QUESTION:
I’m gearing up for my end-of-year holiday and plan on relaxing around the pool while my Weber does all the hard (cooking) work. Unfortunately though, my Weber is looking a little worse for wear, and I’m wondering if I should get a new one for Christmas. The problem is, it looks like the inside of the lid is peeling with bits of flaking paint. Could this be toxic for the food, and what should I do about it?
ANSWER:
Technically speaking, your Weber is coated with a porcelain enamel that should never peel; the flakes you’re seeing are a combination of moisture, carbon and grease. These deposits get baked onto the inside of your Weber and eventually start to flake. So although it looks like peeling paint, it’s actually quite harmless.
However, over time, these deposits will have an impact on your Weber’s cooking performance and heat-reflecting abilities, so regular maintenance should be adhered to.
Here’s what you’ll need…
- Warm water
- Sponge
- Wire brush
- Rubber gloves
- Flight Spray Klean
- Some rags
As mentioned before, carbon deposits can give you the impression that your Weber’s paint is peeling, but these flakes are generally harmless, and mostly removable.
When it comes to regular Weber cleaning, we recommend the use of a nontoxic, non-solvent based, environmentally-friendly cleaner such as Flight Spray Klean. If you dilute this product with warm water, and use it on a regular basis, it will keep your Weber clean and prevent future deposits that can be hard to remove.
If your Weber hasn’t been cleaned for a while (and is now showing signs of peeling or flaking), you may need to prep the area with a stainless-steel wire brush.
The wire brush should remove most of the large deposits and flaking bits.
Start the cleaning process by spraying a generous portion of undiluted Flight Spray Klean to all the thickly-coated grease areas. If possible, allow the liquid to soak in for half an hour. You may find that the bottom of the Weber is predominately coated with grease, while the lid is heavily caked in tough carbon deposits.
Add one part Flight Spray Klean to ten parts of warm water. You may want to unscrew the spray top and pour the cleaner in direct. This medium-strength dilution ratio is perfect for regular maintenance cleaning of your Weber.
Use a non-abrasive sponge or cloth to wipe the Weber down. Pay particular attention to the lid’s vent ports.
Your Weber should now look reasonably clean. If, however, you haven’t cleaned your Weber in quite some time, there may still be some stubborn carbon areas. You can try using a wire brush a second time to remove these stains.
