Ask the Expert

WM: How do you start off on the right foot?
RS: Grills with stainless steel grids will come out of the factory with a thin coat of oil on them. Before cooking, turn your grill to high—it will smoke like an old wood stove. When the smoking stops turn off the grill, let it cool and wash it with regular dish soap—then you’re ready to go. Cast iron grids need tempering to prevent cracking due to thermal expansion. Start the grill on medium heat for a few minutes, then shut it off and let it cool down. Next go to medium-high heat, let it cool, then to high.  

WM: What’s the best way to keep your grill clean?
RS: Take a typical stiff wire brush to it. You won’t hurt either stainless steel or cast iron girds with it. Scrape off any food bits first then flip the brush over and give it a good hard brush. Both stainless and cast iron grids will stain, but that won’t do any harm to your food.

WM: Any other maintenance tips?
RS: It’s a good idea to take the cooking grills off to get down to the burners. After normal use, the burner holes that let the gas fuel through will clog—take a nail or pin and clean out the holes along the length of the burner. This will ensure an even heat across the grill. Also, all barbecues will have charcoal tray and drip pan—food that gets past burners will collect here. Grease that collects could catch fire, so cleaning it out is important.

WM: How do you maintain an even heat?
RS: Make sure the burners are clean and gas is flowing through them freely. On a good high-end grill, the controls will work and you’ll get heat where you want it. Specialty retailers are the best places to get a high-end barbecues.