01
Brush while warm
After cooking, brush away food residue while the grate is still warm. Avoid soaking it or leaving it exposed to standing water.
Keep your grate cooking strong
Season it. Cook on it. Keep it ready.
Your GrateFit carbon steel grate is built to work hard and develop character. A simple first seasoning and a few after-cook habits help protect the steel and build a naturally seasoned cooking surface.
Before the first cook
Initial seasoning in five steps
Set aside a little time before your first fire. The goal is a clean, dry surface with a thin layer of heat-bonded cooking oil—not a heavy coating.
01
Wash and dry
Wash the new grate with warm water and mild dish soap to remove handling residue. Rinse thoroughly, then dry it completely with a clean towel.
02
Warm the grate
Place the dry grate over a low-to-medium fire for several minutes. Heating drives off any remaining moisture before oil goes on.
03
Apply a thin oil coat
Using tongs and a lint-free cloth or paper towel, wipe on a very thin coat of a high-smoke-point cooking oil. Cover the surface without leaving wet pools.
04
Heat until it changes
Let the grate heat until the oil begins to smoke and the steel darkens. Keep the fire controlled and let the coating bond to the surface.
05
Repeat if desired
Let the grate cool enough to handle, then repeat the thin-oil-and-heat cycle one or two more times. The finish will deepen naturally with regular cooking.
After every cook
The care routine
02
Dry it fully
Use residual grill heat to dry the surface completely. Moisture is the enemy of bare carbon steel.
03
Wipe on a light oil film
When the grate is dry and warm, wipe on a barely-there layer of cooking oil. This helps protect the steel between cooks.
04
Store it dry
Keep the grate in a dry place or under a covered grill. If surface rust appears, scrub it off, dry the steel, and re-season the affected area.
Good to know
A few things to expect
Darkening is normal
Carbon steel will deepen from gray to brown-black as it seasons. That evolving finish is part of the material.
Avoid the dishwasher
Dishwashers and long soaks strip oil and invite rust. Hand clean, dry, and re-oil instead.
Rust can be fixed
Light surface rust is not the end of the grate. Scrub it clean, dry it over heat, then oil and season it again.
Need help with your GrateFit grate?
If you have a care question or need help with a custom build, send us a note with your grill model and grate details.