Taking Care of Your Weber Grill

By: Robert Thomson Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Weber grills, like all appliances, need regular cleaning and maintenance. Take good care of it and it will last you a long time, thereby saving you a lot of dollars on professional maintenance, or if worse comes to worst, buying another set of gas grills.

Ensuring years of optimal performance from your Weber grill is easy. Presented below are some cleaning and maintenance tips that you should regularly perform.

Tools needed for proper grill maintenance

Here are some easily obtainable tools and items that you will need in maintaining your gas grill. You will need a stainless steel wire brush, mild dish soap, a sponge, plastic scraper, a 1 inch putty knife, brass wire grill brush, fine steel wool pads, and some foil catch pan liners. To make your periodic cleanups a breeze, store these items within easy reach of your Weber grill.

Parts to clean

One useful tip when it comes to cleaning cooking grates is to leave the grill on high setting up to the time the smoke stops. Afterwards, use a brass wire grill brush to scrape off any remaining residues. Changing the catch pan liner as needed is also a great way of ensuring your Weber grill to perform as advertised.
Replacement pan liners are available from Weber dealers.

Smoke stains from the grill's side cover and lid should be carefully cleaned off. For the grill lid, gently clean off the stains by using a fine steel wool pad soaked in a soapy solution. The side burner cover is more prone to scratches, so using the steel wool pad is a no-no. Instead, use a dishcloth or a sponge soaked in soapy water.

Another part that needs regular cleaning is the Flavorizer Bars. Cleaning the bars is easy since you actually don't have to separate this part from your grill. You just need to preheat the grill and set it on high to remove unwanted residue. From time to time, it is also recommended to gently scrape or brush the bars using nylon and putty knife.

Cleaning the control panel and warming racks of your Weber grill is also important. Using a fine steel wool pad soaked in warm, soapy water is the best way to keep these parts stain free and clean. Just keep in mind to apply gentle cleaning strokes to prevent the porcelain enamel finish from getting scratched.

The bottom tray is also another part of the Weber grill that needs to be cleaned. Make sure that the tray is cool before taking it off the grill. Cleaning it is as easy as placing it on top of a trash can, then scraping the inside with a flat and straight object such as a putty knife. Gather the residue and force it out of the bottom hole down into the garbage can.

Don'ts

Do not paint the lid. Your Weber grill has a porcelain enamel finish that provides better protection than paint or wax, so there is no need for you to apply wax or paint to the lid. Also, it is important to keep in mind not to use oven cleaners on your grill since it does not mix well with painted surfaces.

Cleaning your gas grill is a breeze. Just follow the tips mentioned above and your Weber grill will surely last a long and problem free life.