 |
| My Awesome Grill! |
I hate cleaning. Everyone who reads these columns knows this. One of the nastiest jobs we do is cleaning up
the grill after BBQ'ing something. Especially when there is sticky sauce involved! Well, I have been using a nice grill brush and some sprayed on water to clean the grill. But I have found a MUCH better way! How about steam? Steam cleans almost everything. And it cleans it very well. The main problem is where to get the steam from? Well, when cleaning a grill, that's easy! The grill stays hot for quite a while after you are done cooking. Why not use that heat to make your cleaning job easier? How? Read on!
A grill brush does a good job dislodging bigger chunks off your grill but it's a lot of work to really get the grates clean this way. A lot of people use the "wet towel on the grill" method. This works, but then you have a messy, hot (maybe burnt) towel to contend with. How about combining the two and having a grill brush that dispenses small amounts of water through the bristles that turns to steam and cleans the grill? Sounds like a great idea! It is!! I found a grill brush that does just that. Granted, it's got a plastic handle, but the rest is all metal. Even a fold-able hook. A nice touch? The hook locks into place when folded so it won't get in the way during use.
It has a small reservoir in the handle that you fill with water and a simple twist knob to turn the flow on and off. Just a quarter-turn does it. It has a removable set of brushes so they can be replaced with ease. All you need to do is unscrew the wing-nut holding the brush on. I especially liked the second skinny brush on top that lets you get in between the grill grates -- place that's normally tough to clean. After a full cleaning of my 200+ inch grill I'd only used about 1/3 of the water in the handle reservoir. So it should last through multiple cleanings.
I found this at a well-known bedding and bath shop for $9.99. Since I had a 20% off coupon it was only $8.00. So I figured it was worth a try. Glad I did! The simplest things can work miracles. With a little ingenuity, almost anything is possible.This little beauty has earned a place in my grilling "toolkit." Try it...you'll like it!
Be Seeing You...Down The Road,
Rich "
The Wanderman"
www.thewanderman.com
Editor: Here are some similar steam grill brushes at Amazon. And, as always, be sure there are no bristles left on the grill before you barbecue. They can be very hazardous!
In your side-bar about grills, you said that you liked the convenience of the 'grill' and the throw away fuel cans.
ReplyDeleteMe? I absolutely do NOT like those little cans, for several reasons.
They cost us Canadians just over $5.00+ dollars for a fuel can that will only give me one or two meals.
Then, I must carry a pack of several to use when on the road, (A pack of four costs usually $15.00)
Then we must dispose of the container, meaning that there are hundreds of thousands of them going into our land-fill sites.
Another reason is that with my Coleman BBQ/stove, hooking up a can on the regulator takes up a lot of 'territory'.
So, what I have done is to purchase a five pound refillable container, ($55.00) a hose to attach, ($20) and a fill-up for $6.50.
I refilled the container last year for the first time in over three years. That one refill paid for the cost of the assembly, and uses a fair bit less 'territory'.
I carry the five pounder 'tie-wrapped' in a milk box, along with a number of accessories to use with the Coleman. It works!
Unknown,
DeleteMany people simply purchase and install an adapter that let's them use their onboard propane tank for grilling outside. I don't have enough room for a separate larger tank and I wouldn't be able to pack and hike with one!
Rich "The Wanderman"
I just buy the 4 pack of cheap green scrubby pads from DollarTree, cut them into quarters. I put a small amount of coconut oil into a 4 oz/half pint mason jar. The scrubby is used to clean the warmed grill and apply a light coating of coconut oil. The scrubby is stored back in the jar with the coconut oil. The oiled grill turns loose the cooking residue and helps to keep food from sticking.
ReplyDeleteLMS,
DeleteMMmmmm coconut! Bet it smells wonderful too!
Rich "The Wanderman"
Just bought the Weber q1200,bought the adapter also for larger tanks like other post said,however Rich has more efficient idea with the hose,will see if I can find someone to install at reasonable cost.
ReplyDeleteRonald,
DeleteThe adapters are available at many places. The installation is pretty simple. Though, if you are not comfortable working around flammable gas, please use a qualified installer!
Rich "The Wanderman"
I have both a "20lb pretends to be 1lb" hose and a "refill adapter." The hose runs my grill when close to the camper's tanks (I hijack whichever tank is not running the trailer), and the adapter refills 18 one pounder tanks for when I want more portability. 18lbs for $8 beats the heck out of $90 and 18 tiny tanks in the landfill!
ReplyDeleteIf you have the refill adapter and don't think it works, you're doing it wrong - freeze your empties and they'll fill 95% or more.
Wolfe,
DeleteEXCELLENT tip! I have been saving my little tanks for just that reason!
Rich "The Wanderman"