Best Way to Clean Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Grill Grates

Cleaning the grill grates can significantly minimize the accumulation of rust and maintain good quality food while grilling.

With every use, you want to clean your grates, but at least once a year, you can also do a thorough cleaning process.

Cleaning may not have to be a nuisance, but you should be cautious about how to tidy it based on the kind of grill grates you are using.

Dirty grates can impact the food’s taste and can retain bacteria that can cause sickness.

Our simple tips teach you how to clean your grates throughout the year for tasty barbeque recipes.

Porcelain grill grills retain decent heat and are impact resistant, but you should keep them clean.

Any porcelain chips or scrapes can expose the metal below and allow water to flood in, which can cause rust. So be mindful not to scrape or nick up the grates while cooking with metal equipment.

Do not use metal or wire brushes when washing porcelain grills. Use a soft bristle, or clean with a nylon brush. Burn off some remaining food on the grates.

Then let the grates cool down and clean them with a nylon brush. I will explain all the steps to clean porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates in detail in this blog article. Keep reading to find out more!

In this world, our day-to-day lives take us through different spheres everyday which holds its own significance in our life. It can be the gardens where you love to cherish the moments with nature of your workplace where you enjoy the work you do, your friend’s place where you can be your original self without any fear of judgement or your own home and its comfort. Each of it holds its own importance in our lives. One more such place where food is cooked with love for your loved ones is Kitchen.

Kitchen is that place which holds its own special place in everybody’s heart, especially in hearts of those who are foodie people like me or those who are very passionate about cooking. I love cooking and thus, I am the one seeking perfection and orderliness at that place with all the necessary things being available for the dish I’m planning to cook. And one of the most important and basic things needed for the cooking purposes is definitely Cookware.

I’m very specific about checking the quality of cookware I’m using as it can definitely affect the quality of food we eat/cook in it which can in turn affect our health. Thus, we definitely need to be specific about the brand of cookware we are purchasing and also the metal of which the cookware is made.

One of the best metal which I have realised by using overtime that would be best for cookware sets is Cast Iron. This is the metal which has been used since ages but was not earlier used by the grill manufacturers. However, fortunately what I have noticed as a recent change of pattern is that Cast Iron is now used by grill manufacturers as well, thus giving us a great combination as a solution to all our grilling related issues.

Thus, the benefits of cast iron like it’s unmatched durability, the nutrient component it adds on to the food and that too with its inexpensive rates. However, maintenance of it remains an important point which needs to be taken care of.

A high-maintenance affair

The combination of grilling grates and cast iron did give us an almost perfect solution as cast iron’s superior heat transfer quality does render us almost perfect grilling. But still some points regarding the maintenance of it need to be well understood. One of the greatest, though unavoidable enemies of grill is moisture. The porcelain coating turned out to be a solution to this as it do not hinders the heat transfer for grilling and also protects its surface from any harmful elements which might affect its quality. Thus, it proves to be very beneficial for cast grilling.

Porcelain Power

Now since anything which is beneficial will also have some or the other drawbacks about which we need to be careful. And the same goes with porcelain coating too. Though it helps in protecting the metal from any harmful elements and makes its cleanup easy, it also requires some of the precautions to be taken because of the delicacy of porcelain enamel whose protective quality will be compromised if more brittle and abrasive chemicals are used to clean it.

But don’t fret!

The following section would specify the precaution which you should take and how you should take it. And then you are all set to use it to its utmost best.

So, here we go!

One of the major precautions you need to take is to be while you are cleaning the grill grates. You should generally make sure to use a delicate yet firm dry scrub to clean the grates. The following section would list out some of the best methods for cleaning the grill grates to ensure the durability of your cookware which has porcelain coating.

Cleaning Porcelain Grill Grates Using Brushes

Like I had mentioned earlier, one must be careful while cleaning porcelain grates. Chipping the enamel from porcelain allows the cast iron to rust underneath.

Don’t use a wire brush or scraper tool and avoid steel wool.

Companies also sell porcelain-safe brushes with stainless steel bristles but remember that the porcelain might be delicate. Such tools’ abrasive nature creates cracks in the enamel, which contributes to rusting.

If you don’t have one, use a brush with brass bristles. Brass brushes are smoother than wire, and the porcelain is less likely to be damaged.

Different grill grate styles, such as stainless steel gratings, have separate recommendations for maintenance, but these instructions work on most other grate types.

Steps to Clean Porcelain Grill Grates after Every Use

Keep in mind to clean your grill each occasion you use porcelain cooking grills to ensure the dirt does not collect with time on your grates. If it gets accumulated, it may have a detrimental impact on the food’s flavour and even become a fire risk. Follow the steps mentioned below to ensure that your porcelain grill grates are clean and tidy after every use:

• Turn up the heat on the grill: This step helps you to burn the grime and the leftover food particles off the surface.
• Turn the heat down: Start cleaning off the cooking oil as well as the leftover food while the surface stays warm or hot.
• Clean diagonally for better results.

Remember to use a brass or nylon grill brush along with a scouring pad or toothbrush for small areas. Make use of gloves, potholders, or cooking mitts to avoid burns.

This process is useful after each grilling session for the regular grillers to start practising. It is convenient and doesn’t need any cleaner, just hot temperatures and scrubbing.

How to Burn Off the Debris

Turn the heat up on the grill after cooking, and close the lid. Let the grill burn off the bits of grease and food.

Turn off the heat after ten to fifteen minutes, then open the cover. Let the grates cool off a bit, then scrub with a scraper or grill cleaner to clear the remaining ash.

How to Soak the Grates

I would recommend you to take the grates out of the grill a few times a year to use the soaking process for exceptional thorough cleaning.

You can do this with the help of a large container, kitchen sink, or a bathtub.

Add some hot water and around half a cup of baking soda with some splashes of dish soap and mix properly.

Place the grates in the mixture and allow to soak them for an hour or so. Scrub and then dry all parts of the grates.

How to Clean Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Grill Grates with Vinegar

The acidity vinegar contains helps in eliminating grease left on porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates. Make a vinegar grate cleaner easily in your home using stuff you already have in the kitchen.

For cleaning your porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates with vinegar, you will need:

• • Half cup of apple cider or white vinegar
  • One cup of water
  • Nylon or brass grill brush
  • Bowl or spray bottle

Steps

1. Mix the vinegar and water
2. Pour it into a spray bottle or container for the DIY grill cleaner.
3. Either instantly spray the solution onto the grates, or soak your brush into the bucket.
4. Begin scrubbing the grill grates diagonally and observe the grime begin to vanish. Make sure to clean the rack from both ends. This remedy is a natural stove quick fix to give you a clean grill free of grease and oil.
5. Use vinegar to clean the barbecue grills grates too. Turn the heat on after each use to burn off unwanted grease and let it cool.
6. Soak the grates overnight in a 1:2 vinegar solution, in a big bucket or plastic tub.
7. Scrub it the next day with a nylon or brass cleaner and scrub out with warm water. This approach is comparable to washing the oven racks with the vinegar in your dishwasher.
8. Note: Vinegar can leave a smell or taste on your grates, and may significantly impact food taste. Switch the fire on again after bringing the grates back to burn off the vinegar that is left over.

How to Clean Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Grill Grates with Dish Washing Soap

As you might already know, dishwashing soap is the most effective grease cleaning solution.

The dish soap starts to break down fats and oils quickly. What is more greasy than a filthy grill?

For cleaning your porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates with dish soap, you will need:

• 1 gallon of warm water
• 2 capfuls of dish soap
• Nylon or brass bristle brush
• Hose

Steps

1. Mix warm water and soap
2. Dip the brush into the soapy water and scrub the grime clear. This approach is ideal for grill grates of all forms, including stainless steel.
3. Simply wash with a hose before re-cooking on the grill. Dish soap makes a perfect soaking cure for food stuck on, as well as grease.
4. Rinse off the grill grate and lightly brush it
5. Use a dish soap solution to soak up overnight.
6. Then clean it again in the morning.
7. And finally, use a vinegar rinse before using the grate again to eliminate the soapy residue.

How to Clean Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Grill Grates with Baking Soda

If you already have baking soda in a kitchen cupboard, why not make good use of it while trying to clean?

The texture of baking soda is perfect for removing dirt and grime stuck on grill grates.

After any barbeque, this solution is so simple that you might want to start using it.

If you don’t have any vinegar with you, baking soda is a great alternative. For cleaning your porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates with baking soda, you will need:

• One cup of baking soda
• Half cup of water
• Nylon or brass bristle brush
• Hose or bucket of water and washcloth

Steps

1. To make a smooth paste suitable for cleaning porcelain grill grills, mix the baking soda and water.
2. Apply this soft abrasive straight to the grates
3. Wipe off particles with your brush
4. Flip over the grate, and repeat, if necessary.
5. When you have scrubbed off the grime, use a hose or bucket of water and a washcloth to clean off the leftover baking soda.

Following are some more ways as per my observation which would effectively clean your grill grates. You can pick anyone of it which suits you best:

Use Baking Soda solution to remove the grease

Sometimes it might be possible that your grates are extremely dirty. In that case, do not apply any abrasive method but instead try the baking soda solution. Make a paste of it by mixing about 6 tablespoons of baking soda with warm water, quantity being around 2 ounces and apply that paste to the iron grates. Leave it for some considerable time and then try cleaning it using the bristle grill brush. It will now be cleaned. All you now need to do is wash the paste and then you will be all set to cook.

Martin Grill Gadget Universal Barbeque Grill Scraper

The Martin Grill Gadget Universal Barbeque Grill Scraper is one of the most effective innovations which could help in cleaning the grill grate. This is because it not only helps in cleaning it much easily, but also because it frees you from the risk of the loss of bristles. Thus, you don’t have to fear it being added to your food as the spices which are not at all welcomed.

Also its design makes it one of the modern gadgets to be used in your homes and it also has grooves which are of different sizes. Thus, you can use the one as per the need depending on how dirty your grill grates is. And these grooves are soft and thus, you really do not have to care about compromising with the quality of your delicate porcelain coating. The shaft of this gadget is made up of aluminium which renders it even more strong and durable. The lifetime warranty of this product holds testimony to that.

Use tin foil to clean the grates

It might be the case that you don’t have the grill brush to clean the grill grates but that won’t be a problem because there is an effective and a readily available substitute for that. What you can do is take a piece of tin foil and mould it into a ball shape thing. Then once the grill grates cool down, you can clean the grill plates using the tin foil ball. It will be almost as effective as the brush would be and thus, it will work fine.

Weber Grill Cleaner Spray

Weber is one of the most renowned companies in the world when it comes to being the manufacturers of the grills and related products and cleaning spray is not an exception. They also offer the Weber grill cleaner spray in the market which turns out to be one of the best solutions when it comes to cleaning the grill grates. And if your grill is also from the Weber brand, in that case, what could be better than the Weber Grill Cleaner Spray to clean the grills. It would be the most effective option as it will turn out to be a combination that would be capable of cleaning the toughest of the grill grimes.

If you are using this spray, you would also not need extra fuel for keeping the grill grates hot as this spray is effective to even clean the cool grates. This spray would prove ideal to clean grill grates made up of any metal, be it cast iron or aluminium and its USDA certification proves that it won’t be of any harm to anyone’s body by causing any sort of skin irritation or inflammation. Thus, this spray is definitely one of best cleaning options.

Konestar 3-in-1 Grill Brush

This is yet another one of the best choices when it comes to choosing the method to clean the grill grates. This brush has three bristles which makes it effective to choose any angle and clean every particle of dirt from the grills. The handle of this brush is 18 inches long. It is structured that way so as to ensure that your hand is at a safe distance from the hot grills. Thus, it ensures your safety as well as the safe and effective cleaning.

The wire of this brush is made up of aluminium which won’t cause any harm to the porcelain coatings, hence, relieving you from that fear. The three-in-one brush along with the way in which they are structured increases the speed of cleaning the grates because its structure helps in simultaneous cleaning of the top, bottom and the sides of the grill. Also, you can be sure about the durability of this brush as it is made using aluminium and the standard quality plastic material.

Thus, the above stated are some of the best options which would not only result in completely clean grill grates but would also ensure that the quality of the porcelain coating of your cast iron grill grates is not at all compromised.

So, the above stated section fulfills the purpose of this article and thus, we finally move towards the conclusion of this article.

How to Make Grate Scrapping Easier

Your kitchen consists of a variety of products and supplies that are ideal for DIY ideas. For your DIY grill scrapper, you will need:

• Aluminium foil
• Tongs (optional)
• Any cleaning solution mentioned in this article (optional)

If you can not find a soft bristle cleaner, use a different method to clean your grills. Aluminium foil can scrape off the gunk and grease from your porcelain grills. Just roll the aluminium into a ball that’s wide enough to handle without scratching the grates.

Make sure your hand and the grill have plenty of aluminium foil between them to prevent burns. Use tongs to catch the aluminium, or use this method only after the grill has completely cooled to ensure your protection.

I would suggest you to try applying a cleaning solution to the grates. It gives your DIY grill scraper additional cleaning strength.

If you have opted to use a cleaning solution, make sure that the residual product is rinsed to avoid contaminating the potential barbecue food.

Alternatively, try using an old hardwood block that suits your hand well when you finish grilling, to smooth the grates. The wood develops grooves after repetitive use which match perfectly with the grate.

Deep Cleaning

Many people ask me if it is absolutely necessary to deep clean your grill grates even if you clean them after every use.

I would say yes. It is essential, and I would recommend you to deep clean the barbecue grills twice every year. Ideally, you can do it at the start and end of the summer season.

For deep cleaning your porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates, you will need:

• Grate Grill Cleaner
• Nylon or brass bristle brush
• Paper towels or washcloths
• Hose
• Vegetable oil (optional)

Steps

1. Spray Grate Grill Cleaner on your barbecue grill over the porcelain coating.
2. Let it rest for a couple of minutes.
3. Then, begin scrubbing your soft bristle brush off the grime.
4. If necessary, turn the grate over and repeat on the other side. There will most certainly be a leftover waste.
5. Using warm water, hose down the grate.
6. To dry the grates use a paper towel or washcloth to clear the excess grease.
7. After washing, add a thin layer of vegetable oil to season your cast iron grill grates. It’s not mandatory, but the next time you BBQ, it helps prevent food from sticking.

Owing to the vigorous cleaning capacity of the Grate Grill Cleaner, this is the easiest way to clean grill grates. It is also useful for charcoal grills, which in comparison to gas grills may create an extra residue on the underneath of the grates.

Now the BBQ grill will be just as clean as brand new!

In conclusion, I shared the best ways to clean your porcelain cast iron grill grates.

Now you know a few different approaches during the barbecue season to keep your porcelain barbecue grills looking top of the line. Show off and share your clean grills at family BBQ’s and barbecues this summer.

Conclusion

Cookware is one of the basic necessities in the kitchen at any place and the quality of it does have a potential to affect the quality of your food and hence, your health. Thus, you must ensure that it is of the best quality.

When it comes to grill grates, as analysed above, cast iron grill grates with a porcelain coating would definitely work in the best way. However, this best combination comes with some precautions that need to be taken, especially with respect to the cleaning of the grill grates. This is because of the delicate nature of the porcelain.

This article solved that problem for you by stating the best methods you can use for the purpose of cleaning the grill grates. I have tried those and I’m sure that the information about these methods would help you discover which one works best for you. And hence, the purpose of this article is fulfilled.

With this, I’ll take your leave by wishing the best cooking & eating experience and the easiest grill grates cleaning experience.

Keep the grill fresh with tidy grates. I hope you found this article useful.