Is a good oiling enough to save these grates? How do you guys clean grates that have gotten this bad? I've never let them get this bad in the past but even when I've seasoned then in the past, the moment I start brushing them to get the daily gunk off the rust appears. Is that normal? I typically oil them before each cook and rust " disappears". They are cast iron not porcelain.
Thanks
This is not bad at all. I've seen much, much worse. I'm sure others have their own way. Here's mine:
Try some steel wool to remove the rust. If the steel wool, doesn't work, try a steel brush or use a steel brush attachment on your drill and get rid of the rust. If you've got a propane torch, you might want to blast it with the torch first, then hit it with steel wool or wire brush.
After the rust is gone, wash the grates and work on seasoning the grates. I like to heat the grates up to around 300 degrees, then use lard (get a small container at the market) to season. Use tongs and paper towel to get the initial layer of seasoning on the grates. Now get it just to smoking and turn it off and let it cool down all the way.
When it's cooled down all the way, repeat the process again. Heat up, apply lard, smoke, cool down. You can use a cheap silicone basting brush from the dollar store to brush the grates with lard after the initial paper towel application.
Do this as many times as you can (at least 6 times) and you'll see the grates turn an nice jet black. Over time, your grates will be able to hold the seasoning better and you won't require as much attention.
When you're ready to cook, get the grates hot, apply a little lard again with your silicone brush and cook away. After cooking, pull the food, set a timer for 10-15 minutes and let the grill burn off the grates. Brush the grates, then hit the grates with another layer of lard while the grates are warm. This will prevent any rust forming in between cooks.
Here's a pic of the grates on my Weber Q320 with cast iron grates. It was 10x more rusty than yours when I got this grill.
gas stations open near me