Charbroil Tru infrared grill

[twfshelton]

Does anybody have one of these grills? Just got on a couple of months ago and it cooked AWESOME, then came time to clean it. I'm not sure what twisted mind came up with this pain in the arse design. You can't use a wire brush because you will be eating metal bristles and die a slow excruciating death. You can use a nylon brush if you wait 22 minutes after your 15 minute "burn off". Basically you have to pull out the grates every time and wash them, no more just scraping the gunk off and letting it fall in the fire box. Does anyone have a better way?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I've always used wire brushes on my grills (not infrared, but don't know why that would matter) and I'm still alive and kicking. I have had nylon bbq brush bristles get in my food, but never any wire brush bristles.

 

[HoughMade]

Oh..... a gas "grill".

Momma always said if you can't say anything nice.....

 

[CountryBoy19]

Use a QUALITY brush... made of twisted wire. It's the cheap brushes with "tufts" of bristles just stuffed into a hole that deposit loads of bristles into your food.

 

[twfshelton]

I've always used wire brushes on my grills (not infrared, but don't know why that would matter) and I'm still alive and kicking. I have had nylon bbq brush bristles get in my food, but never any wire brush bristles.

So have we, but apparently what makes this the "infrared" is a pretty much solid grate that is covered in something. You don't have the traditional grate that bristles and gunk fall thru, it's more of a wavy sheet of metal. It is supposed to eliminate flare ups which it does, but at the expense of nowhere for stuff to drop to.

 

[twfshelton]

Use a QUALITY brush... made of twisted wire. It's the cheap brushes with "tufts" of bristles just stuffed into a hole that deposit loads of bristles into your food.

they didn't design a hole to brush things into, the tiny holes in the grate are just pin holes

 

[chezuki]

Love mine! It's the best cooking home grill I've ever used, and that includes $1000+ Webers. I cooked in professional kitchens for 15 years and this thing is the closest to a commercial char grill I've ever seen.

 

[Bigtanker]

I just bought one last week. Noticed the same thing. I put some pickle juice in a spray bottle and the grill gas cooled down just a bit, I spray it with the pickle juice then brush it. It doesn't get it perfectly clean but it does ok.

You can also layer the top with aluminum foil for easier clean-up.

 

[Bigtanker]

Love mine! It's the best cooking home grill I've ever used, and that includes $1000+ Webers. I cooked in professional kitchens for 15 years and this thing is the closest to a commercial char grill I've ever seen.

Now you're at my house.

 

[twfshelton]

guess we should have gotten the model you have, it looks to have traditional grates on top of the "infrared" plates. ours has the plates and grates in one. I agree the grill cooks great, just the clean up is kind of a pain especially if you use any type of sauce. the plates fit tight enough they are hard to get out to take inside to wash. It came with a toothed scraper, but they didn't leave an opening to scrape into.

 

[edporch]

Does anybody have one of these grills? Just got on a couple of months ago and it cooked AWESOME, then came time to clean it. I'm not sure what twisted mind came up with this pain in the arse design. You can't use a wire brush because you will be eating metal bristles and die a slow excruciating death. You can use a nylon brush if you wait 22 minutes after your 15 minute "burn off". Basically you have to pull out the grates every time and wash them, no more just scraping the gunk off and letting it fall in the fire box. Does anyone have a better way?

Use a metal brush.
Just be SURE when you're done you didn't leave any broken off bristles that can get in your food.

 

[chezuki]

guess we should have gotten the model you have, it looks to have traditional grates on top of the "infrared" plates. ours has the plates and grates in one. I agree the grill cooks great, just the clean up is kind of a pain especially if you use any type of sauce. the plates fit tight enough they are hard to get out to take inside to wash. It came with a toothed scraper, but they didn't leave an opening to scrape into.

That's exactly why I chose this model. The cast iron grates sit on top the holes in the stainless emitters, so it's impossible for them to get clogged.

 

[ws6guy]

Mine also has the separate grates from the pieces that have the holes. I love this grill, I think this is my 3rd year and about 2 times a year I take the plates out and just scrap them off and put them back. Food cooks soo much faster on this grill vs any others that I've tried.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

If there are no spaces between the grates, isn't it basically a "groovy griddle"? If that's the case, they make pummice-like griddle blocks that could probably be used. That's what we had when I worked at Sizzler back in the early 80's. As you rubbed it on the griddle/grate, grooves would wear into the block so that you were cleaning both the tops of the grates and the bottoms of the grooves.

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/9-x...ogleShopping&gclid=CO2uvvXKuc0CFQMQaQoddxoPSA

(And I'm with Hough concerning gas grills... )

 

[dprimm]

Love mine! It's the best cooking home grill I've ever used, and that includes $1000+ Webers. I cooked in professional kitchens for 15 years and this thing is the closest to a commercial char grill I've ever seen.

I have a slightly different one, with the burner on the left side. But same grates. Have had it for over 3 years now and love it. I don't do much (any) real maintenance on the grates. Should, but became a real PITA. I just brush the things off quickly and keep going. Never had a flareup.

The ONLY complaint I have is the rotisserie attachment blows. I cannot do large birds (amish chickens are the max size) and I had to do some rigging to get those to work. Nothing specific was made for my grill, so had to do the cruddy universal thing.

 

[CountryBoy19]

they didn't design a hole to brush things into, the tiny holes in the grate are just pin holes

You've completely misunderstood my post. Nothing about my post was in regards to the grill, only the brush style used. Re-read it, if it doesn't make sense, I'll have to draw a picture.

That being said, I think the ideal grill would have an upper IR heat and a lower, traditional grill burner. True restaurant style infrared cooking in a home grill...

 

[HoughMade]

You've completely misunderstood my post. Nothing about my post was in regards to the grill, only the brush style used. Re-read it, if it doesn't make sense, I'll have to draw a picture.

That being said, I think the ideal grill would have an upper IR heat and a lower, traditional grill burner. True restaurant style infrared cooking in a home grill...

I think his original point was that this specific grill has instructions against using a wire brush because of its particular ​design, not due to the overhyped wire grill brush thing.

 

[twfshelton]

So for new buyers, get the professional series not the performance series. I wish I was techie enough to post a picture of my grates. The instructions say don't use wire brush, due to damage of the porcelain. No matter what brush is used or even the supplied tool, there is nowhere for the left over gunk to fall thru. Even my wife who bought it as a present for me has apologized for it being such a PITA to clean. Pretty sure the 96th amendment of the constitution says grilling should be fun and easy.

 

[Cameramonkey]

So for new buyers, get the professional series not the performance series. I wish I was techie enough to post a picture of my grates. The instructions say don't use wire brush, due to damage of the porcelain. No matter what brush is used or even the supplied tool, there is nowhere for the left over gunk to fall thru. Even my wife who bought it as a present for me has apologized for it being such a PITA to clean. Pretty sure the 96th amendment of the constitution says grilling should be fun and easy.

There is the problem. HEAVY cast iron FTW. Porcelain has no business in* a grill. it chips too easy with age and needs replaced faster.

*ON a grill maybe, as in porcelain covered firebox. but never the cook surface.

 

[chezuki]

I wish I was techie enough to post a picture of my grates. The instructions say don't use wire brush, due to damage of the porcelain. No matter what brush is used or even the supplied tool, there is nowhere for the left over gunk to fall thru. Even my wife who bought it as a present for me has apologized for it being such a PITA to clean. Pretty sure the 96th amendment of the constitution says grilling should be fun and easy.

Bigtanker has the grates you speak of...