The Grate

The grate is the part of the grill that comes in direct contact with the food, so it should be clean. Fortunately, this is as simple as bringing it up to grilling temperature when you preheat the grill and then scrubbing it with a dry stiff wire brush before adding the food. The heat loosens any burnt-on scraps and sterilizes the grate, while the brush removes the debris. There’s no need to scrub the metal with abrasives or soap. On the contrary: You season a grate, by using it and brushing it clean (washing is unnecessary).