If anyone knows about rusted grill grates it’s Rusty and Crusty. If you look at Crusty’s grates they are worn down and some rods are missing. Rusty on the other hand, his grates are…well…rusty.
Since they were never cleaned and cared for, they know their rusted and broken grates are not normal and not safe to eat off of.
But, what about you? Do you feel safe eating off your rusted grill grates?
Are rusted grill grates safe to eat off of or should you replace them?
To understand why grill grates rust you have to understand what grill grates are made from.
Every grill has a different type of grate in terms of design and material used by the manufacturer. Since we clean grills professionally, we certainly see all forms of grates and in all sorts of conditions. We find that some customers will take good care of the grates making it easier for us to clean while other customers never scrape anything off making the cleaning feel impossible.
Let’s look at a few of the different types of grates found in most grills.
There are basically three different types of grates –
Stainless steel –
Stainless steel grates typically come in a round rod and may be different diameters or thicknesses depending on the manufacturer and quality of grill. They can also come in a hexagon shape (like a stop sign) with multiple faces. And in some cases, they can be cast into a shape.
While the term “stainless steel” makes us think of words like “Durability” and “Rust-proof” but in reality stainless steel is easily scratched and damaged. There are different grades of stainless steel that determine it’s quality level. The higher the grade, the better quality it is and vice-verse when it comes to a lower grade. Unfortunately, most stainless steel used for grill grates is not always a high quality grade making it not fully stain or rust-proof, it’s just more resistant to corrosion.
Will stainless steel rust?
Stainless steel has a built-in resistance to corrosion but it can and will rust in certain conditions—although not as quickly or severely as other types of grates. For instance, stainless steel will corrode when exposed to damaging chemicals, saline, grease drippings, acids in marinades left sitting on the grates, moisture from not covering the grill, or extreme heat for prolonged periods of time (turning your grill up high and leaving it on to “burn” off).
Cast Iron –
Cast iron is a generic term for a variety of iron alloys made by re-melting pig iron along with substantial quantities of scrap iron, scrap steel, limestone, carbon. It’s poured into a mold so can be made into virtually any shape.
Even though most common grades of cast iron will rust; it’s cheap, it’s durable, it’s recyclable. If you keep it dry and/or seasoned it doesn’t rust. Cast Iron is the strongest and cheapest material for the vast majority of products like grill grates and cast iron pans. Manufacturers choose cast iron for their grill grates compared to stronger options like stainless steel because cast iron remains cheaper by a large margin. If you’re trying to keep your grill within a certain price point, cast iron grates help keep your cost down compared to stainless steel.
Porcelain coated –
Porcelain coated grates can be any shape and size based on the core metal used. The core metal of the grate typically consists of either cast iron or steel, with cast iron being the preferred material. Cast iron heats up faster and hotter than steel and provides an ideal cooking surface when coated with porcelain. Some manufacturers will use steel in less expensive grills to save costs and get the grill down to a certain price point.
Porcelain coated grates create an ideal grill grate for most – easy to heat, easy to clean and non-stick. However, the porcelain can easily get damaged and chip off from heavy scraping, poor adhesion, fractures in the porcelain, etc. Once the porcelain chips off and exposes the core metal, rust will eventually begin to form. There is no fixing or repairing the porcelain once it is removed.
Would you eat from a rusted fork or spoon? If a pot or pan was rusted would you cook your dinner in it? No! You would consider it unhealthy and unsanitary. But, for some reason, we think it's ok to eat food cooked on rusted grill grates!
When we don’t take care of our grill properly, the effects might not immediately show up. The interior of the grill begins to look black, grates are caked with carbon. That all hides the hidden damage underneath till we decide to clean the grill.
Grill grates rust for various reasons. Most often, the initial cause will be our error.
Depending on what source you read, when you grill on a rusted grill grate, some of that rust will transfer to your food. While consuming small quantities of rust is probably not going to make you sick, you got to ask yourself if it’s really healthy for you and your family?
Why do you continue to eat off rusty grates?
Do you feel it’s normal to eat off rusted grates since the grill get’s super hot? Would you eat from a rusted fork or spoon or throw it out? If a pot or pan was rusted would you cook your dinner in it or throw it out?
For some reason, we think it’s ok to eat off rusted grates but wouldn’t consider it healthy or sanitary to do so in our own kitchen. Think about this. Your outdoor grill is the only appliance that comes in direct contact with your food…yet, is the worst maintained.
Is it healthy to eat off rusted grates?
In my professional opinion, No!
It really depends on how much rust you have?
In most cases purchasing new grates is relatively inexpensive. If your grates are showing signs of a lot of rust than I would encourage you to buy new ones.
Are your grates showing signs of rust? How do you care for your grates to prevent rust or keep rust from transferring to your food?
What fears or concerns do you have with rusted grill grates?
Tell us in the comments below.
Husband, Father, grill cleaning visionary. Founder of The Grill Cleaning Superstore and Prestige BBQ and Oven Cleaning, a Denver based professional Grill Cleaning Company since 2012.
