When the weather heats up so does the grill. Outdoor cooking can be easy and delicious but in order to get the best results you have to take good care of your grill. The time to maintain your grill is minimal but the payback can be tremendous. Here are some proper grill maintenance tips to keep you cooking for a good-long time.

Clean the Grill Grate

Your grill grate is where the food goes, thus it sees the most action. After getting a fire going, clean the grill grate.  If you cook with high heat it is easier to clean the grate. Each time you turn on the grill, let the grate heat up for about five minutes. This will burn away any food or debris that remains. Use a grill brush to take care of the rest.

Do not clean the grill grate directly after cooking on it. Pick off any large pieces of food that may still be there, but leave the blackness encasing the grate. It will actually help protect it from rust between cooking.

Oil the Grate

Dip a wadded paper towel or cloth in a little oil and wipe it evenly over the grate. Oiling your grill grate helps prevent food from sticking. Do not use too much oil, because it could start a fire.

Clean the Grill

Clean out the ash from inside the grill and about once a month give the grill a good once over. Leaving the inside of the grill “dirty” for a few weeks can have its benefits as it acts as a seasoning and also aids in maintaining temperature control. Give the inside of grill a cleaning with a dry paper towel or cloth to remove any fallen food or excess ash. You can clean the outside of the grill with a good scrubbing so your guests won’t be afraid when they see your grill.

Storing Your Grill

It may seem obvious, but cover your grill. This way you will keep the elements out and prevent the grill from rusting and from an early demise.

Daily grill maintenance really pays off over time so now you can throw some food on the flame enjoy your grill for many years to come. Do you have a great grilling tip? Please feel free to share your tips on the comments section below.