we will be explaining how to clean cast iron grill grates in detail.

We will be sharing multiple methods. All of these are easy and consume very less time. Further, they won’t demand much of your effort. You need to regularly season the grill grates to increase its durability. Moreover, seasoned grates will become non-stick. Further, they make food taste so heavenly. What else does one wish for?

However, this all becomes a dream if the grill grates are not taken care of. If you leave them unattended, they are bound to develop rust. This article focuses on routine maintenance and cleaning. Regular cleaning is essential for the grill grates. Let us get to all the techniques and methods which are used for cleaning the grates. Therefore, if you have cast iron grill grates, get to these methods now.

Table of Contents

How to Clean Cast Iron Grates- The Detailed and Comprehensive Method

1. Heating

The best way to make your cast iron grill grates last long is to clean them properly. Thus, one should clean the cast iron grills everytime after cooking a meal. When you have cooked your meal and have emptied the grills,overheat your grills. This will let them achieve a high temperature which is desirable for cleaning. This is how to left over food residue will be burned.

2. Scrubbing

Once you see that the food has been turned black and is completely burnt, you can turn off the heat. Then, you need to wait until the grills are at room temperature. Cool them to a point that they are still slightly warm. When the grills attain that temperature, use a hard grill brush. Rub the grill grates with that coarse brush to get the burnt food removed from them.

3. Drying

Brushing proves to be really effective when cleaning the grill grates. Through the scrubbing action, it scrapes the food well, making grill grates clean. Once you have scraped all the food residue, you need to dry the grill grates. You can dry them using a paper towel or a clean cloth. Ensure that the grill grates are completely dry.

To ensure thorough drying, you can also heat the grill grates on flame. Turn on the flame and keep the grill grates onto them. Keep applying heat for 10-15 minutes. This will ensure that all the moisture is removed from the grill grates. Since cast iron develops rust when exposed to a humid environment, thus, it is necessary to get it perfectly dried.

4. Oiling

Applying a thin, uniform and even layer of oil on the grill grates carries significant importance as well. You can use any cooking oil that has a high smoke point. It is recommended to use lard oil or vegetable oil for oiling. After you have applied a thin layer of oil, wipe off the excess using a paper towel. This is how the grill grates will be safe from corrosion.

5. Storing

You need to store the cast iron grill grates in a dry environment. Make sure that the place is dry. This will make the grill grates last exceptionally long. With proper cleaning after cooking every meal, the grill grates’s durability will be enhanced. Who doesn’t want that right? Thus, make sure to follow each and every step carefully.

If however, the grill grates have developed rust as well, you need to switch to the following methods below.

1. Soapy Water

You can use steel wool along with strong formula dishwashing soap to remove rust. You can also use another coarse wool or scrubber in place of steel wool. Take soapy water and make a solution of that with lukewarm water. Now, soak in the grill grates in this soapy water solution for about half an hour. Take a scrubber and rub the grill grates vigorously. You will see that the rust will scrape away from the grates.

2. Vinegar Soak

Another method for the removal of rust from cast iron grill grates is vinegar soak. The cast iron grill grates should be soaked in vinegar. You can take the large quantity of vinegar in a clogged sink or a big basket. Put your cast iron grill grates inside. Contine soaking for 12 hours or more. This depends upon the quantity of rust developed. Remove them after 12 hours and clean them with a mild soap solution. The cast iron grill grates will be non-rusty.

Final Verdict

To clean the cast iron grill grates, you need to clean them using lukewarm water and mild soap. After that you need to dry them and apply a thin layer of oil. Store them in a dry place. The cast iron grill grates will be all clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can soak cast iron grill grates. However, you should only adopt this when the grills have developed a lot of rust. If the grills have thickened rust, then soaking in vinegar solution is a great method. This will make the grill grates clean. However, you should not soak the grill grates if they just have food residue on them.

You can use steel wool on cast iron grill grates. That will work more than fine. However, cast iron is a sensitive material. Thus, it is advised to go light on them. Therefore, select sponges like plastic ones.

Vinegar solution is an excellent agent or rust removal. You can either use a concentrated vinegar and lemon paste or a mild vinegar solution. Rub the lemon and vinegar paste to get the rust removed. You can also soak the cast iron cookware in vinegar solution to dissolve the rust.

lilley

I’m Lilley, a Best Cast Irons author, Reviewer, and Foddy. I have experience over 5 years to reviewing kitchen products. My goal is to give you the confidence and knowledge to Buy Kitchen cookware and bake from scratch. We review some most important cookware for your kitchen, pot, skillet, pan, dutchoven, etc.

See author's posts

How to Clean Cast Iron Grill Grates? – (5 Effective Step)