Does barbecue season ever go away in Australia, not the delicious aromas coming from the neighbours every decently sunny day means anything.
However, chances are you’ll need to clean the grime, grease and fat before you can begin to flame if you are a regular barbecue bandit, or even just like to fire it up once a month.
To put you on the front foot for taking your entertaining to the next level, Dan Cooper, grill master and Weber culinary manager, provides a breakdown on how to keep your barbecue looking – and performing its best.
The basics
“Charcoal, pellet, electric and gas all require slightly different methods of cleaning depending on the individual components,” highlights Cooper.
Firstly, he says to ensure you have the proper tools and equipment…
“My cleaning arsenal always comprises a barbecue brush to clean in between grates and tight spaces, a cookbox scraper for loosening any greasy build-ups, microfibre cloths, protective gloves, along with an enamel or stainless-steel cleaner.”
Burn it off
Some cleaning tips apply to all types of barbecues, such as the ‘burn off’ technique, explains Cooper. “This involves heating your barbecue at maximum heat for 30 minutes to burn off any residual grease and fat.”
Before cleaning, allow your barbecue to completely cool down to avoid burning yourself, he warns. “No matter your barbecue type, you’ll also likely use the same process to clean your grates.”
The burn off will do most of the hard work for you by loosening any debris or grime, notes Cooper. “For a deeper clean, remove the grates and scrub them using a natural bristle brush to remove any grilled-on grub.”
“Spray them down with a specialist cleaning solution or wash them with warm, soapy water and rinse thoroughly before returning them to the barbecue.”
He says a thorough wipe down of the exterior is also required, regardless of the type of barbecue you have. Only once its cool, use warm, soapy water and a clean cloth to tackle any dirt or grime – and allow to dry before applying an enamel or stainless-steel cleaner for a sparkling result.
Pellet barbecue
Pellet barbecue often require more maintenance than gas, suggests Cooper.
“This is because the pellets produce a fine ash that needs to be regularly cleaned out; there are also several metal components that must be disassembled to clean them thoroughly.”
Once you’ve allowed it to cool, remove the grates and diffuser plates. He continues. “Using a scraper or brush, clear any accumulated ash and grease from inside the cookbox.”
“This prevents airflow blockages and ensures consistent heat for the best, most flavourful food.”
Next, empty and clean the grease trays using warm, soapy water to eliminate any greasy build up, which can cause flare-ups and unpleasant smells if left, underlines Cooper.
“Don’t forget to clean out the burn pot to keep your cooking as efficient as possible,” he adds.
Gas and electric barbecues
Gas and electric are easy to maintain, says Cooper. “That being said, regular cleaning is required to prevent grease fires, which aren’t only dangerous, but can damage your barbecue.”
Once you’ve allowed your grill to cool down, he says to disconnect the power source or gas bottle and remove any internal metal components, including the grates, flavorizer bars and diffuser plates.
“This gives you access to the cookbox and makes it easier to thoroughly clean it out,” he advises.
“Clean out the cookbox by carefully scraping debris and grease off the sides and bottom of the grill into the slide-out grease tray below the cookbox.
He continues: “Consider using a slim brush to clean the hard-to-reach areas, that are common in gas and electric grills.”
One of the most important jobs you should focus on is cleaning the grease trays, urges Cooper, as excessive accumulation of grease is a fire hazard.
“Once cooled, remove the tray and safely discard the fat and carbonised detritus.”
Charcoal barbecues
Charcoal barbecues are also simple to maintain, although they need to be cleaned after every use due to the ash…which can make it dirty work, highlights Cooper.
“Before starting the cleaning process, allow coal and ash to go completely cold and ensure there are no embers still alight.
“Next, riddle the ash from the barbecue bowl into the ash pan beneath the grill and then dispose of spent ash and coals into a metal ash bin.”
He says cleaning the grates is light work if you use the burn-off technique.
“Remove any excess debris or build up left on the grates using a barbecue brush – this is important because any residue left on the grate could cause food to stick during future grilling.
“Lastly, check the vents aren’t clogged and they can open and close freely to ensure you’re able to properly control the airflow during cooking.”
Do you have any cleaning tips to add? Why not share them in the comments section below?
Also read: Barbecue tips to take your cooking to the next level
– With Sam Wylie-Harris
My gas BBQ is cleaned every time that it is used using the following method. Clean the solid plate using a 150mm paint scraper and a pair of old balled up socks to remove excess grease after use while the plate is hot. At next use, I use a stainless steel wire brush to clean the open grill with the flame lit and tap water on the solid plate when it is hot and again clean with old socks (or towel offcuts) …. beware of the steam. Each year both cooking plates are thoroughly stripped back with a wire brush on the angle grinder.
I watched a Council worker clean the public stainless steel BBQs using a brush attached to a cordless drill and this did a brilliant job and was very quick. Just a quick wipe down after that and it was ready for use again.