9 Tips To Care For Your Outdoor Grilling Station

Summer is the season to enjoy the outdoors. So naturally, one of the first things that come to mind as the temperature rises is hosting summer BBQs with family and friends. A hearty laugh and the aroma of grilled food wafting by are utterly soothing to the senses. However, what really can make the overall summer BBQ experience more memorable is planning and having the outdoor table for the grill in tip-top condition. 

A well-maintained outdoor grilling table will improve its functionality and longevity and bring the best flavors out of what you cook. Whether you have a charcoal grill or gas, keeping it clean and maintained is the key to delicious and enjoyable outdoor cooking. 

But how do you take ‘care’ of your outdoor grilling station at home? Here we’ve listed a few tips on how to take care of your outdoor table for grilling to enhance your summer BBQ experience. 

9 Super-efficient Tips on How to Care for Your Outdoor Grill

Below are nine simple tips for caring for your outdoor gourmet grill. 

Invest in a grill cover and cleaning kit

Firstly, to properly care for your outdoor grilling station, it is essential to invest in a good quality grill cover that fits snugly along with a cleaning kit. A cover can help prevent your grill from getting rusty from rain or water leaks and protect it from any external dangers. 

Therefore, keeping your outdoor grilling station covered when not in use is advisable. Moreover, having a good grill cleaning kit that includes proper tools, products, and brushes is important for best cleaning possible. 

Just make sure that you choose tools that won’t scratch or ruin your grill’s finish. Similarly, avoid chemicals that may be a bit harsh to clean your grill surface. 

Oil your grill before and after use

The next step after cleaning is oiling your grill grates before and even after cooking. It is essential to avoid food from sticking and the grill from rusting. After all, who wants food with rusty and off taste? 

Therefore, oiling outdoor gourmet grill grates before and after use is essential to ensure optimal performance. To do this:

• You can use an oil spray or a brush to grease your grates evenly. 
• However, make sure you don’t use too much oil since excess oil dripping off from the grill can potentially cause a nasty flare-up.

Avoid seasoning the food on the grill

Another essential outdoor gourmet grill caring tip is to avoid directly seasoning the food while it’s on the grill. The seasoning particles such as spices, salt, and sauces can accumulate at the bottom of the grill resulting in a stricter clean-up job. Plus, it may clog your gas line and affect the taste of your food. 

Clear away the tray and kettle basin

After every use, check the dripping tray and kettle basin of the outdoor grilling station for any buildup. For instance, if it’s a charcoal grill, scoop out ash or remaining charcoal pieces from the kettle basin. Likewise, check accumulation in your dripping tray for gas grills, and if necessary, use a plastic scraper to remove excess grease. 

Line the kettle basin with foil

Even better, it is advisable to line the kettle basin of the charcoal grill with an aluminum foil. Lining the kettle with aluminum foil can reduce your cleaning efforts. After finishing the grill, you can quickly wrap the coals and ash in the aluminum foil and toss them in the bin without scoping out the ash or scrubbing the kettle.

Fire up the grill 

Before cleaning the outdoor grilling station, fire it up for a few minutes to let the flames naturally burn off residue and stuck-on food. After that, carefully scrub off the grill surface with a brush to remove the leftover.

Regularly maintain the outdoor table for the grill

Depending on your usage, carry out proper maintenance of your outdoor grilling station every few months. Neglecting the maintenance cycle of your grill can result in a mess, with small food particles stuck on the interiors of the grill that can be colonies of bacteria. Moreover, the residual food can cause significant fire hazards and severe health conditions too. 

Begin with checking if all parts of your grill are functioning correctly. If there are any broken parts or leakage, fix them right away. Moreover, if you have a gas grill, regularly inspect the fuel line for any holes or cracks and replace it if necessary. Finally, turn off the main gas valve at your meter to clear out the excess gas from the pipeline. 

In addition, regularly clean your outdoor gourmet grill to keep it sparkling. You can use any heavy-duty grill cleaning sprays or make a homemade all-purpose cleaning solution to clean your grill. After cleaning, leave your BBQ grill to heat up for 15-20 minutes. This will help burn off any residue from cleaning.

Regular maintenance of the outdoor grilling station is essential to keep your grill operating safely while extending its longevity and ensuring you mouth-watering food.

Deep clean the grill

Every six months or once a year, disassemble all the parts of your grills for deep cleaning. 

If you're an American outdoor grill or basic charcoal grill, begin with scrubbing off the grill grates and dripping trays. Then:

• Choose a suitable brush to scrape away food residue depending on the surface metal. 
• Then place the grates and other parts of the grills on a newspaper and spray them with a heavy-duty BBQ and American outdoor grill cleaning spray to dissolve charred and burnt-on food. 
• Wipe them off with a clean cloth before placing them back on the grill. 
• For the exteriors of the grill, use a paper towel and a glass or stainless steel cleaning spray to remove any stains or marks.
• Likewise, to deeply clean your gas grill, remove the gas burner plates and soak them in a soapy solution. 
• Then to remove rust, corrosion, and debris from the fuel holes on the gas burners, use a wire brush or wooden toothpick. 
• After cleaning the burners, use a damp cloth and a heavy-duty burner cleaning spray to remove stubborn stains from the gas surface.

Place your grill in a safe area

Lastly, secure your outdoor table for grilling in a safe area away from trees to avoid any damage. Also, ensure you place your grill away from water sprinklers or water sources to prevent rust. Finally, keeping your outdoor gourmet grill under the shade is best. 

DIY Tips for Cleaning Outdoor Grilling Station

These DIY outdoor grill-cleaning tips are sure to leave your grill squeaky clean the next time you use: 

#1. Mix white vinegar and water in equal quantities in a spray bottle to dissolve grease and grime. Make sure your grill grates are excellent before spraying the solution.

#2. Dip the grill grates in a plastic tub with a 2:1 mix of white vinegar and baking soda. Leave them overnight and rinse off the following day. This will help to break down grease and carbon.

#3. Attach onion or lemon to a fork and rub it on the warm grill grates to remove grease and stuck-on food.

#4. Pour beer over the grill grates and scrub it off with a stainless steel brush. Since beer is acidic with a low pH level, it can help remove stubborn grease. 

#5. If you're an American outdoor grill, then cover the grill completely with newspapers soaked in warm water and close its lid to give. Keep it shut for 20-30 minutes to give it nice steam. 

#6. Soak your grates and other parts in coffee to remove stubborn food remains. Coffee helps to loosen up thick dirt.

#7. Use absorbent materials such as ground coffee or sand to collect oils, grease, and fats from the container before throwing them in the trash bin. 

Takeaways

You will need to invest some time to protect your outdoor grilling station. Regular cleaning and maintenance are the keys to keeping your grill working well for years and enjoying the mouth-watering flavors of your food. The tips mentioned above can help care for your outdoor gourmet grill in the best possible way.