How to look after your BBQ

WITH sunshine, blue skies and a string of Bank Holidays on the calendar, summer brings lots of scope for planning BBQ parties.

But how often do you clean your BBQ and does it really matter?

“If you don’t regularly clean your barbecue, you can run the risk of exposing your fresh food to residue, dirt and grime, which could ultimately affect the taste and flavour of your cooking,” says Dan Cooper, head grill master at Weber.

Here’s how to make your outdoor grill gleam. 1. If your BBQ hasn’t been used for a while, give it a thorough clean. Dan said: “Heat your BBQ up to the max for about 30 minutes – this will help to burn off most of the old residual grease and fat.

2. Always eliminate dirt from the cooking grates. “Make sure your BBQ is still hot, and then brush [the cooking grates] with a grill brush to remove any leftover residue which may be left behind after the burn off,” advised Dan.

“Next, we recommend using half a raw onion on the end of a BBQ fork to scrub the grates. This will pick up any grease left behind, as well as any small specks of dirt and carbon, due to its acidity.” 3. Once cooled, clean the internal bits.

Let it cool down before proceeding to the next step. “Put on your rubber gloves and remove all the grates and internal components,” said Dan. “Then use a T-brush and scraper to clean everything, making sure all grease channels are clear, before placing them back into the BBQ.

“Make sure you don’t jet-wash or put components in the dishwasher, as this can cause some parts to rust.” 4. Your BBQ will benefit from a good buff. Once you’ve got the chore of cleaning everything out of the way it’s time to polish up. “Use a microfibre cloth for buffing to give your BBQ the best shine possible,” said Dan.