Seasoning a New Grill

Lesson

Before you start grillin’ with a new gas or charcoal grill, there are a few things you should do to season and prep it for hours of great BBQ ahead.

Wash it

If your barbecue has a cast iron or stainless steel griddle or grates, you should wash it thoroughly to remove the protective wax coating added by the manufacturer. Wash with a mild dishwashing soap and hot water, rinse thoroughly, and dry all surfaces with a paper towel. Do not let it drip dry.

Oil it

After the griddle is completely dry, take a brush or oil-soaked paper towel and coat every inch of the griddle or grill with a thin coat of vegetable oil. (If your barbecue has enamel plates or grids you need only wash off the wax coating, as above. These plates cannot be seasoned.)

Instead of brushing the grates or griddle with oil, you can dip it in a large, flat pan filled with a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. Flip it over and dip again, making sure all sides of the rack or griddle have a thin oil coating. When you’re finished, drain and discard the oil.

If you’d rather not use vegetable oil, you can purchase prepared cast iron seasoning liquids, designed for cast iron Dutch ovens. The soap, water, oil, and heat method works fine, so you might want to consider saving your money for a juicy steak to grill instead.

Heat it

If you have a gas grill, preheat the barbecue for 15 minutes to medium high heat, and carefully place the oiled grill or griddle in the barbecue and heat for one hour. Then turn gas burners off and let the grill cool naturally.

If you have a charcoal grill, the process is similar. Build a good bed of charcoal and pre-heat the barbecue with the lid closed for 15 minutes. Then add the oiled grill or griddle and heat for one hour with the lid closed. Close the vents to extinguish the fire and let it cool naturally.

Prevent rust

To prevent rusting, you should periodically coat the cast iron parts with vegetable oil and heat as we just described.

If you ever find rust, clean the cast iron or stainless steel with a steel or brass brush, then completely
re-season it.

You can also use a nonstick or grill spray liberally on the grill before each use. Just remember to do this before you light the coals or turn on the gas.