Get Your Grill Fired Up this Spring

Hardcore grillers may brave the cold temperatures and keep their barbecue fired up throughout the winter, but a great many people are looking forward to the arrival of spring so they can pull out their grill and start enjoying the seared and smokey flavours of grilled foods.

However, getting your barbecue ready for spring requires more than simply pulling it out of the garage and firing it up. For safety and to ensure you get the most out of your grill, Napoleon Gourmet Grills offers the following tips for preparing your barbecue for a good spring and summer of outdoor fare.

1. Clean it up. You wouldn’t cook in a dirty kitchen, so why grill on a dirty barbeque? In order to sanitize and deep clean your grill, you will need the following products: abrass wire brush, small pail to hold hot water, dish soap, venturi brush, a1/16” drill bit, replacement grease cups, spatula, stainless steel cleaner and some fine sandpaper.

These supplies will help clean every nook and cranny of your barbeque.

Start with the burners. It is easier to detach the burners and take them out of the grill for a very thorough cleaning.  Pass a venturi brush through the burners to snag out any blockages then brush the tops of the burners using a brass wire brush.  Once the burners are cleaned, check all of the burner ports to ensure that they are opened.  If some are closed with food particles you can use a 1/16” drill bit to open them.

Sear plates and cooking grills should be washedwith hot, soapy water. Simply brush the top side of your cooking grills with a little oil to re-season them.

Hot, soapy water works wonders on the cast baseand sides of the grill and to remove grease splatters on the outside of thegrill. For porcelain lids, a thorough washing should suffice; for stainlesssteel lids use a stainless steel cleaner to remove any discoloring. Brushing the cast aluminum with a little olive oil will help restore the luster and prevent oxidation.

Lastly, use a spatula to scrape grease from theinside of the base all the way down towards the drip pan. Remove the drip pan and give it a good washing and be sure to replace the tin foil grease catcher.

2. Inspect all hoses and feed tubes. Once your cleaning is done, it is a good idea to visually inspect all hoses and feed tubes on your grill.  Look for any crimps, scratching and or punctures. If you detect any of these, it is time to replace the hoses.

3. Do a complete leak test of the grill. A leak test should be performed any time your grill has been in storage for a prolonged length of time or when you are changing any components on your grill.  For complete leak test information, please visit www.napoleongrills.com to view the leak test video.

4. Check all ignition parts. Now that your grill is clean and safe, it is time to check out how it lights. For battery ignitions it is a good idea to replace the batteries with new ones. Check all electrode leads and ensure the tips of the electrodes are clean and have no grease or rust build up onthem. If they do, you can use sandpaper to clean them.

Following these simple steps will help prolong the life of your grill and enhance your cooking experience. So grab a beer or two and get to work!

For more information, please visit www.napoleongrills.com. Follow Napoleon on Twitter @GourmetGrills and Like it Facebook.