CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
TIPS FOR GAS BARBECUES
Gas barbecues are relatively easy to maintain. Periodically, there are steps to take to ensure years of hassle-free performance. We cover them all below.
Gas Griller's Toolbox
Store the following tools near your barbecue for quick, easy, regular clean-ups:
- Brass wire barbecue brush
- Soap-embedded, fine steel wool
- Mild washing-up liquid
- Sponge or dishcloth
- 1" putty knife
- Fitted foil Catch Pan Liners (Weber drip pans are ideal for this)
Every time you grill you should:
Clean the cooking grate
Before or after grilling, burn off any residue by simply turning the barbecue on high until the smoke stops, then brush the cooking grates with a brass wire barbecue brush. Easy! (Note: Cast iron cooking grates require slightly different care.)
As needed:
Change the Catch Pan Liner
You can buy replacement Drip trays from your local Weber® dealer. These trays are made to fit your catch pan under the bottom tray of your Weber® gas barbecue. Regularly changing the liner also discourages animals from visiting your barbecue for a midnight snack!
Remove smoke stains from the barbecue lid and side burner cover
Carefully remove any smoke stains from the barbecue lid with a soapy, fine steel wool pad and a very light touch. For the stainless steel side burner cover, use only warm, soapy water and a sponge or dishcloth even fine steel wool will scratch it. Smoke stains are most likely to occur when your Weber® gas barbecue is new, at the seams of the lid where the porcelain-enamelled lid meets the end caps. They can also accumulate around the thermometer holder. These stains will stop appearing after your barbecue has built up a natural seal from accumulated cooking vapours.
Clean the Flavorizer® Bars
You really don't ever need to remove the Flavorizer® Bars from your barbecue to clean them, since preheating the barbecue and burning off residue by turning the barbecue on "high" is enough to turn any accumulated debris to ashes. Occasionally brushing the bars off with a brass barbecue brush or scraping them with a nylon, plastic or Teflon-putty knife should be sufficient maintenance. Just be careful not to gouge the porcelain-enamel finish.
Clean the warming racks and control panel
A soapy, fine steel wool pad will keep the warming racks clean and free of smoke stains and debris. It will also remove grease spots and stains from the control panel, but use a very light touch so as to not scratch the porcelain. Rinse thoroughly.
Clean the outside of the end caps and cook box
You should clean up grease drippings on these exterior surfaces as soon as possible. Grease is toxic to painted surfaces. Use mild, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Harsh or lemon-based cleaners can ruin the paint finish on the end caps and cook box.
Clean the bottom tray
Remove the cool (never hot!) bottom tray from under the barbecue and place over a rubbish bin. Carefully scrape the inside with a 1" putty knife or other straight, flat object. Push the residue out through the bottom hole into the rubbish bin. To deep clean the tray, use warm, soapy water and a soapy, fine steel wool pad, being careful not to scratch the porcelain finish. (NEVER line the bottom tray with foil, as grease can accumulate in the creases in the foil and cause a grease fire.)
Never:
Wax or paint the lid
The finish on your barbecue is baked-on porcelain enamel, so you never have to wax or paint it. This finish is glossier and much more durable than paint, and wax will only streak when the barbecue gets hot. So just wipe the lid down with warm, soapy water when it gets dusty or dirty. Easy!
Use oven cleaner on your gas barbecue
Oven cleaner is not friendly to the painted surfaces of your barbecue; it can remove the paint.