Show your grill a little TLC | Stories from Asia

Much like a beloved pet, your Weber grill is very much part of the family. So should you one day find, upon lifting its protective dust covers, discover that it's plastered with stains, or worst yet, surface rust, you’d naturally be quite upset.

However, it’s something a little TLC can prevent. Imagine a car enthusiast spending time in the garage restoring vintage wheels: taking the afternoon off for some one-on-one time with your Weber grill is just as therapeutic. When you invest time in taking care of the grill, it’ll return the favor with consistently delicious grills for a long, long time.

Looks matter when it comes to your grill. If the cover or external surface of your grill is dirty or stained, chances are it will evolve into more serious damage if not taken care of. Porcelain-coated lids can be wiped down with glass cleaner and paper towels. For stainless steel surfaces like lids and the Spirit series’ stainless steel fold-down side tables, buff with the grain using a microfiber towel. Plastic side tables like the ones on the portably stylish Q2000 gas grill only require a gentle wipe using a mix of warm water and dishwashing liquid to get it spotless.

Next, the cookbox. While it might feel like the Everest of grill cleaning, the pay-off in terms of your grill’s performance will be worth it. Not to be done when the grill is hot—because you’ll need to remove your cooking grates and Flavorizer bars, you’ll need the Cookbox Scraper to loosen any build-ups from inside the grill. Once they have been dislodged, use the scraper to sweep the debris and any excess grease into your grill’s grease management system.

Lastly—your grates. It’s good practice to always clean it after every grill. If, for whatever reason, you couldn’t and are now faced with bits of last week’s burger patties stuck on the bars of the grates, there’s no need to stress. Just as you would after a grilling sesssion, simply turn on all your burners to high for about 15 minutes. When your grill hits high temperatures, the food debris will then simply be burnt and turn to ash. Just brush off whatever’s remaining, if any, using a stainless steel Grill Brush. It won’t take more than a minute, we promise.

If you’re looking to do an even more thorough cleanse, you can soak the grates in hot water then use dishwashing liquid to get it squeaky and almost new. Word of caution though: avoid using soaps with citrus as they promote corrosion on your cast iron grates!