Which grill grates are best

Today’s grills come with a variety of grates to cooked on, which made me wonder if there is a difference between them. If so, what’s the difference and is one better than the other? So I decided to do some research to see if there’s a difference, and if so, what it is. Here are the different types of grill grates and what you can expect when using them.

First you have your traditional cast iron. Then there’s stainless steel which is pretty standard in new grills. On the higher-end grills there’s porcelain coated which is actually cast iron or stainless steel under the coating. And the newest ones are made from anodized aluminum.

So here’s what I’ve learned so far about each type of grill grate, some pros and cons about each one, and my thoughts on each one. Hopefully this information is helpful to you in deciding which grates are going to be best for you and the type of grilling you’re going to be doing.

Cast Iron

Cast iron is probably the oldest metal used in the manufacturing of cooking grates for barbecues and smokers. Barbecuing has existed in America since pre-colonial times, and the first barbecues would have been equipped with cast iron cooking grates. It’s an excellent metal for preparing food on but it’s not without some drawbacks.

Pros of Cast Iron

Cast iron is excellent for cooking on due to the fact that it retains heat extremely well. Unlike regular steel it transfers heat quickly into your meat giving you an excellent sear on your meat as well. Cast iron is also nonstick as long as you properly season it before you use it.

Also, cast iron grates tend to be made very thick, so there’s no possible chance of them warping. Due to that, as long as you do some maintenance on them, the grates are going to last you a lifetime. In fact, as long as you properly care for them, they’ll probably last longer than the grill itself.

Cons of Cast Iron

That’s not to say there isn’t any downsides to using cast iron. Cast iron tends to be extremely heavy compared to other cooking grates. That can make removing them to clean your grill or to add more charcoal to the grill difficult, especially if they’re hot and you’re trying to fight with them. You may end up burning yourself.

They also require more maintenance than other types of grates since you need to season them between usage. You see cast iron is only nonstick if it’s been properly seasoned, which is a simple process of putting oil on the grates and heating them up. The problem is if your grill hits extreme temperatures, the oil coating can burn completely off and the non-stick ability will be lost.

Don’t forget that the oil coating is also protecting the grates from getting rusty. That means the next time you go to use your grill, the grates may have started to rust. You really need to coat them almost immediately after using them.

Now don’t get me wrong – I actually do enjoy using cast iron grates. I think they add a certain flavor to the food that you just can’t get with stainless or porcelain-coated grates. So for me it’s worth the extra work. If you want to learn how to season your grill, check out my article (What Does It Mean To Season a Grill).

If your looking for new grates for your grill. You can shop Cast Iron grill grates on Amazon by Clicking Here.

Stainless Steel

It’s pretty common for new grills to come with stainless steel grates anymore. They are less maintenance, lighter, and extremely resistant to rusting. That makes them an ideal choice for people who don’t want to do a lot of maintenance to their grill.

Pros of Stainless Steel

The nicest thing about stainless steel grates is the fact that stainless is known for not rusting. Keep in mind that low quality stainless steel will eventually rust over time, especially with being used on grilling surfaces were it’s being heated and cooled continuously.

Also,there’s almost no maintenance when it comes to stainless steel grill grates. All you need to do is clean them either before or after each use and you’re good to go.

Cons of Stainless Steel

Now going with stainless steel you might think you never need to do anything. But the truth of it is over time they’re going to start to break down, and your food will start to stick to them. You can do the same seasoning process as you do on cast iron. This will help slow down the deterioration process.

They are also going to change colors. Everybody loves the look of new stainless steel – all nice and shiny. Over time, cooking on them at a high heat is going to cause them to turn yellow or even black in color. This is the metal getting a patina. It’s completely natural but may make your grates look bad even if they’re still in good condition.

But even if you managed to keep them nice and shiny, the constant heating and cooling of them will cause them to start to warp. Due to this they may not stay in your grill properly.

So stainless steel is a good low-maintenance option. Even though they may not look as clean as you want them to, they will hold up for years with low to no maintenance.

If your looking for new grates for your grill. You can shop Stainless Steel grill grates on Amazon by Clicking Here.

Porcelain Coated

Porcelain coated grates are nothing more than either your cast iron or your stainless steel grates that have had a porcelain coating added to them. That means you get all traits of cast iron or stainless steel depending on which one you buy, with the added protection of porcelain on top of it.

Pros of Porcelain Coated

Porcelain coated grill grates need no maintenance at all. All you have to do is clean them after each use. And they’ll always maintain their nice black finish. This question is whether you bought the stainless or cast iron porcelain coated grill grates.

Also, they’ll always be non stick without doing the seasoning process to them. If you go with the cast iron ones, you shouldn’t have to ever worry about any warping occurring.

Cons of Porcelain Coated

Sounds like perfect grill grates, don’t they? Low maintenance with all the benefits of the above-mentioned grill grates. The problem is if you get a chip or neck in your porcelain coating.

Once that happens moisture can build underneath causing them to rot from the inside out. That means you can’t use any harsh tools on them. You have to watch when using a metal spatula or a scraper on them when you clean off burned on food. They may be low maintenance, but they’re a bit on the delicate side so you have to watch while using them.

If your looking for new grates for your grill. You can shop Porcelain Coated grill grates on Amazon by Clicking Here.

Anodized Aluminum

Anodized aluminum cooking grates are kind of new to the show. They offer increased efficiency of your grill. This is due to the fact that aluminum is an extremely excellent conductor of heat.

If you haven’t seen aluminum grill grates yet they remind me of a heat sink. There about a 1/2 inch thick with deep ridges in them. Between the ridges, there are perforated holes to allow fat to drain down into the drip pan.

Pros of Anodized Aluminum

They heat up extremely quickly so you need to use less BTU to get to cooking temperature. Also, they cool almost as quickly as they heat up. This is nice because changing the temperature on your grill is a much faster process, especially if you’re trying to sear on the outside of your meat and then slow cook it the rest of the way.

Another nice feature of these is that you can flip them over and use the smooth bottom, essentially turning your grill into a flat top grill. That’s a great option depending on what you’re cooking. You might not want to have the deep ridges that smaller things can fall into and get stuck.

Cons of Anodized Aluminum

The downside I see with these is the ridges themselves. Things are certainly going to fall in there, plus you’re going to have to clean between them all the time. They do make a special spatula for getting in the grooves for flipping your burgers and a special brush cleaning between the grooves. But now you need to buy special made tools to use your custom-made grates, which seems like a lot of extra to me.

Don’t get me wrong – the idea of using less fuel and getting more heat is excellent. I haven’t had a chance to try these yet. I’m looking forward to trying them in the future. Also, they should be low maintenance. Aluminum is an extremely durable, versatile metal.

Now like I said above, these are kind of new. I’ve yet to see any grills come with them standard. But you can get the aftermarket ones that you can either put on top of your existing grates, or have them custom cut to fit in your grill and replace your existing grates altogether.

If your looking for new grates for your grill. You can shop Porcelain Coated grill grates on Amazon by Clicking Here.

As always happy grilling!