Food writer Lindsey Nair

• lindsey.nair@roanoke.com | (540) 981-3343

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The best maintenance for a gas or charcoal grill is regular cleaning. The grate should be brushed clean, using a wire brush, either right after or just before you grill. If the grill is hot, the food particles will be easier to remove.

Gas grills

n Detach and remove burners. Use a venturi brush (it has a long handle with a short brush at the end) to make sure there are no blockages in the burners, then brush the tops of them with a wire brush. If any of the burner ports are sealed over with food residue, use a one-sixteenth-inch drill bit to reopen them.

n If your lava rocks or ceramic briquettes are badly crusted with food, replace them with new ones.

n Clean sear plates and grates with hot, soapy water.

n Clean the outside of your grill. For cast iron, use hot soapy water. Once it is dry, brush a little olive oil all over the surface to return luster. For porcelain, use hot, soapy water and a soft brush or sponge. For stainless steel, use a special cleaner made for stainless steel.

n With a spatula, scrape grease from the inside of the base to the drip pan. Take out the drip pan and wash with hot, soapy water. Replace the foil grease catcher.

n Inspect hoses and tubes. If you find cracks, punctures or crimps, replace them.

n If the grill has been in storage or you are replacing a major component, do a leak test. Napoleon Gourmet Grills has a handy video tutorial on this subject at www.napoleongrills.com.

n Check the ignition. If it is battery-powered, put in a fresh battery. Check electrode leads and make sure the tips of the electrodes are clean and have no grease or rust build-up. If they do, clean them with sandpaper.

Charcoal grills

n Remove the grate and clean with hot, soapy water.

n Dump out the ash catcher and scrape off all the gunk from the bottom of the grill as best you can. Wash out with hot, soapy water.

n Wash down the outside with soapy water and a brush. To touch up paint, use grill-safe paint.

Source: Napoleon Gourmet Grills; www.about.com