|

how to clean traeger grill grates

First things first, let’s get something out of the way. No, grimy grill grates with remnants of food do not “add flavor” to the food. It is a fallacy, and you should always clean your grill grates so that your grill will last longer, have more flavor, and be easier to handle. Please make sure to perform the necessary maintenance and clean the grill after every couple of times you use it, this is especially important for something as pricey as a Traeger Grill.

Our editors conduct their own research and testing before deciding which products to recommend. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of our links and through our store, we may receive a commission on the sale at no additional cost to you.

But what is the best way to clean the grates on a Traeger grill? Do not be concerned, as we have provided you with the five unique methods that will allow you to clean that expensive grill with common items found around the house. Let’s dive in

How To Clean Traeger Grill Grates After Use

We are aware that it can be challenging for you to clean your grill after each and every use. We all want to collapse back to our couches, especially after a long and delightful day of cooking burgers with our friends in the backyard. Especially after such a day.

Having said that, if one is knowledgeable enough, there is really no need for it to be so challenging. You probably already have everything that is required, and the fundamentals are essentially the same for each of the other approaches. It’s really simply a matter of getting your hands filthy and giving it a try.

Cleaning Traeger Grill Grates With Onion

This technique makes use of a vegetable, which virtually everyone is certain to have in their cupboard at any given time. Onions are packed with natural compounds that cut through grease and filth, allowing you to keep your grill grates in pristine condition by using them. You won’t need much else but a grilling fork and a mat that is clean and dry in addition to that, though.

Here’s how it is done-

  • After you’re done grilling, be sure the gas is still on.
  • If you have already extinguished the flames, you will need to restart them while keeping the grill covered for ten to fifteen minutes.
  • Rock salt on the face, followed by cutting a white onion in half lengthwise while leaving the skin on.
  • Attach it to the fork you use to grill.
  • Use the onion to clean the grates while standing back a little bit. Make sure to utilize the side of the onion that has the most juice.
  • If food is trapped between the grills, you can cut white onion into thin slices and use those to scrape the food off.
  • Put an end to the flames, and wait for the grates to get cool.
  • After they are cool to the touch, a clean rug should be used to wipe them down.
  • The discarded onions should be thrown into the coal bag.

The effectiveness of onions can be attributed to the presence of acids within them; these acids break down the fat and emulsify it. At the same time, the moisture contained in the onion will evaporate, creating an effect similar to that of steam cleaning.

The gritty salt does little more than assist one acquire a better grip. This strategy has almost no drawbacks, and as an added plus, the used onion that you tossed in the bag of coals will give your next barbecue a more robust flavor (unlike the flavor imparted by grimes).

You Can Clean Your T. G. Grates With Vinegar

Vinegar is another effective method for cleaning grill grates, however it does not compare to the simplicity and ease of the onion method. There are some additional items that you will need, such as a spray bottle and a metal brush of high quality, but the results will speak for themselves.

The method is as follows-

  • Put the mixture of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and shake it up. The ratio should be 60/40.
  • Allow your grill to cool down to the point where it is warm to the touch but not completely ice cold.
  • Spray the mixture in copious amounts all over the grating of the grill.
  • Try to be a little bit more generous with the areas that look like they have more food attached to them.
  • Hold off for five to ten minutes, or until the grates have reached room temperature.
  • Make sure there is no residue left behind by using a metal brush to carefully scrub the entire surface until it is spotless.
  • Work at an angle to trim the fat off the sides, and don’t forget to do it!
  • Turn the grates over, and then carry out the procedure again for the reverse side.
  • Use a fresh washcloth that is damp and clean to wipe down the entire object.

Vinegar has a number of advantages over onions, the most important of which is that it can be used in a pinch and completed much more quickly. In order to simplify the cleanup after the barbecue, you may even prepare the spray mixture in advance.

Having said that, some high-end Traeger grills with porcelain grates will not react well to vinegar because of the porous nature of the porcelain.

Before attempting to use this method, check to be that your grates are either constructed of aluminum or stainless steel.

How To Clean This Grill Grates With Lemon

The vinegar and onion approaches are successful because to the presence of moderate acids in each of these ingredients. Do you know of anything else like that, which may be found in your pantry with relative ease?

Lemon. Therefore, it should be easy for you to comprehend why it functions equally as well. Lemon juice is a suitable substitute for vinegar since it achieves the same results that vinegar did in the previous two techniques. But why would anyone want to do that?

Here is a different but just as simple process:

  • Put the lid down and turn the dial to the highest setting on your grill.
  • Allow it to run for around twenty minutes so that any remaining food is completely crisped up.
  • The grill should be turned off and allowed to cool for a while.
  • Make a slit along the middle of a lemon, and then press the cut side of the lemon into rock salt or normal table salt.
  • Scrub and scrape the grates with your hands to clean them.
  • Be careful not to apply too much effort, and instead allow the salt and acid do their work.
  • Continue doing this for five to ten minutes, depending on the size of the grates on your grill.
  • When you are finished, acquire a brush made of nylon or metal and rub it down the grate in a circular motion to remove all of the leftover food particles.
  • To clean the grates, use a wet or moist rug that has been thoroughly cleaned.

This method unquestionably needs more physical effort and a little bit more time, but the results are well worth the investment. If your grates are made of porcelain, avoid scraping them too vigorously, and in no time they will look as good as new.

Not only that, but if you find that the other two procedures are a little too “gross” for you, then the lemon method is ideal. Not only will it thoroughly clean the grates, but it will also leave you with a wonderful scent that is reminiscent of citrus.

Clean Traeger Grill Grates With Aluminum Foil

All of you out there who do not have a nylon, metal, or grill brush lying around the house, this one is for you. An aluminum foil ball that has been crumpled up will have between seventy and eighty percent of the abrasive force required to thoroughly clean grill grates that have been clogged with unpleasant fat or filth.

Alternately, in place of the brushes recommended for any of our other procedures, you may simply use a ball of aluminum foil. However, the following strategy is the one that works the best when you need to swiftly dispose of the leftovers from your previous barbecue so that you can start another one.

Here is how to incorporate aluminum foil into cleaning your Traeger Grill Grates:

  • Start with cool grill grates
  • A large sheet of aluminum foil should be used to cover the grate in its entirety.
  • Put the lid on the grill before you start cooking.
  • Start the stove and turn the temperature up to high.
  • Let it run for 5 mins
  • Take off the lid and remove the foil sheet
  • Make a ball out of a piece of aluminum foil
  • Hold the ball with a pair of tongs, and then use them to scrape it all over the grating.
  • Do as fine of a job as you can
  • After the grates had cooled up, give it a good rubbing off with a rug.

A word of caution: if you haven’t cleaned your grills in a while, this procedure might not be able to remove all of the dirt from them. It is only possible to use aluminum foil as a temporary replacement for nylon brushes, and the results will not be as satisfactory. But if you’re in a pinch right before a grilling session, there are certainly worse things you could do.

If you really must use this method, we strongly suggest making an investment in a high-quality grill brush for use in the future.

How to Clean Traeger Grill Grates With Vinegar and Baking Soda

Every technique that we’ve gone through up until this point has been predicated on the idea that you clean your barbecue on a regular basis. You should use this procedure, however, if the grates have not been cleaned in a very long time since they are quite dirty.

In contrast to the other tasks, this one entails thoroughly cleaning the grates in order to remove muck and soot that has accumulated over the previous few months. In terms of the necessary tools, you will require a large container or waste bag along with rubber ties, as well as the aforementioned baking soda and vinegar, a grill brush, and a clean washcloth.

Here is the process-

  • Wear gloves that can be thrown away for the entirety of this process.
  • Let your grill totally cool down. Remove the gratings from the grill.
  • Rub the grates down with a dry washcloth for a moment to clean them.
  • Combine one cup of baking soda with two cups of vinegar in a mixing bowl.
  • Place the mixture inside of a plastic container or trash bag that is proportionate to its size.
  • Make sure the grates are completely submerged in the liquid.
  • If you are utilizing a plastic container, make sure that it is covered and that the lid is securely fastened.
  • To ensure that a garbage bag is completely airtight, a rubber band should be used to close it.
  • Allow the grates to soak for at least 6-8 hours, preferably overnight.
  • After the allotted time for soaking has passed, remove the grates and dispose of the liquid.
  • It is likely that the most of the residue will be removed on its own, but in order to be absolutely certain, give them a thorough scraping with a grill brush.
  • They should be washed in water of room temperature or cold until the water runs clear.
  • Let it dry. If you are short on time, you can pat dry yourself with a kitchen towel or a rug instead.

This approach is obviously designed to thoroughly clean the grates of your Traeger grill, and as a result, it takes the largest amount of time. However, we are willing to argue that it requires less effort because the neutralization reaction that occurs when the soda and vinegar are combined removes the need for the hard work that is scraping.

In either case, the night before your big barbecue event is the best time to do this if you want the results to be at their freshest. After all, barbecues cooked on grill grates that have recently been cleaned have the best flavor.

Tips For Cleaning Traeger Grill Grates

Use brushes made from metal or wire when cleaning your grill’s grates.

Many different kinds of brushes have bristles that are prone to coming loose.

These bristles have the potential to get stuck in the grill grate. In addition, it may be difficult to spot them, which increases the likelihood that they will wind up in your food.

To clean the grates of your grill, you should use cleaning towels. The grates of your barbecue can easily be cleaned with thick paper towels if you like.

In the end, you do not want to clean the grates of your grill using inexpensive towels because those towels could leave fibers on the grates of your grill.

Make sure that your grill is spotless from top to bottom. Therefore, you should begin at the top of the smoke stack and work your way down.

How To Clean Traeger Grill Grates Before Cooking

Eighty percent of the work will be finished for you if you simply practice proper cleanliness after grilling or cooking with a barbecue. Even in those circumstances, it is still a good idea to complete a quick cleaning session before you fire up the grill.

You won’t have any trouble doing it at all, and the whole thing won’t take more than five to ten minutes of your time. Not only will we discuss cleaning the grates, but also some of the other components of the grill as well.

Here’s what to do-

  • Put on the gloves that have been provided.
  • Utilize a vacuum cleaner to give your barbecue a complete and thorough cleaning. By doing this, any old residues, ash, or coal dust will be removed.
  • If the grates need to be cleaned, you can use any of the ways described above, or you can simply wipe them down with a clean rug.
  • Take out the tray for the drips.
  • Remove the covering made of aluminum foil and then the contents of the container.
  • Take off the heat baffle; it should be located just below the drip tray.
  • The heat baffle will almost certainly be covered in ash; therefore, make sure to clean it off as necessary.
  • The drip tray should then be reinstalled after being rewrapped in fresh aluminum foil.
  • Replace the heat baffle in its slot.
  • Use a cheesecloth or paper towel and soak it in an oil with a neutral flavor, such as grapeseed or vegetable oil. Then, quickly massage the grates with the cloth or towel.
  • Start up your grill and adjust the temperature to high. The grates will be seasoned throughout this procedure so that food does not become trapped between them. Give the grill some time to cool down.

That wraps it up! To get ready for a barbecue or a session with the grill, all you have to do is that. It is not only the grates of the grill that might contaminate your meat or vegetables with old leftovers, therefore it is best to clean the entire grill as quickly as possible. It is better to be safe than sorry.

How Often To Clean Traeger Grill Grates

The frequency of usage of the grill is the only factor that can determine the answer to this question. In any case, you can use any one of the speedy cleaning procedures after every two or three times that you use the appliance to cook. We recommend giving the grates, as well as the interior and outside of the grill, a thorough cleaning once every two to three months, but this will vary depending on how often you use the grill.

Similar Posts