When is the Best Time to Clean a Grill Grate?

I do my best to try to include as many grilling tips as possible on this website. I recently received a question from a reader who asked:

When is the Best Time to Clean a Grill Grate?

Well, I think there is a simple answer to this question but maybe it isn’t as obvious as you might think it is. My answer is when it is hot!

So why is that the best time to clean a grill grate? To me, it’s an obvious answer. This is the time when the drippings from your cook have not congealed and hardened onto the grill grate.

If you wait until the grill grate has cooled down than I can guarantee that it will be a lot more difficult to clean off that grate. A few years ago I put into practice that right after I took the meat or fish, or whatever I was grilling, off of the grill I start cleaning the grates right at that time before I shut it down.

This practive has worked really well for me over the years and I will continue to do so in the upcoming years. I put together a quick youTube video that shows how easy it is to clean a grill when it is hot.

Believe me, over the years before I put this practice into action, it would take me a long time to get my grill grate clean. Another drawback is that I had to do it right before I was going to start my next cook.

Wouldn’t it make sense to take care of the problem of cleaning your grill grate right at the end of your previous cook? It takes about a minute and you will certainly be glad that you did it! If you’d like to read a little more about my Weber Gourmet Sear Grate you can read this article.