Cast Iron grates or Grill grates?

[cwain8845]

I am wanting to buy my next accessory for my weber and I am stuck. I noticed a lot of ppl on here have the grill grates and have positive things to say about them. So my question is what are the perks of each and why do you have one and not the other?

[Huskee]

I don't use GrillGrates or cast iron myself. I use the stock grates, and recently bought a stainless steel hinged grate for my 22" kettle. I find them to suit my needs just fine. Here's an article with Meathead's thoughts on the pros and cons of each type.

[Huskee]

Correct, Amazon cwain8845. Here's the one I bought: https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Hin...ag=amazi0a8-20 They look & perform exactly like the original grate, but won't rust, therefore are easier to clean and will last longer. The 26" kettle comes with a stainless grate, but the smaller kettles do not.

[Michael Brinton]

Oh man! I've been searching for 304 grates. Thanks Huskee I had a tough time finding those and had given up the search. The nickel played Weber grates get ruined too fast.

[xaugievike]

More money flying out the window. Thanks for that find, Huskee.

[Brewmaster]

what kind of Weber, gas?

[cwain8845]

The kettle 22.5

[tbob4]

I have a Santa Maria grill. I was looking to replace the stock diamond grills on the top. I thought about going with Argentine grates or a heavier iron grate. Both were very expensive. I crossed my fingers and went with Grillgrates. I could not be happier. The did what the Argentine grate would have. Even though they are light, they are as durable as the iron grates. When I bought them, most everyone was using the grate side but I experimented with the flat side and found that they were exceptionally versatile. Brewmaster 's question is right on. When you said Weber I immediately though kettle and he asked is it gas. If it is a kettle, do you have an SnS and or a Drip and Griddle pan? If not and you are looking for your next accessory a lot of people will likely weigh in on what order your accessory choice should be and why.

[cwain8845]

I don't have an Sns or Drip and Griddle pan. I don't really see myself using the SnS a lot when i already have a couple of smokers. I have looked into the drip and griddle pan though.
But then again, I could look into the SnS and decide to get it.

[tbob4]

Well I LOVE my Grillgrates. I haven't had a Weber kettle in some years. I honestly don't know if I would have bought (all things being equal) the Grillgrates of the SnS as my first accessory had they been available when I had one. Guess I would have had to get both.

[cwain8845]

Slow n Sear may be on my radar now. Will be looking into it more. I like the 2 zone cooking setup aspect of the slow n sear. That would come in handy for me.

[FireMan]

Run, don't walk for that SnS. It will change drastically how you use & ENJOY your Weber.

[DeusDingo]

my cast iron grates need to oiled EVERY SINGLE TIME and even then they start to rust. why? because i am not going to lift my grates up and season the back side of them so the rust from the bottom up. there is nothing you can really do about that other than make such a hassle out of grilling you never want to use the grill. granted, oiling is just spraying on oil from a can but still, it's an extra step and expense that you might not want to deal with.

[Potkettleblack]

Yeah, I was gonna say... cast iron grates are PITA on maintenance, don't really do anything positive for you, and really hurt if you drop them.

[PBCDad]

cwain8845, tbob4 just shot this thread in a new direction. I would definitely recommend getting the Slow n Sear for the kettle. I have had mine for maybe 6 months and use it all the time, but I'll be trying it out for a long smoke for the first time this weekend. That is to say, I use it to make the kettle a better grill. It is really nice to have the distinct zones. I've been cooking steak, chicken breasts, veggies, shrimp, burgers, and more using both the direct and indirect zones.

I recently got GrillGrates for the kettle as well, and while they are nice, I haven't found them to be a game-changer like the SnS; more of a supplement that does things a little better than what I could do before. I got the DnG pan at the same time as the GGs, and I like it because I like griddle food. I haven't gotten to play with it much yet though...

As a disclaimer, I got the SnS at the same time as I got my kettle, so I've always had the two together. Maybe you are super comfortable with your setup that you don't feel you need the SnS, but I have found it very helpful.

[cwain8845]

I am really thinking more and more about the SnS. Like you said, it enhances your grill and gives extra cooking options w/o burning food etc.

[Craigar]

I have also found that I end up using less charcoal every cook with the SnS.

[Gooner-que]

My kettle is loaded with a SnS, DnG, SnS Grill Grate, and hinged grate; it cooks everything well. I like the GG for searing, I use them flat side up. I added the accessories in the order I listed them.

[smokinfatties]

GrillGrates are excellent- I bought a cast iron grate for my Weber and it has never been taken out of the box. I also have the SnS, but if you plan to use your kettle strictly for grilling, the cheap charcoal baskets will work fine and give you two zone cooking capabilities. I find the SnS is great if you want to do low and slow on the Kettle.

[Amajeff99]

Love my Grill grates. I think they make the biggest difference on my Gas grill.

[lonnie mac]

Gotta buck the crowd a bit I guess. I absolutely LOVE my cast iron. Very versatile setup using Craycorts. I have no issue with cleaning after each cook as I do that anyway. A good spray of oil and it's done. I have no issue with rust either and I live down here in the most humid part of the world I think.

The SnS, a must!

Love my Ballistic griddle too...

[Lowjiber]

I use the SnS and DnG on my kettle and GGs on my gasser. Works for me.