Which way do grill grates go?

Last Updated on: 13th November 2022, 11:05 am

Grilling season is one of the most anticipated times of the year.

It is one of the most common ways to show our family and friends the expertise that a pitmaster has in BBQ.

But it also comes with some confusion if you are a newbie.

Grilling requires frequent cleaning and seasoning of the grill to avoid rust and make it durable.

But to do so, you have to remove the removable parts of the grill and clean them completely.

So while reassembling the grill, you may wonder which way the grill grate goes.

The simple and straightforward answer to this question is that the wider and flat side of the grate will always face up.

If you have a cast iron grill grate, the frame legs are easily visible on the bottom side of the grate.

Although it is not a serious issue for seasoned pitmasters, it is still a common issue for beginners who are just getting started with grilling.

So we decided to put together a comprehensive guide on it to avoid any misconceptions in the future.

Let’s get started.

Which way do grill grates go?

Grill grates are one of the most important parts of a grill.

These are designed in a way to maximise the contact of the food with the heat.

So the ideal or correct placement of them is really important for effective grilling. if not placed correctly, the parchment paper can stick to them.

As a general rule, the flat and wide side of the grill grate always faces up.

This side of the grilling grates is designed for a specific purpose.

The upper side of the grilling grate is really easy to distinguish from the bottom side.

The upper side of grilling grates is designed flat to provide the maximum area for the placement of food on it and allow the maximum contact of heat with the food.

So you can easily distinguish that the wider area is designed to face up.

Grilling grates should be placed correctly to allow the maximum heat to come into contact with the food.

If the grill grates are placed in the wrong direction, then the flow of the heat will be disrupted, and less heat will reach the food placed on the upper side of the grates.

In addition, the upper side of the grate is purposefully flat and wide.

It is designed in this way to allow pitmasters to place the most food on the grate.

Grilling is really a tedious task, and no one wants to grill food in batches.

Which side do the cast iron grill grates go?

Cast iron grill grates are one of the most common grates used in grills.

The reason is that they are resistant to rust and also retain heat.

In this way, they can retain the heat when the temperature is higher and avoid sudden fluctuations in the grill’s temperature.

You can distinguish these grains by their dark and porous appearance.

In addition, these grates are heavier in weight than the other commonly used grill grates.

Sometimes, newbies can get confused about which side of cast iron grates should face up.

The short and simple answer to this question is that the side of the grate with the small legs should face down.

Rectangular cast iron grill grate frames are available.

So one side is flat, while the other side has small legs for placing it on the grill.

So when you are confused about which side of the grilling grates should face up, you should just examine the design of the grilling grates.

The side with small legs on its corners will be facing down to allow the grates to rest food on a level surface.

Which side of the rod grill grate should face up?

Rod grill grates are also one of the most common grates used in grills.

These are usually cheaper and more durable than the built-in grates that come along with the grills.

If you are purchasing them for the first time, then it can be confusing to place them correctly in the grill.

These are designed to maximise the exposure of food placed on the upper side to the heat while minimising the dripping of oil onto the fire.

These are usually made of a mixture of short and long rods welded together.

The short rods are placed in a direction parallel to the width of the grill.

while the long rods are welded perpendicular to the short rods.

These are designed in such a way to allow the user to grill the maximum amount of food in a single batch.

When deciding which side of the grill grate should face up, you should place the grate with the long rods facing up.

It is placed in such a way to allow you to have the maximum area for grilling food in a single batch.

Things to keep in mind while deciding which side should face up

If you’re new to grilling, installing grill grates can be intimidating.

But by following the guidelines given above, you can easily get around this decision.

But if you want to experience the placement yourself, then you should keep in mind these things.

Maximum grilling space

While placing the grill grate in the grill, make sure that the side with the largest area is facing up.

It is placed in such a way to allow you to grill the most food in a single batch.

Because no one wants to grill food in several batches.

Minimize the oil dripping

Oil drippings are one of the most important things to keep in mind while deciding where to place the grill grate.

You should place the grates in a way that minimises the dripping of oil onto the fire.

The oil dripping can result in flare-ups and bad smoke.

The final verdict

If you’re stuck deciding which side of the grilling grate should face up, here are some general guidelines to follow.

However, these guidelines restrict you to only using the gates in this manner.

You can experiment with the position of the grate yourself and select the one that you prefer.

However, when deciding where to place the grill grate in the grill, keep in mind that it should provide you with the most grilling area while minimising oil dripping.