How to maintain a round cast iron grill

• Posted by Vivien Dai October 21, 2022 Filed in Business #round cast iron grill  95 views
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  Rancid grease. An unpleasant-sounding term, to say the least. But if your grill grates aren't cleaned properly, the fat and oil will build up and rot, and that awful smell will seep into your meat. As you might expect, "rotten grease-smelling" meat is definitely not good.

   

  However, looking after your round cast iron grill is not difficult. By properly seasoning your grill when you first buy it and following a few simple cleaning steps every time you use it, you can easily keep it in top condition.

   

  First time use

  Before you cook on your cast iron grill grates for the first time, you must clean and season them. Seasoning your grates will prevent them from rusting and will also create a non-stick surface.

   

  Let's take a look at what you should do before using the grill for the first time.

   

  To remove any dust, rinse your grill in warm water. Do not use soap. Dry the grates with a towel.

  Using a paper towel or natural bristle paint brush, coat the cast iron with your choice of cooking oil. Many grillers recommend peanut oil because of its high smoke point and low viscosity.

  Place the grill on an unlit grate. Light the coals and bring the cooker up to about 350-400°F and leave it at this temperature for about 40 minutes.

  Take the coals out and allow the cast iron to cool.

  This is the first seasoning. It is recommended that you season your cast iron regularly. Some grillers will season after each cook, while others will leave it for about 4-5 cooks.

   

  Porcelain and stainless steel grills

  Some cookers offer porcelain coated or stainless steel grills. What should you know about these options?

   

  Porcelain coated

  These grills are made from steel or cast iron and then coated with porcelain. This means you can get a non-stick, low-maintenance grill grate.

   

  Some manufacturers claim that these grills also do not need to be seasoned. However, see the manufacturer's instructions to ensure this is the case.

   

  On the downside, some master repairers claim that over time the enamel coating will fade/flake off, exposing bare cast iron or steel. To avoid this, do not use a hard metal scraper on these grilles and be careful not to drop them as this can chip the coating.

   

  Stainless steel

  Stainless steel cannot reach the same high temperatures as cast iron, but it does retain heat well and, if properly cared for, will last almost forever.

   

  Stainless steel also provides a very resilient cooking surface. It can withstand sunlight, moisture and salt without rusting.

   

  As with porcelain, clean-up is easy and there is no need to oil the grill pan.

   

  On the downside, stainless steel may tarnish over time. However, this is not rust and if it does bother you, it will rub off.

   

  Maintaining your round cast iron grill - step-by-step instructions

  What if your grill grates are rusty? How do you clean rusty grill grates and how do you maintain them to ensure they don't rust?

  If your grill grates are rusty.

  First, try scrubbing away the rust with a wire brush. If using a brush seems to take too long, you can try using sandpaper to remove the rust.

  If the rust is really bad, you can buy a rust removal product. If you use one of these, make sure you wash the dish thoroughly to remove all product residue. Dry the baking tray with a towel.

   

  Once you have removed the rust and you can see the bare metal again, it's time to re-season your grates.

  Re-seasoning the griddle

  If you are re-seasoning a rusty griddle, you should also follow these steps. While you can indeed season a griddle in a domestic oven, it may smoke and stink. You may prefer to do this outdoors with a cooker.

   

  Light the charcoal and spread them out evenly.

  Carefully place the grate into the cooker.

  Using a natural bristle brush (nylon bristles will melt), coat the grates with cooking oil. Many bloggers recommend peanut oil. Expect some smoke when the oil hits the hot coals.

  Hold it with tongs and wipe off the excess oil with a piece of cloth, leaving only a thin coating.

  Cover the grill and let it cook for about 30 minutes.

  After 30 minutes, repeat the process of coating the grate and wiping off the excess oil. Cover again for 30 minutes.

  Repeat this step about 4 times. The whole process takes about 2 hours.

  You will be able to tell that the grates have been properly seasoned if they are shiny black.

  A good habit is to clean your cooking utensils after each cooking session.