I Am Man. I Grill Over Lava.

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Grill Girl

Most of our readers own a gas grill. There are pros and cons to charcoal grilling as well as gas grilling and I can understand why many grill enthusiasts have both types of grills!

But have you ever considered grilling over lava?

Who needs a gas grill when you can just melt lava and pour it into dry ice?

No, because it sounds ridiculously dangerous and completely unnecessary? Well, despite those reasons and more, a few guys teamed up to try it.

Somehow this doesn’t surprise me…

B&P Cook Out from robert wysocki on Vimeo.

I think you should just stick to your grill.

-GG

How To Clean and Maintain a Gas Grill – Weekly

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Grill Girl

What are the most important things to do on a weekly basis to clean and maintain a gas grill keep it in good shape?

Rusting is the most common way, especially in grills, that metal deteriorates. You can’t avoid it. The reason is because when you add moisture, high levels of heat, and metal, you’re going to get deterioration – usually in the form of rust. And what does grilling always entail? – Metal, moisture and heat.

In addition to that, there are many different qualities of material available in grills on the market today. If you’d like to know the difference in a $300 grill you can buy on sale at a big box store and a $1200 grill you can buy in a grill specialty store, it’s how it’s made and with what material. Something like cast aluminum doesn’t rust. The only deterioration you’ll see with aluminum is oxidation which occurs over decades instead of months, like rust. It’s more expensive than the stainless steel sheet metal that’s bent into a grill shape. Even among stainless grills, not all stainless steel is created equal. You can read more about the deal with stainless steel in this post.

No matter the material or quality of your grill, there are steps you can take to clean and maintain a gas grill to minimize rust, clean away rust, and help your grill, and grill parts, work for you as long as possible.

Use a BRASS-bristled brush to clean your cooking grid surfaces after you cook your food – while your grill is still warm.
-Brass is important because it is softer than the coatings on your grid surface. Even if your grid says it’s stainless steel, that could just be a coating! The only time I suggest using a steel bristled brush is when you’re cleaning the inside molding or casting of your grill.
-Always check for pieces of the brush that might have broken off your brush while you were cleaning. You don’t want to eat that!
Moisture is NOT your friend!
-Use a cover to protect your grill from rain. If you have an especially fragile (read here cheap) grill, moving it under an awning while it’s not in use is not a bad idea.
-I’m a big believer in quality so I don’t like the idea of a grill you have to give so much special attention to – but that’s the reality with most grills under the $300 price point if you want them to last more than 2-3 years.
Notice some rust? Don’t panic!
-Use your grid brush to remove most of the rust and then rub oil into the area that was rusting. This will seal out the moisture and delay further rusting.
-It’s a good idea to do this whenever you notice rust in your grill, but also reapply oil before you preheat for cooking.
Preheat before cooking.
-Preheating your grill not only gets it to the right temperature for cooking your food, it also sanitizes your cooking area! Use your grill’s highest setting for about 15 minutes to preheat and then adjust the temperature when you’re ready to cook.

Make sure the brush you use has brass bristles and check that no broken off pieces of the brush are left on your cooking surface when you’re ready to grill!

You should get into the habit of taking these steps every time you grill, or at least once a week if you grill often.

There are also some more in depth steps to take when you put your grill away for the season and again when you take it out for the first time each season. Thankfully, here in Georgia, we’re still months away from the end of grilling season!

-GG

Gas Grill Hacks – Smoke

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Grill Girl

Many hard-core smoker fans out there will make the gas grillers feel inferior when they swap grilling stories.

Chins up all my gas grill friends! They can spend all their waking (and sleeping) hours over that hot smokey grill while you and I go on with our lives!

America’s Test Kitchen (one of my FAVORITE resources) has come out with a video detailing how to get that same smokey flavor on your gas grill.

Sure, you’re thinking – I know! – wood chips. But America’s Test Kitchen has put many different methods of using wood chips to the test and here’s what they came up with. Check out this short but sweet (or should I say smokey?) video that shows you how to get the PERFECT packet of chips!

You can thank me later!

Enjoy!!

-GG

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What is a Flashback?

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Grill Girl

A flashback is a literary term used to describe a vision of something that has previously occurred.

Or is it?

Yes, it actually is. However, in the grilling industry it’s something that can be scary and even dangerous. Grilling Fire Flashback

A flashback is what happens when you turn on your grill and light it and a ball of flame comes up toward the front of the grill.

Thankfully, flashbacks are easy to fix and avoid completely. They are caused from a build up of grease, debris or even spider webs! What happens is the blocked gas builds up in one place and when you light the grill, all that accumulated gas lights at once.

To avoid them, clean your grill once or twice each year. Check around the gas valve – especially the orifice – for any kind of build up. Look for grease and char from grilling.

Keeping the inside of your grill clean will not only avoid flashbacks, it will also help your grill last longer AND make your food taste better. Happy late summer grilling!

-GG

Manufacturer Highlight: Uniflame

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Grill Girl

Uniflame Grills

Who makes them, who sells them, and how to keep yours running!

As far as I can determine, the Uniflame grill brand has been around since the early 2000’s.

Usually in the grill industry, every brand seems to either be related to another brand, own another brand, make another brand or get purchased by another brand and it’s no different with Uniflame. That makes it extremely difficult to track down the exact beginnings of Uniflame.

It seems that they made Sunbeam grills many years ago, before they were bought out by the company Blue Rhino (think propane tanks at the gas station and you’ve got the right company).

Currently, Uniflame holds a decent share of the lower-end gas grill market. Walmart sells the grills at a low price point so they are accessible to a lot of people. Additionally, people seem to be willing to buy replacement burners and heat plates to keep their grills working.

So, what does that mean for all of us? When a grill brand is popular, we will sell the parts for it. Uniflame seems to have a fairly streamlined model number system at this point. It’s not difficult to repair your grill and in many cases the replacement parts are even higher quality than the originals in your grill! When you know that you might need Uniflame burners, cooking grids, heat plates, briquette grates, carry-over tubes, or knobs, it can seem very overwhelming. The good news is that we are dedicated to making your search for replacement Uniflame gas grill parts as easy as throwing a steak on the grill!

If you’re wondering how we can tell you we have parts that will fit your grill, here’s what we do; each year we get new parts for Uniflame grills, like burners, cooking grids, heat shields, and carryover tubes. Then, we do research on your grill model numbers using the online manuals, grill sizes, and information from Uniflame, Blue Rhino and other sources. This allows us to show the exact parts for your model number. We have a drop down list that includes every Uniflame gas grill model number we know and list those parts we sell for each.

Still have questions about your Uniflame grill? Call us and we’ll do our best to determine the correct parts for your grill and the Uniflame replacement parts you need.

There is a great selection of high quality parts for Uniflame gas grills available on our website, including new stainless steel burners, stainless steel heat plates, and cooking grids that were added to our line this year!

Click UNIFLAME to get started, or give us a call at 877-244-0737.

Cinco De Mayo On The Grill!

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Grill Girl

According to Wikipedia, Cinco De Mayo “originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.”

Most Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants around the country are holding celebrations or offering specials to commemorate this great excuse to party!

If you’re looking to grill something at home with a beer you don’t have to pay $5 for, try out some of these recipes!

Tequila Lime Chicken with a Margarita!
Pro Tip – leave the skin on the chicken breast when you grill it. That way if it chars, you can easily remove the charred part before serving. Yum!

Grilled Chili Lime Fish Tacos with Negra Modelo beer
Pro Tip – Tilapia has a short marinating time so this recipe is great for a last minute meal idea!

Grilled Tamales with Poblanos and Fresh Corn
Pro Tip – This recipe is more in depth and might take an hour to prepare – not for the faint hearted but promises to impress!

Grilled Mexican Steak Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce
Pro Tip – Throw all these ingredients on a bed of romaine instead for an amazing grilled salad!

Also check out our pinterest for even more ideas!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

-GG

Why Do I Have Flare-Ups?

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Grill Girl

Flare-ups in your grill are not always a sign something bad is happening.

Sometimes a bit of grease hits a flame and – poof – you see the flame because it was fueled for a moment and jumped up into your line of sight.

However, if you have a lot of flare-ups, or one spot that seems to flare a lot, that’s probably going to be a problem you can easily fix.

The first thing to check if your “heat dispersal.” What’s covering your burner? Is it protected properly from the drippings of your food? If there are large holes, your plate is falling apart, or missing entirely, that’s why you have the flare-ups!

Here’s a little video to show how easy it is to fix that problem:

Easily find your heat dispersal replacement now!

If you have brand new heat plates, heat tents, vapor bars, flavor bars (or whatever you call them!), and you still have flare-ups, give us a call. We’re always happy to help! 877-244-0737

-GG

Why Isn’t My Grill Getting as Hot as it Used to Get!?

Posted on April 24, 2014 by Grill Girl

Why isn’t my grill getting as hot as it used to get?

This is one of our most frequently asked questions.

For starters – is there gas in your tank? Check that first. 🙂

Once you know you’re cooking with gas, if you use propane (aka LP), the answer is almost always one of the easiest and cheapest things to fix : your gas regulator. Regulators go bad over time, slowly shutting down the amount of gas getting to your grill. That’s why it might not seem like something “broke” all the sudden, but there’s still an issue with the heat in your grill.

Gas grill liquid propane regulators (they fit on those 20lb tanks you buy/trade at grocery stores or gas stations) are a standard part. That means, in almost every case, you can use the regulator we sell for the grill you have. (If you’re not sure, give us a call)

Here’s the standard one-hose-fits-most grills regulator:

Does your grill have two hoses? or a place the the hose goes into a Y shape? We have that too!

How about a really big grill with 4 or more burners?

Or a grill that needs an extra long hose to reach to where the tank sits?

When you order this part and it arrives, you can simply unscrew the old regulator from your tank and your grill. Then screw on the new regulator to your grill and your tank.

See? I told you it was easy to fix.

Why not just go get a new one at a big box store? Well, not all parts are created equal, and we strive to supply the best quality available. We stock regulators in high quantities, so they should always be ready to ship out as soon as you place your order. If they aren’t, you’ll see that listed directly on the website.

We’ll save you a trip now by sending this part directly to your front door, and a trip in a year, because our parts outlast the generic ones sold at big box stores. (More questions about regulators? Read this post)

Still having issues with the heat in your grill? Check out this page for valve information.

It might be your grill burner.

And as always, if you have ANY questions give us a call! We specialize in Great Customer Service! 877-244-0737

-GG

Happy Earth Day!

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Grill Girl

In honor of Earth day this year, we made a little meme to remind you that it’s easy to do your part.

Here are a few of our favorite reasons to repair your grill:

1) Save the time, hassle and money it takes to buy a new grill

2) Keep the grill you know and love

3) Upgrade the parts in your grill to keep it cooking for longer than it did originally

4) You can clean your grill to get it looking fresh again

5) And of course, spare the local landfill a grill that just needs some work

That’s it for now! Spread the word. Let’s spare the landfills this year!

-GG

How to Replace the Carry Over Tubes – with video

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Grill Girl

Hey Y’all, it’s the Grill Girl!

Today, we’re going to be replacing the carryover tubes on a Charbroil 463268606.

I’ve already removed all the grill parts except for the burners and carryover tubes. Unfortunately, you’ll see this carryover tube has already removed itself.

So, these are the carryover tubes, and as I already said, this one is missing. This piece has completely rusted out and it just fell right to the bottom of the grill.

The purpose of a carryover tube is to carry the lit gas from one burner to the next. so, when you turn this burner on and light it, then the lit gas will go into the next burner and light it.

It’s really just something to make it easier to grill – you don’t even have to have it to grill. You can light each burner separately.

However, we do sell the replacement for this grill.

You will need to use your own screws, but even if the screw is not completely tight, it will serve the purpose of holding the part in place.

You can see when I turn on this burner, it brings the flame right over – so, it works!

Thanks for watching!!

-GG

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