You’ve noticed that the weather is finally good enough to cook outside, so you decide to take the grill out of the shed. But when you remove the cover, you’re alarmed by the sight of the lid and the grates, which causes you some concern.
It would have been better to thoroughly clean the grill after last year’s barbecue party in September.
But fear not; we’ll show you how to clean your kettle grill in just an hour, allowing safe grilling. Then, we’ll share a few handy tips for keeping it clean throughout the barbecue season.
Why is it important to keep your grill clean
Most people don’t understand that food infections come from poor hygiene conditions during and around cooking, including grilling.
Mould is the biggest problem in grills that haven’t been properly cleaned at the end of the season. Most moulds, except for mushrooms or truffles, are toxic.
These moulds thrive in a moist environment and feed on the fat and food residues left behind in the grill. Mould can cause food poisoning. If it gets into your food, you’ll likely get very sick.
Furthermore, eating charred food could be healthier. We all know that, so we’re careful not to eat blackened meat or as little as possible. But that dirty grate is often forgotten.
That black grate consists of caked-on and charred remnants of fat and food. When we heat the grate again, these remnants can easily come off and end up in your food.
The leftover food residues also attract insects and bacteria after grilling, which leave behind all sorts of things.
These are all clear reasons to keep the grill clean and dry during and after the barbecue season.
How to remove mould from the barbecue
If you see mould in your barbecue, the only solution is to fire up the grill vigorously. Brushing isn’t a good idea because mould is very light and contains spores you can breathe in. Inhaling mould can cause respiratory infections and breathing problems. Burning is, therefore, the best solution.
Start a full charcoal chimney starter with charcoal and pour it into your grill. Close the lid and open the bottom and top air vents fully.
All the moulds will burn and turn into ash. If it gets hot enough, this will also happen with fat and food residues. If your grill is dirty enough, it may start to smoke heavily. Warn your neighbours in advance so they can close their windows.
After the grill has been hot for half an hour, let it cool down and brush everything clean with a stiff brush. If you have a pressure washer, now’s the time to use it. Of course, you can only do this with a steel kettle grill, not with your kamado.
How to prevent mould formation in the barbecue
Your barbecue is now literally spotless and ready for those burgers. But how do you maintain your grill to prevent this during the summer and beyond?
First of all, of course, grilling a lot and often. Mould won’t stand a chance if the grill gets hot enough frequently. Winter grilling has been a thing for a long time. In addition, make sure your grill is stored clean and dry. A cover might seem like a good idea, but it often isn’t. That same cover also keeps the moisture in the grill.
That’s why we keep our grills under a roof with the ventilation holes open so that they can vent a bit. If your grill is still unprotected outside, ensure the cover comes off regularly, preferably to go grilling.
How to keep your grill clean during the season
Keeping the grate clean
The easiest way is to brush the grates just before or after grilling with a steel wire brush. The fat is still soft, making it easy to brush off. Check your brush regularly to ensure all the bristles are still securely attached.
Unfortunately, a piece of steel often ends up in the food.
If you then wipe the grate with a piece of kitchen towel and a little vegetable oil, you’ll also remove the last remnants of soot. Instead of vegetable oil, you can also use an onion or half a lemon. The acid will dissolve any remaining soft fat, making the grate even cleaner.
If you can no longer tell what material the grate is made of, it’s time for the real work. You might be tempted to look for chemicals to make the job easier. We’ve used oven cleaner but have never been really satisfied with the results.
When chemicals are used, real hard pieces of soot and fat always remain, and we always feel like we can taste the oven cleaner in the food even though we’ve rinsed it off twenty times.
It is better to take a flat plastic container large enough to lay the grate flat in it. A drip tray for a washing machine also works well.
Place the grates in the container and fill it with warm water and dish soap until the grate is completely submerged. Let it sit overnight. The next day, brush everything clean with a wire brush and rinse the grate thoroughly.
If the grates are too dirty, put them in a garbage bag, pour a cup of ammonia into the bag, and tie it tightly. The next day, all the fat and soot will be soft again, and you can brush it off easily, leaving the grate looking like new.
Remember to clean the underside of the grate. While the food would be on the other side, it still needs to be clean. Dirt can burn and create soot that, with just a little wind, can end up on your food.
We sometimes put a tray of vegetables or potatoes under the grate. You don’t want bits of old fat getting on the grilled zucchini.
We don’t clean the coal grates on the bottom. This one takes a beating and is often completely rusted. This grate becomes literally spotless every time. What’s more important is the kettle itself.
Keeping the kettle clean
The inside of the kettle doesn’t need to be cleaned every time, but you shouldn’t forget to do so either, especially if you use the barbecue often. There is a buildup of fat and food residues on the kettle’s surface under the grate and soot above the grate.
It’s best to clean the kettle in stages, starting with the rough work. Use a plastic putty knife or flat piece of wood to scrape caked-on fat and soot downwards. Then remove it through the air inlet into the ashtray.
Empty the ashtray and scrape hard pieces of ash and fat away with a putty knife.
Of course, you should only do this when the ash is completely cooled, and you should definitely not dump the hot ash in a plastic trash can.
If you want it to look like new again, wash it with warm water and dish soap. Then, brush it clean with a scrub sponge. Rinse everything thoroughly and let it dry well.
Don’t use a wire brush if you still have stubborn pieces of dirt that won’t go away. You’ll scratch the enamel layer, making it increasingly difficult to clean in the future. You could also risk that your grill wil rust.
Coat the inside with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda. Let this sit for a while, preferably in the sun, and then you can easily wipe the dirt away.
We also regularly get asked why the paint on the inside of the lid is peeling. That’s not paint but a layer of soot and fat that comes loose and can end up on your food.
Take a plastic putty knife or a flat piece of wood and scrape the soot off the lid. Then, use warm water and soap to wipe it clean with a scrub sponge.
Cleaning the outside of the grill
The inside of your grill is the most important, but you also want to show from the outside that your grill is well-maintained. We do that very simply. While you’re doing the above maintenance, just take care of the outside too.
Warm water, soap, and a scrub sponge are enough. If you don’t want to use as much water, you can use an all-purpose cleaner spray with lemon in it. This degreases, so your little kettle grill will shine again.
A clean grill is just as important as a clean kitchen. A clean grill keeps yourself and your guests healthy, and everything tastes even better.