Dirty cooking grates or Flavorizer bars are not only unsightly, but they can also ruin your grilling experience by causing flare ups, food to stick, and also shorten the lifespan of the parts. Minor rust or surface corrosion can also usually be removed by cleaning the grates and Flavorizer bars. Properly cleaning and maintaining cooking grates and Flavorizer bars is easy, and of great benefit.
COOKING GRATES
We recommend cleaning your cooking grates every time you use your grill.
Simply preheat the grill on high for 15 minutes, with the lid closed, and then brush the grates clean with a Weber Stainless Steel Grill Brush.
For a more thorough cleaning, use our Grate Grill Cleaner and scrubber pads, found here (US) or here (Canada), after the grill has completely cooled.
Q: Can I clean my grates in my self-cleaning oven?
A: Due to the amount of debris and cooking residue that can be stuck to the cooking grates, we advise against cleaning them in a self-cleaning oven, as doing so could create a large and dangerous amount of smoke.
Q: Can I clean my grates with aluminum foil?
A: Using foil to clean your cooking grates is not recommend.
There’s an outdated, and potentially dangerous, practice that promoted cleaning cooking grates by laying aluminum foil on the grates, turning the grill to high, and letting it run for a while.
Doing so is a safety concern.
Laying the foil on the grates can alter the proper ventilation of heat from the grill, which can lead to damage of the internal components, and create a dangerous situation.
Click here for more information pertaining to using foil.
FLAVORIZER BARS
To clean your Flavorizer Bars, allow your grill to cool completely, then scrape the Flavorizer Bars with a plastic scraper.
If necessary, you can brush the Flavorizer Bars with a Weber Stainless Steel Grill Brush.
For a more thorough cleaning, use our Grate Grill Cleaner and scrubber pads, found here (US) or here (Canada), after the grill has completely cooled.
Also, keep in mind that Flavorizer Bars can rust due to their exposure to high heat and food drippings. They don’t need to be replaced unless they have holes or cracks in them.
Click here for more info on this topic.
To learn more about cleaning the inside of your grill, click here.