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How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill????
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Posted by Ann_T (My Page) on Mon, Sep 9, 02 at 20:02
| I took my grill apart today and totally cleaned all of the insides. Since everything is stainless, I sprayed it with oven cleaner. What a job. The timing was good, because I had noticed recently that the trays that hold the ceramic bars were cracked and I called DCS and they immediately sent me out two new trays. (Covered under warranty) They arrived today. My Grill is 4 years old and this is probably only the 4th time I have done this. I just wondered how often everyone else does this. I keep my grids clean and the pull out drip tray but I don't often take everything out including the burners and do a REAL cleaning.
How often would you recommend doing this?
Ann. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| I guess no one wants to answer this guestion. So i will move it on down the page. LOL Ann. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| Sorry Ann, I personally haven't had my Virco long enough to disassemble it and give it the cleaning you describe. I use my grill on the average about 3 times a week or so. I have cooked everthing from burgers and dogs to rotisseried chicken, ribs and even indirectly slow smoked a few briskets, picnic roasts and chickens. I typically keep the grates brushed and the drip pan clean, that's about it. Have had this grill since late May only. I suspect a yearly thourough cleaning would be reasonable though, just to keep everything from getting to "caked" up and making sure the burners are clean and cleared out. I don't really slow down my grilling in the winter time like some might, so next spring I will probably venture towards that level of cleaning. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| Thanks Bsbbq, Once a year is basically what I have been doing. I noticed though this time it seem to be really in need of a good cleaning. Of course it is never going to look "new" again. My DCS is a little over 4 years old. The only reason I did it this time, is it seemed a shame to add two beautifully clean new parts to a dirty grill. I also grill all year around which is easy out west here, but wasn't so easy when I had to keep a path shoveled on the deck when we lived in Northern Ontario. (58 inches in one weekend, but that is another story.) LOL Ann. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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Ann T
I also have recently purchased my Virco and intend to clean about every year or so..My Brother in law also has a stainless grill he cleans with oven cleaner..sometimes takes two applications but removes almost 100% of gunk.
Bsbbq,
I dont get alot of gunk in the drip pan, it seems most of it hardens before getting there. I wish the plates the drippings hit had a little more angle to them to get more to run off. I guess I would have more when slow cooking but usually use a throw away pan for catching the waste. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| The flame tamers are also a problem with my Virco. Drippings seem to accumulate on them and eventually flare-up. My drip pan gets loaded with gunk, especially from oily foods such as salmon or ribs. I have had to clean this grill twice and I do not use it that often. My cleanings only consist of removing the residue and gunk. I do not use cleaning products on the inside of the grill. The outside gets cleaned and polished after every four or five uses. I still am very satisfied with this grill and I am VERY satisfied with my purchase. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| I use my Virco mostly for the rotisserie, and since I use a drip pan set on the grating, not much gets onto the innards of the grill. I have done some steaks and these of course dripped, but so far I haven't even had to clean off the Virco drip tray. I ran the stainless steel grates through the dishwasher a couple of times, but I'm planning on letting them carbonize, which should "season" them and make them easier to clean off later. I *might* get some ceramic briquettes and some sort of stainless perforated tray to hold them, but that's not a priority for me right now. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| What do you cook with the rotis. besides chicken? I have not used mine yet but feel I should in case there is something wrong with it. My family is not crazy about whole chickens, so I want to do a turkey but cannot find the time. Any other suggestions? |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| Well, I have cooked a 15 lb turkey, with good results. And it was done very quickly - in about 2 hours, as I recall. I have also cooked cornish game hens, two up, with great results. I've seen photos of baby back ribs being cooked with the rotisserie, which looks like a good idea as well, although trussing them up on the spit is probably a bit complicated. Basically though, I think poultry is ideal for rotisserie, as they are hollow inside. I don't know who well a leg of lamb or beef roast would do, but probably they would be fine as well. I really like the cleanliness of rotisserie cooking - the dip pan catches just about everything and the drippings don't burn so they make good gravy as well. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| When I first bought my grill and before the novelty of the rotisserie wore off, I cooked whole chickens, and prime ribs as well as a Strip Loin roasts on the rotisserie with very good results. I never did do my ribs that way. But....... I find that I get just as good of results either cooking directly on the grill over indirect heat, or in a roasting pan over in direct heat on the grill. I find the rotisserie to be a pain in the A@#, especially when removing the meat or chicken. Ann. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| Ann, I guess I agree with you about the rotis. being a bother but I really need to test mine out to see if it works correctly. Did the strip sirloin stay rare in the middle with a hot iron shoved through it? Do you remember how long it took? Spambdamn, I can probably find 2 hours on Saturday to cook a turkey. However, I do not understand the drip pan. Do you add one while cooking or are you referring to the one already under the flame tamers? |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| I put the drip pan under the meat on the rotisserie, either on top of the grating or, if I remove the grating, on top of the flame tamers. The idea is to keep all drippings off the lower part of the grill (grating, flame tamer, burners, etc.). Of course I don't use the lower burners directly under the drip pan, as that would cook the drippings and burn them. I have found it's ok to use the far left burner on low to keep wood chips smoking if it's not directly under the drip pan. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| zbull, The time will depend on the size of your roast, but it doesn't take very long to roast a Strip loin roast on the rotisserie or right on the grill over indirect heat for that matter. Last time I did one on the grill I cooked it over the indirect heat on medium high and the temp was over 600°F in my DCS so it cooked very quickly. I also put a pan of Yorkshire PUddings on the grill to bake after I removed the roast. We also like our beef rare to medium rare and this also is no problem with the rotisserie. Ann. |
RE: How Often Do You Clean All of The Inside of Your Gas Grill???
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| leg of lamb works great as well on the rotis, I've made a couple. |
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