To grease or not to grease? That is the question? You know there are conflicting ideas out there about whether or not you should grease your grill grates. If you happen to have a Weber grill you may have noticed that they have a section in their instruction manual which clearly states that one should never actually grease the grates. Instead, they urge us to oil the food that you are going to cook. On the other hand, BBQ masters like Steven Raichlen or the folks on America’s Test Kitchen always tell you to grease the grates.
Now who’s right and who’s wrong?
At the end of the day it might not matter who’s right or who’s wrong? The important question is why do you do one or the other?Personally, I always oil my grates. I grease them after the grill has come up to temp with about 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil rubbed on with a paper towel dipped into the oil. Then, before I grill I let it do its thing while the grill continues to heat up for the last few minutes and then I’ll cook on it.
But then again sometimes I’ll oil the food as well. Is this an oxymoron? It may be but you really have to think about what you’re trying to accomplish.
If I’m cooking at a high temperature and it’s going to sit long enough I really don’t have to worry too much about anything other than a well seasoned grill grate. But if I’m going to go ahead and grill something a bit more delicate at a lower temperature like a salmon, or even something at a high temp that needs to turn over soon after going on, then the last thing I want is to do is flip it over after two or three minutes in and have half the food meld to the grill. So in that case, I’ll also oil the food to have a higher likelihood of success that I can flip over and not have it completely disintegrate in the process
Mike’s Tips
- Don’t bother using expensive oil for either the grill or the food. No matter how good it is, it’s going to burn off. While something rancid wouldn’t be great, there’s no need to use your best EVOO here.
- Calories shouldn’t be a concern when oiling food before grilling either (see above).
- After you finish grilling, let the grill cook off and then scrape the grates clean while they are still hot. It’ll be so much easier than before you cook next time and it’ll extend the life of your grates.
- Don’t use a spray oil to grease the grill. I find it may be wicked cool to have a flare up to your eyebrows, but your simply wasting more oil than you’re using, and it just won’t season as well as rubbing it in with a paper towel.
Chez Villa 
December 15, 2016 at 1:30 am
How hot is your grill, and what kind of oil?
I know that your average back yard gas grill guy will likely have his grill on high to “get it good and hot” and then maybe turn it down before he throws the protein on… if that’s the case, that grill is likely 450° or higher, and unless he’s using super refined oil or avocado oil, chances are high that any oil rubbed of the grill is going to smoke off and create nothing but soot on the grill by the time you get your food on it… which also is a non-stick option, like putting flour on a rolling surface for pie crust. But not without unpleasant taste side effects.
I’m a charcoal guy, so I have little to worry about, because I’m usually waiting for the chimney to finish flaming and then dumping it in to a relatively cold kettle quickly and grilling over it shortly after.. that is if I’m dinner cooking, not serious cooking. So I oil the grates, because they aren’t that hot. But each situation is different… do you want the smoked/burnt oil flavor in your food (sometimes yes for me)?
Base your answer on that…
Great first blog. keep them coming!
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December 15, 2016 at 1:39 am
Thanks for commenting Glenn! Really great points. I do typically use just plain vegetable oil that has a pretty high smoke point. No sense using a super refined oil here.
You’re right, the gas grill on high is easily 450-500 degrees on high but I’ve found that the repeated application of the oil is more like seasoning the grates over time and so letting the grill continue for another few minutes before putting anything on it seems to take care of any off flavors.
I really only use the gas grill when I need something quick – like on a cold December night when I need to prep, cook and serve within an hour or less. But I do the same to my charcoal grates too. Thanks again and check back for more posts.
~ Mike
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