Seasoning GrillGrates

[dtbach514]

So I put the GrillGrates on my Weber Genesis Silver B and got them heated up to around 450 degrees, oiled the rails lightly with canola oil (as per instructions) and tossed on some burgers. Let them cook for a couple of minutes to get a nice sear going and then the problem. As I tried to lift and turn, they stuck to that grill like the proverbial tar baby! By the time I got them pried off, I left 1/3 of the meat stuck to the rails.

OK, so do you need to season these things like a cast iron skillet? Should I slather them with bacon grease and heat them to 500 for an hour and a half (and then repeat 2 more times)?

Or just figure on stuck burgers for 3 or 4 more times until it finally gets seasoned?

[jgreen]

I did not have any issues, but they do get better with time. I did oil of the first few uses but nothing stuck.

[dtbach514]

I can't be the only one who has everexperienced this am I?

[Jerod Broussard]

I remember things sticking if I didn't wait long enough to flip.

[lalaw2153]

We haven't had any issues with sticking on our Grill Grates. I'm looking to do a pizza tonight on the flat side, so will definitely oil them first.

[Amajeff99]

no issues sticking here but I oil them lightly each time I cook. The only time I did have a burger stick was completely my fault when I was in a rush and did not use oil and tried to flip it way to early before it had enough time to sear.

[dtbach514]

I'm going to heat and oil, then oil, then oil some more before tossing on some steak tenderloins tonight. Will wait longer this time before trying to turn over. I think I may have tried too soon with with burgers.

[Spinaker]

I would spray with PAM or some other non-stick oil. That should solve the problem. The spray will also help to season the aluminum. But because the Aluminum is so smooth "seasoning" is not really going to develop until multiple uses. However, spraying with cooking spray oil before grilling is your best option.
Also, I would advise you to try grilling on the flat-side of the Grill Grates. You still get that great grill flavor because the juices and steam are allowed to move freely through the holes in the griddle surface. In addition, you also get more surface area in contact with your burger or other protein. This means more surface area being seared and crusted over.
(*I never use the rail side of my Grill Grates any more.)

[dtbach514]

I would spray with PAM or some other non-stick oil. That should solve the problem. The spray will also help to season the aluminum. But because the Aluminum is so smooth "seasoning" is not really going to develop until multiple uses. However, spraying with cooking spray oil before grilling is your best option.
Also, I would advise you to try grilling on the flat-side of the Grill Grates. You still get that great grill flavor because the juices and steam are allowed to move freely through the holes in the griddle surface. In addition, you also get more surface area in contact with your burger or other protein. This means more surface area being seared and crusted over.
(*I never use the rail side of my Grill Grates any more.)

I'm trying the half and half set up for now. Figure I should try both rail and flat for a few times to see what works the best for what I'm cooking. I can see where the flat is really the better option for getting maximum searing and browning.

[Spinaker]

Yeah man, give it a try. I have found the griddle side to be the better option.

[tevans]

I would spray with PAM or some other non-stick oil. That should solve the problem. The spray will also help to season the aluminum. But because the Aluminum is so smooth "seasoning" is not really going to develop until multiple uses. However, spraying with cooking spray oil before grilling is your best option.
Also, I would advise you to try grilling on the flat-side of the Grill Grates. You still get that great grill flavor because the juices and steam are allowed to move freely through the holes in the griddle surface. In addition, you also get more surface area in contact with your burger or other protein. This means more surface area being seared and crusted over.
(*I never use the rail side of my Grill Grates any more.)

The one comment I would make is to NOT use a spray oil, as most all contain an emulsifier (usually Lecithin), and a propellant (usually some food grade alcohol). Those extra ingredients will not improve the non-stick qualities, though they certainly won't destroy it either. I use safflour or peanut oil on a paper towel to season my grates (especially before a sticky food like salmon) due to their high smoke temps.

Ultimately, use and the natural meat fats will take over, just keep them clean to not interfere with the infra-red cooking. After about every 4 uses, I give them a good scrape on both the flat and rail sides to remove built up carbon or whatever meat nastiness has accumulated. That stuff will reduce the aluminum's ability to radiate heat to your meat, which is a key benefit to the grill grates.

Outside of Meathead himself, I can't imagine another person liking their grillgrates more than me. I'm so sold (some call me a grate snob), I've been known to bring a traveling set to other people's cookouts. It has resulted in ~5 other people joining the grillgrates club (cult?). Welcome to grillgrates, soon you'll wonder why you waited sooo long!

Enjoy, and grill on!

T