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Grilling season has arrived, and the rotation of barbecue tools is steadily progressing. One of the most versatile of the bunch is grill basketPerforated stainless steel that allows you to grill smaller items such as cut-up vegetables or, for example, fajita bite-sized steaks and peppers without worrying about slipping them off the grate into the fiery hell below made basket.
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So I wanted to know if there was a way to keep my grill basket shiny and clean with minimal effort.Were there any specific cleanser Can hardened grease be melted? Do DIY cleaners like vinegar or baking soda work better?I set my sights on his five common methods and decided to test each one.
How we tested cleaning the grill basket
First, I wanted to get the dirt off evenly, so my first step was to brush two grill baskets with balsamic vinaigrette and heat them on a 400 degree grill for 10 minutes to get them evenly dirtied. Since grill baskets are primarily used for grilling vegetables, which are usually drizzled with olive oil or oil-based marinades, using a vinaigrette rich in natural sugars approximates the kind of residue that is usually left behind. You can.. After 10 minutes, the basket was coated in a sticky brown baked-on grease.
I used the first basket to test several methods.I tried three methods on one side of the pot and both inside and outside.I saved the bottom of the basket for another method. And I saved a second basket for the last method, which involves hand washing and using the dishwasher.
I timed scrubbing for just one minute, using firm pressure rather than Hulk strength. but not enough to negate the cleaning power of the cleanser.
evaluation: Results were rated on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is the overall worst method and 5 is the best method. The lowest point went to one that didn’t seem to move the baked-on grease at all.The more efficient the cleanser, the higher it ranks. We also considered the price when determining the value of the product. A cleanser with good cost performance is an additional point.
Note: Always check the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning the grill basket. If in doubt, do a spot test.
How to clean your grill basket: vinegar spritz
Method: It is a cleanser with a sour taste of vinegar. In fact, vinegar is so acidic that it can prevent nasty build-up like grease.In a spray bottle, I added 2 parts distilled white vinegar and 1 part water. Then spray the mixture on the bottom of the grill pan and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
how was it: Unfortunately the vinegar mixture didn’t seem to do anything to penetrate the baked-on grease. The polishing pad actually did all the cleaning.
Grill basket cleaning method: Baking soda paste
Method: Baking soda is a magical little household cleaner with a fine grit that cleans without scratching. I made a paste with 20% baking soda and 10% water. Then apply the paste to the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes, with a scrubbing brush he scrubbed for 1 minute, but you can also use a dishwashing brush for stubborn stains.
how was it: The baking soda mixture was more effective than the vinegar method. The baked-on grease came off easily with a scouring pad.
How to Clean Your Grill Basket: Barkeeper’s Friend Soft Cleanser
Method: Take a generous amount of soft cleanser on the sponge and rub it on the basket. Rubbed for 1 minute.
how was it: I like Bar Keepers Friend for my other scrubbing needs, so I had high hopes for this cleanser. It did a little better at softening the mess than the DIY baking soda paste.
How to clean the grill basket: dishwashing liquid + automatic dishwasher
Method: I hand washed the second grill basket without oil dawn dish soapi put it in the dishwasher cascade detergent pods 1 hour wash cycle.
how was it: Because I used a regular sponge and Dawn soap instead of scrubbing with a scouring pad, the baked-on grease didn’t settle into either pan, but Dawn removed the soft, crusty stuff. After running the pan through the dishwasher, a good portion of the baked-on grease was gone, and I didn’t have to expend any effort in the process! There were still many surfaces mottled with grease.
How to clean the grill basket: Dawn Powerwash
Method: I sprayed both sides of the grill pan. dawn power wash, leave for 5 minutes. Then I used a scouring pad to scrub for 1 minute.
how was it: I am very well impressed. power wash Penetrates baking grease. When I started rubbing, I could see it melting away as I rubbed. This was arguably the most effective cleanser to remove the worst of baked-on grease. I figured it would take 10-15 minutes of scrubbing to tackle the entire pot.
How do you clean stubborn dirt from your grill basket? Let us know in the comments below.