How to Cook With a Weber Cooking Grate

There are many cooking grates on the market. The most generic are the stainless steel ones, which offer a smaller preheat time but have little in the way of heat retention. This guide will go over the alternative to stainless steel grates: the Weber line of cast iron grates.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Weber Cast Iron Grate Charcoal grill

1. Set up the charcoal grill by stacking a pile of coals in a pyramid. Light the coals and wait for them to ash over. Spread the coals and lay the Weber cooking grate on top.

2. Wait about 20 minutes for the grill to reach a temperature of 300 degrees. Unlike stainless steel grates, which will drop in temperature only a few minutes after food is added, a Weber cast iron will retain heat for about 5 minutes before dropping below 300 degrees.

3. Know your cooking times for a cast iron. Most people are used to a stainless steel grate, which does a poorer job with grill lines. For the Weber Cast Iron, the grill lines become defined earlier, but that doesn't mean the food is done. Once those grill lines appear and the outside looks done, move the food away from the direct heat of the coals to the grate's outside perimeter.

4. Remove the grill once it's cooled down and wash. Wash with water and a damp rag only.

Tips & Warnings

• You can chose not to wash the grate. Wait until it's cooled down enough to handle. Wipe the grate, spreading the bits of grease all around the surface. This will cure the cast iron as well as give it a natural flavor for future grill outs.
• Stainless steel grates will take longer to cool down than a normal grate; so, be careful when removing from the grill to wash. Do not use soap or a scouring pad with a cast iron as the scratches made by steel can oxidize and rust the grate.

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