How to Clean Grill Grates: Cast Iron, Porcelain-Coated and Stainless Steel

Grates are the part of the grill you touch most, and the part people damage most by cleaning them the wrong way. Each grate material needs a different approach. Here is how our techs clean each type, and how to tell when they are past saving.

How to tell what your grates are made of

• Stainless steel: shiny silver when clean, smooth surface, does not rust easily. Most built-in grills from brands like Lynx, Twin Eagles and Blaze use stainless rods or hexagonal bars.
• Porcelain-coated cast iron or steel: glossy black or dark gray, a little like enamel cookware. Heavy if cast iron underneath. Common on mid-range grills.
• Bare cast iron: matte black, heavy, rough surface, rusts if left wet.
• Some grills also use infrared ceramic or stainless grids, or diamond-shaped sear grates.

A magnet sticks to cast iron and to some stainless. When in doubt, check your owner's manual or the brand's parts listing using the model number.

Daily care for every grate

1. Preheat the grill on high with the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Brush the grates while hot, following the bars.
3. Wipe with a lightly oiled towel held in tongs.
4. Before cooking, look for loose bristles if you use a wire brush.

A 2016 study counted roughly 1,700 emergency room visits from swallowed wire brush bristles between 2002 and 2014. Replace wire brushes once bristles start to splay or fall out, or switch to a coil, nylon (on a cool grate only) or scraper-style brush.

Stainless steel grates

Stainless is the easiest to care for.

Daily: brush hot with a stainless bristle or coil brush.

Deep clean:

1. Remove the grates once cool.
2. Soak them in hot water with dish soap or a grill-safe degreaser for 30 minutes to a few hours.
3. Scrub with a stainless brush or non-scratch pad. For stubborn carbon, a paste of baking soda and water helps.
4. Rinse and dry.

Some homeowners lay grates in a large sealed trash bag with ammonia overnight, which loosens burned-on grease. Do this outside, never mix ammonia with bleach, and rinse well.

Skip steel wool, which can cause rust spots. Brown or gold discoloration on stainless grates is normal heat tint and does not affect cooking.

Porcelain-coated grates

Porcelain is glass fused to metal. It is nonstick and rust-resistant until it chips. Once the coating chips, the metal underneath rusts.

Daily: brush hot with a brass bristle brush or a nylon brush (nylon only once the grate has cooled a bit). Avoid hard stainless scrapers.

Deep clean:

1. Let the grates cool. Never put cold water on hot porcelain, which can crack it.
2. Soak in hot soapy water.
3. Scrub with a nylon pad or soft brush.
4. Rinse, dry and lightly oil.

Avoid dropping porcelain grates on concrete. A small chip can spread. If flakes of coating are coming off, replace the grates before the flakes end up in food.

Bare cast iron grates

Cast iron holds heat beautifully and gives great sear marks, but it rusts if you do not keep it seasoned.

Daily: brush hot with a stainless bristle brush or scraper, then oil.

Deep clean:

1. Scrape with a stiff brush or scraper.
2. If needed, wash briefly with hot water and a little soap. Do not soak cast iron.
3. Dry completely right away. Putting them back on the grill over low heat for a few minutes works well.
4. Re-season: rub a thin coat of high smoke point oil (vegetable, canola or shortening) over every surface, then heat the grill on medium for 30 to 60 minutes.

Removing rust: scrub it off with a wire brush or steel wool (this is the one material where steel wool is fine), wash, dry, and re-season. If the grates have deep pitting or flaking, replace them.

Infrared and sear grates

Infrared burners often have a ceramic or stainless emitter under the grate. Do not use water on ceramic infrared parts and do not scrub the ceramic surface. Burn off food on high, then brush the grate gently. See infrared burner troubleshooting if your burner glows unevenly after cleaning.

Mistakes that ruin grates

• Using steel wool on stainless or porcelain.
• Soaking cast iron or leaving it wet.
• Running grates through the dishwasher. Many manufacturers advise against it, and it strips cast iron seasoning.
• Self-cleaning oven cycles. The extreme heat can warp grates and damage porcelain.
• Hard metal scrapers on porcelain.
• Cleaning grates and ignoring the heat plates and grease tray below. See our deep cleaning guide for the full job.

When to replace grill grates

• Bars burned thin or broken
• Porcelain chipping or flaking widely
• Cast iron with deep rust pitting or cracks
• Grates that sag or no longer sit flat

Prices vary a lot by brand and material. Our grill grate cost guide covers the range. Get the model and serial number first, because grates that look the same often differ by fractions of an inch. For brands Pro Grill carries, such as Lynx grates at the Pro Grill store or Blaze grill parts, you can order directly. If you cannot find yours, ask Pro Grill to locate replacement grates.

Leave it to a pro

A professional grill cleaning includes the grates, heat plates, burners and grease system, plus a safety check on the gas parts. Most companies in our network are dealers or have dealer accounts and can bring replacement grates if yours are past saving. Find a BBQ cleaning pro, or check the cost of a professional grill cleaning.

Frequently asked questions