Cooking Gadget Review: GrillGrates

Somewhere in our past our society deemed it a necessary skill for all men to be able to grill and to master the barbecue. I didn’t grow up with an outdoor BBQ so that skill pretty much skipped a generation, but GrillGrates looks to help me immensely in making sure my son doesn’t miss out as well. There’s nothing like having a party or cookout with friends, coworkers and neighbors you want to impress and then absolutely destroying all the food on the grill. After only one occasion like that I knew my place at the parties was not with a spatula and flame-proof apron, but this product may just give me the confidence to get back in the game.

GrillGrates look fairly simple up front, but don’t let that deceive you. The technology behind this product is impressive and well-tested. They are made from anodized aluminum, so they conduct heat better than steel or cast iron and they won’t rust, which is great for those folks who leave their grills open for weeks on end.

The design helps create infrared heat that distributes evenly and cooks the food from the inside out instead of outside in. This process delivers food that’s not only more thoroughly cooked, but much juicier to boot. I actually brought leftovers from our first trial run into work the next day, tossed them in the microwave, and they were still juicy! No joke, I was floored. The rails also provide the visually pleasing sear marks that make all that food on restaurant menus looks so damn tasty.

During the grilling process there were a number of nice touches. Pouring on your marinade is far more effective because you don’t end up losing half of it off the sides and down into the flames. There are drain holes in the GrillGrates, but thicker marinades will still hold somewhat inside the valleys, continue to cook and send that flavor and steam right back into the food. Also, because of the increased coverage you worry far less about burning your hands or about flare-ups from the grill.

Each set comes with the GrateTool, which has prongs specifically spaced to fit in the valleys of the GrillGrates. This way you can gently lift and flip your food without scraping or tearing the skin. It’s a very well-thought-out cooking system that delivers on its promises. I admit my bar was set rather high when their promo materials boasted that the last three years of the World Championship Steak Cookoff® were all won by contestants using them. Boom. [GrillGrates drops mic, walks off stage]

Will this make me a master gill chef? Likely not, but I surely won’t be serving folks hockey puck hamburgers any more. I’m absolutely going to look into getting another batch so I can cover the entire grill (one set covers about half). I suggest getting GrillGrates for those family members or friends who are terrible grill cooks. Then you won’t be afraid to go to those summer BBQs anymore.