ChrisBarb
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2016
- Location
- Melrose, MA
If you are uncomfortable with the grates, new grates are cheap.
What a testament of a quality product. The before and after pictures tell the story. Load it up with charcoal, wait for the thin blue smoke and put your food on to cook. My 18.5 is much older than yours and I’m still using the original grates.
Also, all factory dome thermometers aren't that bad. I've checked mine and there is only like a 3 degree difference between that and my top grate. Fire that puppy up!
for $15, I would change the grate. It looks chrome plated, and it looks like some of the plating is gone. While it may be ok for a cook or two, I would think the plating will continue to flake off as grease and cooking juices (usually with salt in them) work under the areas that are still plated.
I would not want metal flakes on my food.
If it were me, I would get a stainless one, problem solved forever. (I actually did this on a Yoder that I rebuilt, went to stainless grates.)