I purchased a set of GrillGrates for my Weber Jumbo Joe and am having a great time playing around with them. GrillGrates are excellent for laying down some ridiculously serious grill marks. They also allow you to grill directly over high heat without worrying about flare-ups. GrillGrates are one of the best kept secrets in grilling and are routinely utilized to win steak cook offs.
GrillGrates are sheets of anodized aluminum with ridges raised about an inch above a perforated sheet. As food cooks on the grate the ridges impart spectacular grill marks while the sheet prevents grease or oily marinades from dripping directly onto the charcoal. As juices collect on the sheet they either vaporizes as smoke or drip through the holes onto the coals. When the dripping grease does ignite under the sheet the GrillGrate serves as a protective barrier so your food doesn’t burn.
I sprayed mine with a little Pam before each use until they were fully seasoned and became naturally non-stick (about five cooks).
I was able to grill these choice ribeyes directly over high heat for twelve minutes using GrillGrates. If I had tried this directly on the grill the flare-ups would have had me running in circles.
These things actually made me want to grill some boneless, skinless chicken breasts just so I could lay down some grill marks. GrillGrates just raise the overall “fun” level of grilling.
GrillGrates really won me over when I used them to grill some catfish filets. Not only was I able to get some sick looking grill marks but I was also able to baste the filets in Italian dressing while grilling without the oil causing any flareups.
GrillGrates come with a very handy “spatula” that fits into the grate grooves. This makes it extremely easy to lift and flip your food; priceless when grilling fish.
It can be confusing trying to figure out which of the GrillGrate configuration options will fit on the Jumbo Joe. I am using the two 13.75 inch panel configuration which fits perfectly.
Something to keep in mind; the two panel configuration I have can be used on my 22.5 inch kettle and on my old Genesis gasser. They are too large for my Smokey Joe but they will can be used (and will improve) any other grill out there. These can make a cheap gas grill start looking like a high performance machine.
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Heck, they can even make high performance machines better! Just to prove it here is a nice video of the GrillGrates in action on a Big Green Egg from my buddy Steve over at BBQBros.net. Subscribe to his YouTube channel!!
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