Caring For Your Grill - Kalamazoo K54DB Use And Care Manual

Caring for Your Grill

Your Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet grill is made from high-quality 304 (or 316L if you opted
for marine-grade) stainless steel and engineered for durability. Simple care and cleaning will
provide a lifetime of service...
Grilling Surfaces
Before each cooking session, after the grill has pre-
heated, use a grate scraper or a grill brush with stiff
stainless steel bristles to clean the grilling surface.
After each cooking session, run all of the main
burners on high with the lid closed for 10 to 20
minutes before shutting it down. This will help burn
away drippings and residue on the grilling surface and
in the hopper.
ALWAYS use a stainless steel bristle brush or a brass
or wooden grate scraper for cleaning your grilling
surface. Do not use brushes or scrapers of other
metals with the exception of brass. Brass grill brushes
will not harm your grilling surface, but we find that
stainless steel brushes last much longer and are a
better investment.
NEVER use steel wool on your cooking surfaces.
It will leave small amounts of mild steel behind,
embedded into the grain of the stainless steel, and it
will cause rust.
NEVER use chemicals to clean your grilling surface.
Your laser-cut surfaces should be kept clean, dry and
BLACK. Treat them as you would a cast iron skillet.
The darker the finish, the better.
Before using your surfaces for the first time, they need
to be seasoned with oil. Remove the cold surfaces
from your grill and use a cloth rag to wipe vegetable
oil over the entire surface of each. Place the surfaces
back into the grill. Light the grill and run all main
burners on HIGH for about 60 minutes. The goal is
to turn the surfaces brown. The more you use your
grill, the more thoroughly seasoned your surfaces will
become. Ideally you want your surfaces to become
black and remain that way. You can re-season your
surfaces at any time. Re-seasoning may be necessary
if your grill sits idle for long periods of time or you
cook highly-acidic foods.
58
Cleanout Pans
Empty and clean your cleanout pans on a regular
basis. We recommend doing so before every cooking
session. Because they are reasonably sized, the pans
can be cleaned in the sink using hot water and normal
dish soap.
Do not open the cleanout tray or empty the cleanout
pans if the grill is hot.
Exterior Cleaning
The most difficult part of cleaning your grill is
removing the burnt-on food and grease from around
the cooking area. Start by using a citrus-based or
organic degreaser to remove everything that isn't
burnt on. Next, we recommend using powdered
Bar Keepers Friend with a soft, microfiber towel. Be
careful to follow the grain direction of the stainless
steel to avoid scratches. With a little elbow grease,
Bar Keepers Friend will remove most stains and
discoloration. For real problem areas, a Scratch-B-
Gone kit can be used to restore the factory finish.
After these steps, rinse off all cleaners, wait for the
grill to dry, and then apply stainless steel polish.
Saltwater Environments
Oceanfront environments with salt air and sea spray
will require regular maintenance and cleaning to
prevent rust. Clean stainless steel surfaces at least
two times a month to keep the chemical reaction
caused by the salt from gaining a foothold on your
equipment. With regular cleaning, your equipment
will look like new for a lifetime. To achieve maximum
corrosion and stain resistance, the surface of the
stainless steel must be kept clean. Should some rust
spots occur, they can be easily removed with Bar
Keepers Friend or a Scratch-B-Gone kit.
KalamazooGourmet.com