Clean thing
Cleaning the grill – tips that work squeaky clean
Many barbecues in Germany look something like this in the morning after a hearty garden party. It is very easy to clean the grate in the evening.
© Jan Sägert
The barbecue season is coming to an end – but even in autumn there is still smoking and sizzling in the German gardens. After grilling, the grate should be carefully cleaned and winterized. Three tips that work like a charm.
The will to grill is unbroken. In the mild autumn of 2023, there will still be a lot of smoke in the gardens and on terraces at the weekend. Because one thing is clear: a chilled Pilsner needs a juicy grilled rump steak. Basta. But even the fine meat from organic farmers leaves ugly black marks on the grill grate. Every time. These could be eliminated immediately after eating with little effort. But who likes to do that on a warm late summer evening when friends are visiting and the children are in bed. At late hours, the grill often simply remains standing or disappears, covered in ash and grease, in the garage, shed or under a tarpaulin. The problem: The sticky black-brown fat and food residue from the evening solidifies overnight and can then only be removed with a lot of effort. Unless you know a trick that will restore the grill grate to its former glory in no time, even after a few days. Do not you know? We do.
1. Soak the meadow overnight
As difficult as it may be, if you want to enjoy your grill and grate for as many years as possible, you have to do it again after the last pilsner. But don’t worry, the wire brush can stay where it is at an advanced hour. For the most famous but also most effective trick, the lazy grill master only needs his two hands and a piece of grass. Grab the grill grate and place it in the grass. If the air temperature drops below the dew point overnight, the excess water from the air condenses on the blades of grass. So you simply soak the dirty grid. In the warm, moist meadow even stubborn meat residues come off the rust. The morning after, the griller might have a hangover – but a rag and sponge are enough to wipe the last charred shreds of the lamb chops from the stainless steel bars.
2. Wrap in damp newspaper
Even though gas grills have been on the rise for years, traditionalists swear by the traditional charcoal grill. The taste of the grilled food, roasting aromas and similar things can certainly be discussed excellently. It is undisputed that a charcoal grill grate is significantly more difficult to clean than a gas grill. For our second tip, you should leave a small supply of (traditional) newspaper (not magazines) near the grill. After grilling, soak a few leaves in water, wrap the grate in several layers and leave the whole thing overnight.
Important: Leave the dirty one Cool the grill rack thoroughly before packing it up.
The next morning, a cloth and some warm water with a splash of detergent are all you need to clean up the grill for the next party. The newspaper acts like a sponge and soaks the charred dirt overnight.
3. Soaping with ash pulp and coffee grounds
Yes, the encrusted grill can also be cleaned with the cold ash. Experienced grill masters will probably suspect that this is not a clean affair. Background: As early as 2500 BC, people discovered that when ash and water were mixed, an alkaline solution, i.e. lye, was created. The ash pulp has similar fat-dissolving and abrasive properties to soap. If you want to use the ashes after grilling and don’t want to dispose of them completely in the compost, dip an old damp cloth in it and rub the rust with the ash solution. Because ash is also ideal as a fertilizer, the grill grate can then be rinsed with clean water over a flower or vegetable bed. Fans of gas grilling replace the ash with a portion of coffee grounds – but otherwise proceed in the same way.
Sources:“heimhelden.de”; “geo.de”
Charcoal grill test: Click here for the charcoal grill comparison.
Contact grill test: Click here for the contact grill comparison.
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