Caring For Your Grill - Kalamazoo Gaucho Use And Care Manual

Caring for Your Grill

Your Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet grill is made from high-quality 304 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 stiff stainless steel grill brush to clean the
grilling surface.
ALWAYS use a stainless steel bristle brush 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.
Special Instructions for Laser-cut Grilling Surfaces
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 and start your fire. 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.
Exterior Cleaning
The most difficult part of cleaning your grill is removing the burnt-on food and grease. 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 microfiber cloth and water. 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 from 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.
Interior Cleaning
WARNING: The cleanout bin gets extremely hot when the grill oven is operating. Empty the bin only when the
grill and bin are completely cool.
Empty the ash bin before each use, but always be sure the grill and any leftover wood/embers are completely
cool. Open the chute (Figure 11:P) and let the ash fall into the cleanout bin. You may occasionally wish to
remove the fire grates and thoroughly sweep ash down into the bin.
Dispose of the ash in an appropriate container, reposition the ash collection bin and close the firebox chute
before grilling.
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