I just bought a new house with a wonderful backyard and I'm ready to buy a grill and start dining out there. I haven't yet decided whether to buy a charcoal or gas grill. But once I make that decision, what's the best way to clean and maintain it so I can get the most use and enjoyment out if it?
"Both charcoal and gas grills have their advantages and disadvantages," says Cody Garner, a manager with Antique Brick Outdoors in Little Rock.
"The main reason more people are going to gas grills is for the convenience they offer," he says. "If you are entertaining guests, no one likes to smell like a fireplace. And they are easy to turn on and off."
And as more women are grilling now, the gas grill is the less dirty, more appealing option.
"But there are still a lot of guys who are more interested is getting the flavor charcoal provides and who enjoy the process of grilling that way," Garner says.
No matter the method, taking proper care of the grill is the key to getting the most life out of it.
"For the manufacturer to be able to stand behind their warranty and for me as the salesman to have a grill perform the way I say it will, the owner has to properly maintain it," Garner says. "Just like you keep the stove top in the kitchen clean, you have to do the same with the grill outside."
Cleaning the grill on a regular basis actually helps in a several ways besides extending the life of the appliance. First, the taste of the food cooked on clean grates will be at its best, and by cleaning the grill, food will not stick to it, preventing burning or mangling.
A charcoal grill should be cleaned with a wire brush after each use. Regular users of a gas grill need to clean, not just the grates with a wire brush, but the entire unit once a month, Garner says.
"Turning the grill on high will clean the grates but there's a lot of fatty foods being thrown on the grates and all that grease is collecting in the bottom pan," he says.
For the monthly cleaning, the grates should be put in a dishwasher and the burners removed (Garner says most modern
grills have a quick-release
button to take them out) so the
pan beneath the burners can be reached.
"The easiest way to do it is to take a spatula and scrape all that's collected in the pan into one corner and just wipe it out with paper towels," Garner says. Once everything is cleaned and returned to its place, the burner can then be set on high to remove any remaining debris.
Those who don't properly maintain their grills risk having a grease fire, Garner says.
"And a grease fire burns so hot that it can not only harm the metal grill but also the electronics inside -- like the digital thermometer," he says.
When it comes to maintaining the grill, do not neglect the exterior. With some grills, the outer appearance can be touched up with spray paint while the exterior of stainless-steel grills can be spruced up with a stainless-steel cleaner.
Do you have a decorating or remodeling question? We'll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Linda S. Haymes, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or email:
lhaymes@arkansasonline.com
HomeStyle on 07/05/2014