Grills may seem relatively low maintenance – brush them down, fire them up, and start cooking. However, for those using quality cast-iron grates, there’s one essential step that shouldn’t be skipped at the start of every summer: Seasoning.
Just as you would maintain a cast-iron pan, the best grills benefit from a little treatment and preparation to reduce sticking and protect against rust throughout the busy hosting season.
Here’s why experts swear by seasoning grill grates, and how to do it properly for the best possible results.
As with seasoning a cast-iron pan, baking a layer of high-smoke-point, neutral oil onto your grill grates helps form a protective coating. This not only reduces food from sticking during cooking but also extends the life of the grates by helping to guard against erosion, pitting, and rust.
Plus, well-seasoned grates can improve flavour, creating a cleaner cooking surface that prevents unintended charring and flavors from the metal itself.
It’s vital for cookware that spends much of the year outdoors, where exposure to the elements can accelerate wear over time. The process of seasoning a grill, however, differs from that of your best non-toxic cookware.
Scott Thomas, grill chef and founder of GrillinFools, explains, 'Seasoning the grates just means cleaning off any food residue and then giving the grates a coating of fat, and then cooking that fat off.'
To clean a grill and remove the residue, Scott advises first heating it up to loosen grease and residue before scrubbing.
A long-handed chainmail scrubber from Walmart is ideal for removing tough debris without damaging the grates. Most importantly, remove any rust spots, he adds. 'Sand that spot down to bare metal before seasoning. If you season over the rust, the rust will just bubble through the seasoning again and again.'
Scott continues, 'Then drizzle some oil over paper towels and coat the grill grates. You can also use bacon fat or beef tallow if you prefer. Really work it into the grates, then turn the heat up high. Let the fat cook off, reduce the temperature, and once the grates drop below 300°F, give them another light wipe-down.'
This dual-sided grill brush with sponge from Walmart makes this easier without risking your fingers.
'After that, the grates will be far less likely to have meat or fish stick during cooking, and they’ll also be better protected against rust.'
What to Shop
To make preparing a grill after winter quicker and more efficient, I’ve rounded up six essential tools for properly applying a seasoning layer, removing any built-up rust, so you can head into summer cookouts with a setup that performs as well as it looks.
All prices were correct at the time of publication.
Cast iron grill grates need seasoning much like pans made of the same material. Grapeseed oil is one of the best options as it has a neutral flavour and a high smoke point.
While you can clean a grill without a brush, it is a lot easier with one to remove food debris. This no-scratch brush prevents damage while making clean-up simple. Check for metal bristle debris on your grates before cooking.
When seasoning and cleaning hot grill grates, wear protective heat-proof gloves to avoid burning your skin, and cutting yourself on rough edges.
Seasoning grill grates correctly comes down to acing the temperatures to ensure the seasoning is baked on correctly. This Gozney Infrared Thermometer reads the surface temperature for accurate results.
This rust eraser provides precision when removing surface rust and tarnish. It is not for use on hot cast iron cookware, however, so allow the grates to cool completely before removing rust, and then heat to season.
The ThermoMaven G1 wireless meat thermometer features a versatile smart display base that offers real-time temperature readings. It can withstand the internal meat temperature up to 221°F and the ambient temperature up to 752°F, making it perfect for grilling and roasting.
Meet the Expert
With your grill clean and seasoned, next, organize your barbecue equipment to keep your outdoor kitchen tidy.
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