Memorial Day weekend. Graduations and Father’s Day. The Fourth of July.
Summer gives us a lot of chances to break out your Weber Grill in New Jersey, and a lot chances for our grills to get dirty. Even when there isn’t a holiday on the calendar, warm weather and outdoor cooking go hand-in-hand.
Before you plan your next BBQ, read our tips for properly maintaining your grill.
- Wipe down the outside of the grill’s lid with paper towels and a cleaner. Use glass cleaner for grills with porcelain-coated lids and a stainless steel cleaner for stainless steel lids. With stainless steel grills, buff with the grain, using a microfiber towel. Never use harsh chemicals or scouring pads. These can damage the stainless steel.
- Clean the side tables using a microfiber towel. If they’re made from stainless steel, clean with a stainless steel cleaner – once again, buffing with the grain. If your grill tables are made from thermoset plastic, use warm water and dish detergent.
- To clean the cooking grates, wait for the grill to cool completely, and then clean them with a nylon grill brush.
- If you’re doing a deep clean of the grill – something you should do once a year – you can clean your grates this way: mix 2 cups of vinegar with a cup of baking soda in a garbage bag. Put the grates in the bag and let them soak overnight. Remove them and rinse them with water. Any residue stuck to the grates should come off easily.
- Before cooking, burn off any food residue on the grill by turning your burners to the highest setting for 15 minutes. At this temperature, anything on your grill will turn to ash, and will be easy to brush away with a grill brush.
- Put down a grill pad before you begin cooking. This will protect your patio or your deck from grease that doesn’t make it to the drip pan.
- If you’re using a charcoal grill, line the kettle basin with aluminum foil. When you finish grilling and the coals/ash have cooled, simply wrap them up and throw away the foil. Wash out the kettle and add new foil for your next cookout.
- If you’re using a gas grill, follow the rules of safety. Never force excess propane into a liquid propane cylinder. Inspect your hoses for gas leaks every time you use the grill, and use a soap and water solution – never a flame – to check for leaks.
- Set your grill in a well-ventilated space at least 10 feet from any buildings, while making sure all the parts of the grill are in place atop a stable surface. Keep it away from combustible surfaces or dry leaves.
- Clean your Weber Grill in New Jersey after every use. With a gas grill, remove the bottom tray, place it over a trash can, and scrape away excess grease. For charcoal grills, remember to empty the ash pans after you finished cooking. Ashes can absorb moisture and lead to premature rusting.
If you’re ready to grill but need propane, Mendham Garden Center has you covered. Our facility in Chester, NJ features a propane filling station, which can handle smaller containers as well as 100-lbs tanks. Our location in Mendham has a propane exchange station, so you can bring in your old tank and trade it for a full tank.
Contact us today for more information, and happy grilling!