We’ve all been there: you receive your new grill and it is clean and shiny. Of course, you couldn’t wait to cook on your new grill, so you immediately got out the charcoal and meats — awesome!
But now that you’ve cooked on it, and the grill is dirty. You want to keep your grill clean so you can continue enjoying it. But you get a sinking feeling: you dreaded cleaning your old grill because it was a pain.
But don’t worry! Cleaning the surface of the grill and the ash might be a pain on most grills, but cleaning the Gather Grill is a breeze. Due to the open and accessible design of the grill, cleaning has never been easier.
Keep your grill looking and working great so that you can continue to host friends and family around the grill for years to come. This article will tell you everything you need to know about how to clean your Gather Grill.
In this article we’ll share two different videos: the first demonstrates how to clean up the grill after cooking, and the second will show how to clean out the ash once the fire has cooled off.
We get it — no one likes to do chores. But we promise that cleaning your Gather Grill won’t feel like a chore. And regularly cleaning your grill won’t just keep it looking great; it will also improve the cooking performance of the grill and the quality of your food.
Keeping your Gather Grill clean helps keep the air holes and vents clear. Fire needs oxygen as fuel, so it is important to keep oxygen flowing to your charcoal or wood to keep the fire burning.
Keeping the grill clean also allows for the fire to burn cleanly. A clean burn will release less soot, smoke, and ash into the air. And no one wants to eat food with old ash flavor! So, keeping the grill clean will result in higher quality food flavor. A clean fire will also create a more pleasant experience for your guests.
Finally, ash can hold a lot of moisture. If any rainwater gets into the grill, the old pile of ashes will turn into a wet, soupy mess. It is quite difficult and time consuming to start a hot fire on top of wet ash. Therefore, it is best to clean out the ash before it rains. It is also good to cover the Gather Grill in any inclement weather.
It is best to clean your grill right after you’re done cooking so that it is still hot. Cleaning the grill while it is still hot helps you easily scrape off any food bits before they’ve had time to cool and stick to the grill.
Grab your grill brush of choice. Rub your brush up and down on the bar grate. The bar grate is made of 304 stainless steel so it won’t rust. The bar grate does not need to be spotless: the goal is just to get any food off before it cools.
Next, clean the griddle while it is still hot. Using gloves, rotate the grill so that the griddle is in reach. Our favorite way to clean the griddle is with lemon juice (just like at a professional Hibachi restaurant) because it helps break the grease down.
Squeeze the lemon juice and pour the water directly onto the griddle. It will get steamy so be prepared! Get a metal spatula or scraper tool to push everything over to the hole in the corner of the griddle. Repeat this step one or two times if necessary.
And that’s it! That’s how easy it is to clean food off of your Gather Grill after cooking.
In addition to cleaning the cooking surfaces, it is also important to clean the ash out of your Gather Grill. But don’t worry — this step is easy too.
For this step, let your grill cool first. You don’t want to clean the grill while there are still hot coals (or even sparks). Let everything turn to ash.
Once the grill is cool, start by lifting up one half of the charcoal grate. Have a bucket nearby and use a metal trowel or shovel to carefully scoop the ash out into the bucket. Repeat on the other side of the charcoal grate.
If you’d like to do a deep clean, you can remove both of the charcoal grates altogether. Then, take a shop vac and thoroughly clean out all the ashes. However, simply scooping the ash into a bucket should usually be enough.
It is important to note that you don’t have to clean the ash every time you cook. The bowl of the grill is large enough that you can easily cook 3—6 times before you need to clean out the ash.
The biggest concern with the ash is moisture. You don’t want to let the ash build up and then get rained on. If left uncovered, rainwater will get in the grill and create a soupy ash mess. If it is going to rain, be sure to clean out your grill ahead of time or cover it well. If your ash does get wet, then you should clean it out before cooking.
Cleaning the Gather Grill is easy, but it is important to take the proper safety precautions when cleaning the grill. Always wear gloves when handling the grill. Since it is best to clean the grill while it is still hot, wear heat-resistant gloves to help prevent burns.
When cleaning the griddle with water and lemon juice, the heat will create steam. The steam will be very hot! Be careful to not let the steam hit you or your guests in the face and avoid getting steam in your eyes.
When cleaning the grill, you can also remove a table wing to give you easier access to the grill. This allows you to get closer to the grill, so you don’t have to reach and risk getting burned.
Once you’re done cleaning your grill after you cook, you can easily convert the grill into a firepit and keep the party going all night long!
Learn more about the Gather Grill or order one for your backyard today.
When Jed Strange bought a fire pit in February of 2020, he had no idea that it was about to inspire him to create one of the most innovative multi-function outdoor cooking devices available today.
With the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown closing operations at Strange Farms, a family-run corporate and private retreat venue, Jed found himself with some extra time on his hands. He sat down and looked at his new fire pit. His goal of gathering people around it physically was put on hold, but the desire for connection remained.
