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.

Bob Bessette

Bob started this passion site, Life with Grilling, in 2012. Life with Grilling has been a trusted source for grilling and barbecue tips, techniques, and accessories for over 10 years. Bob has been charcoal grilling for most of his adult life and smoking meats using a personally-configured stick-burner Brinkmann smoker since 2012.

His passion for charcoal grilling was instilled into him by his father who used charcoal on a basic grill to cook for his family on warm summer nights. Charcoal grilling and tending to his smoker has been a happy pastime of Bob’s, especially as he enters his retirement years. His love of all things grilling and smoking has allowed him to review the best charcoal grills and grilling accessories available in the martketplace and to develop many recipes, grilling tips, and techniques over the years. He is eager to share his lifelong grilling experiences and expertise through Life with Grilling!