As the summer seasons come around, more people are bringing out their grills or investing in new grills. We can all agree that there is nothing quite like firing up that grill and having friends over for a good barbecue. But before you start cooking, several things have to be considered.
Taking the time to ensure that the grill is properly seasoned can help elevate your food and make it easier to clean up afterward. One of the very popular grills is the Char-Griller E1224. Though the process of seasoning a grill is the same for any of them, we’re going to take a look at the seasoning process of this particular grill.
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A Look at the Char-Griller E1224
This specific model is crafted in a Texas-style barbecue smoker layout. It is designed with a side firebox and an adjustable fire, among many other features. This barbecue is designed to help ensure a perfect result.
The Char-Griller E1224 utilizes a design that is minimal and is finished with cast iron cooking grates for even better heat retention. With its heavy-duty steel construction and easy-to-clean design, it’s an option many people recommend to their friends.
Check out our Tips for using the Char-Griller E1224 Smokin’ Pro
Why is Seasoning a Grill Important?
If you’re unfamiliar with setting up a grill, you may assume you’re ready to pop in the charcoal and get going once you’ve done the assembly. But the truth is there is one step many people overlook: the seasoning process.
Why is seasoning so important? Let’s take a look at a couple of reasons:
- Safety – When a grill is first put together, it still has residual paint, manufacturing oils, and other contaminants. None of these things taste good when it comes to grilling your food. By seasoning a grill, you allow all of those to burn off and sterilize for the health and safety of your friends and family.
- Easier Cleaning – Seasoning gives a non-stick cooking surface to your grill. This means that seasoning creates a layer that keeps the oils and fats from adhering to the grill itself. It’s especially important when dealing with cast iron because it’s a porous substance.
- Flavor – When utilizing the grill, all the juices and fats of that food are cooked off because of the high heat. These then will coat the grill’s surface and, over time, build up a very good flavor.
- Extends Life – By seasoning, you’re prepping your grill and giving a coating that can help prevent any corrosion that may occur over time. That means that you’re extending the life of the grill, and because there are grills that are quite expensive, this can be a great benefit for seasoning your grill properly.
Seasoning Oils: Which Work the Best
To season your grill, you can utilize many different oil options. Vegetable oil is most commonly used to season a grill. More unique flavors like avocado oil are not necessarily great and can lend a bad taste to whatever you put on it. But some other options could work out if you want something a little different.
Sunflower oil
This is a more expensive option but has a great neutral flavor. The smoke point of this particular oil is 450° Fahrenheit.
Canola oil
Like vegetable oil, canola oil is a budget-friendly option and can be found everywhere. Though it can, if done improperly, leave a little bit of a bad taste, so be careful of the smoke point, which is 400° Fahrenheit.
Corn oil
This is a common option, too, and it works great when looking to season a grill. You’re looking at a 450° Fahrenheit smoke point for this type of oil.
Peanut oil
As long as you don’t have anybody in your life who has peanut allergies, peanut oil is another great option. It has a smoke point of 450° Fahrenheit.
Soybean
Soybean oil is a very healthy option, and for those looking to create a more healthy barbecue seasoning, it could be a good choice. Like many other options, it has a smoke point of 450° Fahrenheit.
How to Season Char-Griller E1224
Whether you’re dealing with a gas or charcoal grill (like the Char-Griller E1224), You can see why seasoning a grill is so important. Now let’s look at exactly how to season your Char-Griller E1224.
Rinse the Grill
Before placing oil on the grill, you will want to rinse and air-dry the grill grates. You don’t have to use any type of soap but simply water and a good rinse. Make sure to allow the grates to dry completely before proceeding to the next step.
Coat the Grill With Oil – Grates
Depending on what type of oil you’re using, you can use either a basting brush or a few paper towels to apply a high heat compatible oil to the grates themselves.
Coat the Grill With Oil – Lid
Then you’ll want to do the same thing to the lid and on any of the emitters of the grill. This is so that it can bake and seal everything to create a non-stick surface on both the grates and the lid for improved cooking.
Heat It Up
The next step is to crank the heat up. Light the charcoal and make sure you get it super-hot. Look for glowing red embers, and then close the lid.
Burn Away Oil
Finally, let the charcoal burn and smoke for about 30 to 40 minutes. This will burn off the excess oils and allow your grates and lid to absorb the flavors, ensuring that you have a proper seasoning. Depending on the grate, you will see some changes in how it looks. This grill, in particular, has cast-iron grates, which means you will notice a slick black sheen on them. This is simply the sign that your grill now has a good non-stick surface. Once that’s done, you must turn it off and let it cool before using it.
For an in-depth look at the process of seasoning the Char-Griller E1224, check out this video.
Final Thoughts
So you can see why when you break that brand new grill out and get it set up, the next step should definitely be seasoning it. This model has a lot of great features to it that are going to ensure epic barbecues. But without the seasoning, the Char-Griller E1224 will not deliver its best performance.