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Britain has experienced a scorching summer, creating ideal conditions for outdoor cooking enthusiasts to fire up their grills.
Jon Finch, Weber brand engagement manager for EMEA and co-author of Grillstock: The BBQ Book, notes the exceptional duration of the season.
"Oh, it’s been endless. Absolutely," he remarked. "I barbecue all-year round, rain or shine.
“Christmas turkey on the grill, all that good stuff. But to be able to sit out, be warm and comfortable whilst grilling, and not having to worry about the weather, is fantastic."
Finch further highlighted the persistent heat: "And it’s not really showing any signs of letting up either," he added. "It seems to be heatwave after heatwave – we’re bouncing between them."
This continuous grilling might tempt many to overlook the chore of cleaning their barbecue, especially when anticipating another session the following day.
However, experts stress that a clean grill is paramount not only for ensuring food safety but also for significantly extending the appliance's lifespan.
As Finch points out: “Quite often, when you’re cooking on the grill, you’ve got friends and family round, you want to hang out with them; or you’ve got food ready to cook and just want to get on with that.
“So I think it’s hard to do it there and then [clean], but quite often a little bit of maintenance straight after you grill; and then a bit of maintenance either well in advance of cooking, or just before you put food on, really pays benefits.”
The live-fire cooking expert shares his top tips to keeping your barbie spick and span.
Get rid of debris
“I think the enemy of the inside of a barbecue is moisture,” warns Finch.
So when you finish cooking, he says if you generally either close the lid on your gas grill, or close off the air vents on a charcoal grill, there won’t be any airflow.
“And any moisture that’s trapped in there is not doing any good. Bits of food are going to go mouldy. Any exposed bits of metal or steel could tend to oxidise a little bit, unless it’s coated or enamelled.
He continues: “So we really want to keep soap and water, and moisture in general, outside of the internal working parts of the grill.
“The outside of the grill is fine for for soapy water because that dries off really quick and easy; but inside just stick to scraping it, brushing it and getting rid of as much debris as you can.”
Clean whilst hot
This is a really basic one, suggests Finch. The food and any built-up gunk on your grill will come away so much quicker and easier if your grill is hot.
“So the easiest thing to do, and I know it’s one extra step, especially if you’re entertaining… but when you finish cooking, crank your grill up to hot and give it a good scrub down.
“Especially the grill grates because they’re the bits food has had contact with, and make sure you get off as much of that residual burnt-on food and grease as you can.
“But the flip side is you don’t want to be too rigorous at that point, because a light coating of oil across the grill grates helps protect it from the elements, moisture, anything like that.”
It’s about getting any bits of food off the grill whilst it’s still hot, and then if you want to give it a deep clean, wait until the grill cools down.
“Take the grill grates out, then take a plastic spatula once it’s cold and scrape out the body,” he advises. “The underneath of where you’ve been cooking your food, making sure that’s all clear of grease and any bits of food and debris as well.”
Clean before you cook, not after
“So it’s good to give a good scrub down of your grill grates when you finish cleaning,” underlines Finch.
“But alternatively, if you want to keep that layer of oil on the grill grates, leave it like that. Just get the food off, and then next time you cook, get it nice and hot, and give it a really good clean a second time.
“So that’ll keep it in the best possible condition.”
Top-down cleaning
It’s important to begin at the top of the grill and work your way down.
“When the grill’s cold, start with the grill grates and give those a good clean. Then lift the grill grates out, and go down to the next layer.
“Clean the inside of the body, then clean the charcoal grates down the bottom… so everything’s funnelling right down to the bottom of the grill,” explains Finch.
This ensures you’re working everything… “the grease, the debris, right down to the bottom; so it’s into the into the trap that’s designed to collect it all,” he adds.
Leave off the chemicals
“Wherever possible, avoid using chemicals on the grill at all,” advises Finch.
Heat and a bit of elbow grease should do the job, but if you must, “look specifically for grill grate cleaners designed to be used on surfaces that food’s going to be in contact with.”
But if you want to get a really nice shine on the outside of the grill, he suggests using a specialised enamel or stainless steel cleaner without aggressive chemicals.
“A well-maintained grill will keep on going for decades, and the number one rule is keep it clean, and it will serve you well,” says Finch confidently.