Seasoning Your Grill Plate
Getting your hands on Firebrand’s Crucible portable fire pit is an exciting time and marks the start of many barbecuing years to come. You've unpacked it, you've put it together and you definitely won’t want to sit there and stare at it. As tempting as it is to immediately start flippin’ burgers and cooking up your first mouth-watering meal, the grill needs to be seasoned to get the best results from your BBQ fire pit.
Why Is Seasoning Your Fire Pit Grill Important?
Seasoning is the method of curing the metal and burning off any oils or coatings from the manufacturing process. It creates a barrier between the metal and the food and helps protect the grill and extend its lifespan. With regular maintenance, seasoning also makes the post-BBQ cleaning a lot easier. It will provide you with the best cooking surface to produce quality meals on your Crucible wood fire pit.
The First Seasoning
The first thing to do is get your fire pit on while you prepare the grill plate. Fire it up and get the following tools:
- Cooking oil
- Paper towel
- Grill brush
- Warm, soapy water
- Drying towel
The seasoning process involves four steps: washing, drying, oiling, and heating.
Step 1: Wash your steel fire pit grill using warm soapy water.
Step 2: Rinse well and dry thoroughly.
Step 3: Apply a layer of oil using a soft brush or spray bottle to coat the inner surfaces.
Step 4: Use the paper towel to wipe off excess oil and then place it over the wood fire pit for about 30 minutes. The fire will burn off any impurities while sterilising the grill.
Seasoning Maintenance
You will want to use these same steps to maintain your treasured steel fire pit grill. After each use, scrape off all food and marinade remnants with a grill brush. Once the grill has cooled down, wash it to ensure no funky bits are left behind. Dry and oil the grill and you’re ready for another cooking session.
Next time you use the BBQ, preheat the grill to burn off the oil, and you are all set! Over time, the grill plate can corrode and lose its non-stick capability, but regular seasoning ensures you don’t ever run into this problem while improving the life of your BBQ grill.
Best Oils For Your Fire Pit Grill
Because seasoning your grill requires really high heat, it's important to use the right oil - and olive oil isn't one of them. Canola, sunflower, or avocado oil are recommended for grill plate seasoning since they have a high smoke point of over 230°C (450 °F), which means they won't burn and ruin the seasoning process nor ruin the taste of your food. While peanut oil can also be used, always keep in mind that it can affect BBQ guests with peanut allergies. So, rather be safe than sorry and stick to the recommended oils.