|
Does it seem like you have to buy a new grill every season? If you
are like most people you might find yourself taking a trip every spring
to the discount store to buy another grill. The same barbecue grill
that you bought last spring, after a few uses, the legs got wobbly and
the grate rusted through. Even a little rust can be bad because it gets
on the food and that’s never a good thing for many reasons. They
are a few differences that separate quality grills from those
one-season wonders. A good quality grill, with proper care, will
provide many years of use. Outlined below are five features you should
always look for when considering the purchase of a grill that will last
you many years. 16 gauge Stainless Steel Grill
The
quality of the materials that are used make the biggest difference. Any
grill worth its weight will be made of 16 gauge stainless steel.
Stainless steel doesn’t rust and it’s resistant to oxidation caused by
heat. Oxidation caused from heat is the leading reason grills rust
through quickly. Most discount grill manufacturers will not use
low-grade stainless steel as to keep production costs down. Cast iron grill grates
Cast iron grates will last the lifetime of the grill if proper care is
taken. Cast iron grates must be seasoned, just like your grandmother’s
old cast iron frying pan. Well seasoned iron grates are non-stick and
will actually improve with age adding flavor to your food when it
cooks. Cheap grill grates are made of steel that is coated with a
chrome surface to prevent the steel from rusting. This works well until
the first time you use the grill. The reason for this is because the
heat degrades the chrome plating causing it to crack. Then the heat
rusts the steel underneath causing it to rust from the inside out. Adjustable charcoal rack
This is a feature you may find on grills that don’t have any of the
other qualities listed here. However, this one feature by itself
shouldn’t be the reason for buying a lesser grill. The reason an
adjustable charcoal rack is important is because this allows you to
adjust the heat for direct cooking. This means it’s possible to cook
steaks and burgers with less charcoal. This feature is also very useful
for indirect cooking making it possible to try many new barbecue
recipes. Powder coated finish
A powder coated finish is applied in powder form to the stainless steel
then infused to the stainless steel by applying heat. This makes it a
permanent color coating that will never chip and peel. Powder coated
finishes are very resistant to scratches making them the most durable
finish you can have. The reason discount grills rust all over is
because most manufacturers use of high heat paint. This may sound like
a great idea but it doesn’t work. This is because cheap steel oxidizes
and begins to rust under the high heat paint causing it to peel away.
Even if the steel doesn’t rust it will expand and contract with the
heat causing the paint to chip and peel anyways. Stainless steel charcoal rack
If there was any one part of a grill that needs to be stainless steel
it’s the charcoal rack. This is because this one part endures the most
intense heat. Heat causes oxidation, which results in rust. Rust is the
biggest reason why you have to by the $40 special every spring. The bad
part is that a lot of people will continue to cook on a rusty grill,
which is very unhealthy.
|
