Grill Grates

While there are many factors in buying a grill, the grill surface is one of the most important considerations as it controls how well your food is cooked. A good grill grate should be strong, durable, and able to hold and transfer heat well. Also, while it doesn’t have to be a completely non-stick surface, the surface of your grill grate should not be too sticky.

Grill grates are most commonly made out of cast iron, stainless steel, porcelain coated cast iron, and porcelain covered stainless steel and plain steel.  All of the grates have their pro’s and con’s, but no matter which one you choose, make sure you put in the time to take care of them. Properly caring for and cleaning your grates will ensure that they last a long time. Even an inexpensive grate can last a long time with proper maintenance.

Regular steel grates tend to chip quickly, which makes your grilling surface rough and uneven. Stainless steel grates are also prone to chipping, but they last a lot longer than the regular steel grates and are probably the lowest maintenance of all the grates.

Porcelain grates have a tendency to chip as well, exposing the metal below to moisture, which causes it to rust. This is especially bad with the porcelain coated cast iron grates, so make sure that you stay away from cheap porcelain grates. If you do go with a quality porcelain grate, make sure that you keep all metal scrapers away from your grate while cleaning it to prevent chipping.

Cast iron grates provide great grilling surfaces, however they require a lot of upkeep. The surface must be constantly cleaned and  oiled, grilling fatty meats isn’t enough, or the grates will rust. The level of upkeep is a very important factor with this grate – if you know you will not properly maintain it, then choose a different type of grate.

Also when buying a grill, buy a reputable, national brand name grill. These grills often come with an extended warranty, and replacement parts are easy to come by if needed, as opposed to a store’s brand grill.  They often switch models and manufacturers every year, making replacement parts hard to come by. Weber grill grates are a great replacement grate option, and Weber is known for making quality grills and grill grates.

Whichever type of grate you choose, remember that you pay for what you get.  A quality stainless steel or porcelain grate will last longer and grill better then a cheaper version of the same great. Also, with proper maintenance, your grate will also last longer and perform better. Keeping these things in mind when choosing your barbeque grill grate will ensure many years of happy grilling to come! photo credit: Robert S. Donovan