Flipping Grill Grates

[Hugh]

As I figure out my strategy for cooking with a griddle on my gasser, I have had to go back and re-think how I use my Grill Grates.

I really like cooking on the backs of the Grill Grates. I love using my gasser as a big griddle with the GG's wall to wall. I can fry, cook stir fry's as long as nothing is small enough to fall through the holes, and of course I can sear and do smash burgers.

But I have found if I flip them back to the rail side up, I have 2 problems:

1) there is a carbon build up under neath that is awkward to clean and I hate doing it because I'm frequently flipping them.

2) although the tops of the rails are easy to keep clean for grilling when used top side up, I find the valleys between the rails fill up with crud. I know I can just give it a light scrape and not worry about getting it perfectly clean as long as the rails are clean, but cosmetically, its ugly and not something I want to show my guests.

As a result I only use them upside down and do all my 'normal' cooking like grilling and indirect cooking on my Weber cast iron grates.

Have others experienced this? Am I missing something?

I'd like to get a Great Griddle which would allow me to just leave the Grill Grates on rail side up all the time. But because of problem 2 above, I'm not sure I want to go back to using the GG's as they were designed.

[FireMan]

Interesting! I found that when I used them on top of my grates of my gasser I crudded up those & they became unsightly. Soo, I stopped using the GG’s. I’m not the guy to ask. I choose to let em sit for now. Don’t know what I ‘ll end up doing with em.

[Jerod Broussard]

I only use them upside down I could care less about using them the other way.

[Potkettleblack]

I wouldn't want to clean baked on pancake batter off my grill... sounds like a loser to me, Hugh.

[Hugh]

That was my attempt at humor Potkettleblack. I was trying to recover from thinking those were pancakes! Wait, maybe your joking too. I can never tell on this place!

[Jerod Broussard]

Hugh, I got sidetracked big time. May try this weekend.

[jfmorris]

I use a scraper on top of the rails, and scrape/shovel out the debris in the valley using the grate tool. Every once in a while I break them down, soak and clean with a scotch brite pad, soap and a hose. Overall it stays clean. I too flip them to the flat side for burgers and bacon.

[Hugh]

Do you find you get a black flaky buildup on the flat side when they are down and you are grilling rail side up?

[jfmorris]

Hugh, yes, its carbon buildup from the gas burners, much like what you get in the top of your grill dome over time. I just scrap it with my grate tool, rinse them off with the hose, and get cooking. On this new 4 burner Genesis I've got enough room I often just leave 2 burners flat side up, and 2 rail side up. I've only been using 2 burners for a lot of cooks.

[Attjack]

I don't like the crud either and most of the time go flat side up. But anytime I go rails up I use crumpled tin foil to scrape the valleys clean right into the trash can. However, what you describe is certainly an issue. No one wants to see that stuff.

[Rod]

I agree. I went back and forth and even did half and half like Attjack's picture above. Now I've settled on keeping them all rail side up. That's because I bought a Blackstone for my griddle cooks. You can also use a plastic putty knife to scrap the crud in between the rails. Especially in between where they join. The grate tool doesn't do a very good job in those areas (where they join).

[jfmorris]

I got a "detail" tool back when I bought my Grillgrates on my old Genesis - basically a glorified paint scraper with a longer wooden handle, and it is "grate" for cleaning out those crevices you mention, as well as scraping the rails and flat side.

[RonB]

I have only used them flat side up.

[Hugh]

Didn't really like the Drip 'N Griddle for pancakes. Probably shouldn't have it on top of the GG's, it requires one hand to hold still, and the lip was a hassle for flipping.

[Attjack]

Ever try going right on the GGs? I wonder if there is any chance it might work? Cast iron is probably the way to go since it's non-stick and won't slide around.

[Hugh]

I agree that Cast Iron is the right solution after all. Troutman was right all along about the Lodge 22x16 griddle. I'm just determined to make my Grill Grates work.

[Hugh]

I'm absolutely trying it this weekend. I would think the batter would seal pretty quick if the GG is hot. Won't be pretty to look at (smallpox?) and as PKB points out it will be a mess to clean up. I just won't show that in the photo's.

My wife can't figure out why I'm doing sll this. She seems to think our old non stick electric griddle is better....Perfect even heat, fast, no stick, 6-8 golden pancakes every time. She is eating hers while I'm still trying to get the temp right on my fancy cast iron griddle which only fits three small pancakes.

Oh, and I have an electrical outlet right by my BBQ.

My way is so much better.

[jfmorris]

Haha. My wife actually prefers it when I keep my cooking and my mess outside!

[Troutman]

Wives...it's what they think and then....well....it's what they think

[Hugh]

Seriously, my wife got me a t-shirt a couple of years ago that says "if a man speaks in the forest and no one hears him, is he still wrong?".

I don't get it.