To get some expert insight into the best way to clean a gas grill, Tasting Table spoke with Scott Thomas, owner of The Grillin’ Fools. Thomas said, “The biggest issue with gas grills is the interior metal components (e.g. the burners) rust pretty quickly when grease drips on them. That liquid fat will congeal and hold moisture onto the metal. That’s a rust factory right there.” Luckily, he offered a couple of methods for dealing with this.
為了獲得專家見解，了解清潔燃氣烤架的最佳方法，《Tasting Table》採訪了 The Grillin’ Fools 的老闆 Scott Thomas。Thomas 說：「燃氣烤架最主要的問題是，當油脂滴落到內部金屬元件（例如燃燒器）上時，會相當快速地生鏽。那裡的液態脂肪會凝結，將水分留在金屬上。這就是一個生鏽的工廠。」幸運地，他提供了幾種應對這個問題的方法。
Thomas shared two different ways to clean built-up grease off a grill: “The easy way is to crank up the grill again the next day or even again the same night. Get the grill super hot which should burn the grease off. But if there is some liquid fat that does not burn off, simply blot it with some paper towels.” The other method is to “just go with the paper towels from the beginning. This latter option will take a lot longer and is a much dirtier job.”
Thomas 分享了兩種清除烤架上積聚油脂的方法：『比較簡單的方法是隔天再開啟烤架，甚至當晚就再開。把烤架加熱到非常高的溫度，油脂就會被燒掉。若仍有液態脂肪未被燒掉，可以用紙巾輕輕擦拭吸除。』另一種方法則是『一開始就用紙巾擦拭。這種做法雖然需要花更多時間，而且會更髒。』
Thomas also offered some step-by-step tips for new gas grill owners who might not be aware of the level of upkeep these cooking appliances require. He said, “The biggest issue is making sure to get the liquid fat or grease off the burners. Generally, the shell of the grill holds together better than the burners, but will rust as well for lower-end gas grills. For higher-end grills, say with cast aluminum outer components, then that’s not a problem. If the grill is under $300 and comes from a big box store, make sure to get every ounce of grease or the grill won’t last three seasons.”
Thomas 也提供了一些逐步的建議，給新手使用燃氣烤架的人，可能他們並未意識到這些烤具需要的保養程度。他說：「最大的问题是確保將液態脂肪或油脂從燃燒器上清除。通常，烤架的外殼比燃燒器更易保持結構，但對於較便宜的燃氣烤架也會生鏽。對於較高階的烤架，例如外部部件為鑄鋁的，那就不是問題。如果烤架價格在三百美元以下，且來自大型商店，一定要把油脂清除乾淨，否則烤架可能撐不到三個季節。」
Don’t overlook these areas of your gas grill
Scott Thomas also advised on tackling the hidden parts of your grill you’re probably forgetting to clean — starting with the gas burners. He said that running “a metal brush over the little gas holes on the burner where the fire comes from is a good idea. Those little holes get clogged and drop the heat output. It also creates hotter and colder spots on the grill, making cooking much harder. Imagine a couple bratwursts burnt black next to a couple that are raw because little holes are clogged under the two raw ones while the other two are getting blowtorched.”
Scott Thomas 也建議處理你可能忽略清潔的烤架隱藏部位——從燃燒器開始。他說，使用金屬刷在燃燒器的微小氣孔上刷過，是個好主意。那些小孔會被堵塞，降低熱量輸出。它也會在烤架上造成更熱的區域和更冷的區域，讓烹飪變得困難。想像兩條香腸被烤成黑色，而另外兩條還是生的，因為下面的孔洞被堵塞，而其他兩條正被高熱直烤。
