What You Actually Need To Know About Grilling On Rusty Grates This Summer

The sun's shining, the meat's marinating, and with good eats on the horizon everything is as it should be in the world — until you open up the grill. The wind in your sails fades the minute little brown spots speckled across the grates meet your eye. For a moment you wonder if it would really be that bad to forge ahead and start grilling on rusty grates, but if you're wise the idea passes quickly.

Cooking food on rusty grates is a problem for several reasons. From a health perspective, it's just plain old a bad idea. Bits of rust can flake off and end up on your basted grilled meat and veggies. While swallowing small amounts may not cause harm, rust is not considered a food-safe material by the USDA and continuing to ingest it over time could generate serious health problems.

Rust can also harbor bacteria which can transfer unpleasant flavors to your barbecued delights. If that's not bad enough, you'll notice right away it's much more difficult to stop food from sticking to the grill. Visions of picturesque diamond marks will become dashed hopes and it'll be more difficult to simply cook your food evenly.

There are a few ways to prevent rust from accumulating on grill grates. One method is to season the grates by applying oil and turning the burners on for 10 to 15 minutes after every few uses, which grants them a protective layer. Being diligent about using a grill cover to insulate your equipment from the elements will offer even more protection. If you're already looking at rusty grates, it's time for more drastic measures.

Once rust has settled in, it's not going away on its own. There are different approaches to dealing with rusty grates depending on how corroded they are. Unfortunately, if you see the rust has created small divots in the grates or they've become slightly flexible, they're likely beyond the point of no return and need to be replaced.

However, if it's just a few spots of rust which haven't penetrated into the metal, there are some cleaning methods that can make your grill grates look good as new. One way is to heat the grill for 10 to 15 minutes, give it a scrape while it's still hot, then let it soak in water and dish soap for at least 30 minutes. Scour the problem spots after it's done soaking, rinse the grates well, and dry them completely (water lingering on the grates likely caused the problem in the first place, so don't let them air dry and chance the same problem occurring).

If there's significant rust, you can try soaking the grates in white vinegar overnight. When they're allowed to soak for 4 to 12 hours, the acid breaks down the rust and it becomes a cinch to scrub off. If that doesn't work, it might be time to break out the sandpaper. 120-grit sandpaper and some elbow grease should remove any remaining rust. Just remember to wipe the grates down and remove any debris so it doesn't end up on your grilled chicken the next time you're grilling.