My original weber genesis grates are starting to deteriorate- a friend suggested “GrillGrates” in lieu of standard replacement grates. Curious if anyone has used/tried? Supposed to give you more searing heat plus prevent flare-ups. Have to admit that flare-ups are a huge issue with the weber, especially with fattier cuts like NY strip and Ribeye, unless you literally do a full clean every other cook (and even then).
https://www.grillgrate.com/ They are a bit pricy though- so curious if there is any feedback available here.
When we changed out our Weber Genesis Flavor Bars I went for the more expensive stainless and learned about GrillGrates then. I didn’t buy them as my grate was still intact then but considering them now. A friend cooks with them and it is faster for sure so your first few meals are going to require real attention.
I put 2 grillgrates on top of my new Napoleon gas grill 4 years ago. The spatula that fits under the food is genius. The grates cover about 40% of my grilling surface.
The grates put nice marks on whatever is on them and seem to be a little hotter but the spatula rocks. I cook a lot of fresh fish now that it is so easy to flip and/or remove.
Joe Wu has some amazing grill grates - they are essentially little pans that catch all the drippings, and redirect them to another spot on the grill. I thought he called them Portuguese grates, but can’t seem to find where he mentioned them on Facebook
Flare ups are a huge issue for me on my Weber. When I’m cooking a ribeye I get the grill hot and then turn the burner off over the area where I’m cooking. Then when I flip, I move to an area that’s on and turn it off. It’s not a big deal but I’d rather not have to do it. My stainless steel grates are seven years old and still in perfect condition but the flavor bars are a mess. I try to keep them clean but it’s almost impossible. If these things really eliminate flare ups then I’d seriously consider purchasing them.
Tim–I think the Grillgrates minimize flareups because there is less food surface exposed to direct flame. That is another plus for them. Ribeyes flare up much less on grill grates sitting on direct flame than when they are over direct flame.
I made fish last night and turned the filets over when cooked to put some grill marks on the top. I never would have attempted that w/o the grillgrates.
Getting grill marks on tender fish flesh is really all about CLEAN grilling surface and not one but ten coats of oil.
And, starting flesh side down of the oiled & screaming hot
grill. 2 min or so and the searing will be done and the fish will release easily.
Exactly. And once the flamer-upper-bars get any crusted on stuff, the fat from the meat sticks to them and you get grease fire city when you work high heat. I literally clean and scrap the grill and the bars every couple of weeks to try and combat this.
Since I can justify new grates anyway (mine are cast iron and deteriorating/rusting at the edges) I think I will take the plunge and give these a shot. Of course I am probably due for new flamer-upper bars too, but that is a very short term fix.
I had heard about these, but held off getting them for a long time given the price.
Take it for me, do not balk at the cost. Just do it. They are easily worth the expense.
I put no oil on the grates before cooking the fish. I put a few drops of oil on the flesh side, cooked skin side down until almost done, then flipped to flesh side down for the last 30-60 seconds. No problem. Even my mother-in-law thought it came out perfectly.
I’ve been using the Grill Grates on my old trusty Weber Genesis sporadically for years. I bought them because my Weber cast iron grates literally rust out every two - three years. I just don’t understand it. One of the features I find invaluable is the ability to flip them over and use as griddle or sear station. That being said, I’ve cooked identical steaks side by side: One side with grill grates (grate side up) one with cast iron grates and prefer the taste of the cast iron version. I’ve also repeated this with Grill Grates turned upside down vs no grates and my trusty cast iron skillet resting directly atop the flavorizer bars. It get extremely hot. The cast iron skillet wins out for taste every time… until I have to clean it.
Soooooo… I bought these and have been using them for a few weeks now. They certainly seem to solve the flare-up issues compared to the old regular Weber cast iron grates. On the whole I like them, but has taken a bit of adjustment.
My set-up is 5 grates wide- I set up 3 ribs up, 2 ribs down -which gives a lot of versatility and a really nice griddle type surface. I do a lot of whole meals on the grill so having the two different surfaces works well and you can get a lot of caramelization from the griddle side on things like scallops, sliced veggies i.e. zucchini (yes I know it is actually a fruit- really a starch)
As J0seph indicated there is a difference in cooking steaks with them- You get great grill marks and searing heat, but it is harder to create a full crust if that is what you are looking for. I solved for this by using the griddle side in conjunction with the regular- Was able to get a good crust, plus good grill marks (nice for presentation I guess). Flavor was great.
Thanks for the update Scott, as I’m in the market for new grates for my Weber.
I like the skepticism in your reference to grill marks. I understand that they are pretty, but in most cases I see grill marks as missed opportunities for Maillard flavor. The center of each cross hatch is surface are that has less flavor than it could have had but for aesthetics. For those who want to show their grilling prowess with grill marks, you can add a couple of additional rotations to get a star pattern instead of a cross hatch that still looks pretty but sears a good bit more of the surface area.
I have a Weber and cook a lot of ribeyes. If the lid is down, flameups are a problem over direct heat. If the lid is open they aren’t usually an issue. My current favorite method is putting cast iron pan on the grill, turn grill on, when the thermometer is maxed out:
put heavily salted steak on
two minutes
flip
two minutes
move to the grill grates to finish with lid open over medium heat
I can walk in the door from work and have a 20+ oz steak resting in under 30 minutes, more than 20 of them waiting for the grill to get hot. Gives me time to change clothes, check the mail, find a bottle of wine…
A super thick steak (say Flannery CA Reserve) would probably benefit from starting at room temperature with this method, but normal 20oz thickness is just fine.
Thought just popped into my head. Anyone ever make creamed corn in a cast iron skillet with steak drippings?
Should be hot enough to get some color on the corn and might had a nice richness to it.
