Weber is one of the leading manufacturers of grills, and frankly, what they don’t know about grills isn’t worth knowing. But that doesn’t mean their high-end, top-quality grills are perfect.

Unfortunately, nothing in the grilling world ever is. But one important thing I always like to know before investing in a product is how much maintenance is going to be involved in keeping them looking their best and performing well.

And for me, my top priority is always learning everything I can about rust.

So, if you’re like me, you’ll find today’s post especially useful, as we take a closer look at Weber grills and ask that all important question: do Weber grills rust?

So, Do Weber Grills Rust?

Yes, Weber grills rust, and it’s actually one of the most complained about things regarding Weber grills online.

Reasons they rust is quite simple, but it’s important to understand why, so if you decide to invest in a Weber grill you know what to avoid to prevent it from rusting in the first place.

And let’s be honest, this is “Griddle King”, even griddles rust, we covered more on that here.

Point is, you cant avoid rust in most outdoor cooking scenarios, but you CAN take a few steps to prevent it.

Weber grills use top-quality system plated steel that’s specifically manufactured to deal with high temperatures and to prevent it from denting, which is important for any cooking equipment that heats to high temperatures and then cools again rapidly.

But there’s one important feature of Weber’s steel that’s present on other grills and griddles, but not on their models. That’s right. Their steel isn’t stainless.

Stainless steel isn’t just about keeping the grill clean easily, it’s about rust too. Stainless steel stops the process of oxidation, which happens when steel gets wet.

When the oxidation takes place, the iron in the steel mixes with the water and oxygen and the byproduct is rust. The longer it’s left, the worse it gets, too.

So yes, Weber grills rust and can rust quite badly if left untreated.

Before I talk about how to fix the problem if your Weber grill has already rusted, let’s talk about how to prevent it in the first place, so you can see that maintaining your grill isn’t such a complicated task.

Preventing Weber Grill Rust

The first thing you need to know about Weber grills is that not only can they rust when kept in damp conditions for long periods of time.

Weber Grills can also rust when the heat of the grill is so high that moisture and iron can react more quickly to start the oxidation process that’ll eventually form rust.

That means rust is ALWAYS going to be something you risk when using your Weber grill, so prevention is even more important.

But before I talk about how to deal with that, let’s start by talking about keeping your Weber grill dry, as this is a much more prevalent problem when dealing with rust and grills.

Often, there will be humidity and moisture left on your grill after use, no matter how hard you try to dry it off with a clean rag or paper towels.

These steps are still important, of course, but there are other things you need to do.

To prevent moisture from being a problem and causing rust, here’s everything you need to do each time you put your grill away:

• Wait until the grill has cooled after use
• Use a wire brush to remove any debris
• Wipe clean with a cloth or paper towel
• If using water to help remove stubborn messes, use it sparingly
• Make sure the grill is thoroughly dry, using paper towels or a rag, and then leave to air dry for a while if there is no threat of rain
• Then use a small amount of cooking oil and paper towels to spread the oil evenly over the grill grates
• Cover your grill so no moisture can get in (use your lid and an additional sheet or cover where possible)
• Store away until next use

Why is oil so important? Well, I’ve spoken about it a few times here, but basically, we all know that oil and water don’t mix.

They’re just not able to, so by covering your grill with oil, no moisture will be able to get on to the metal surface and react with the iron to form rust to begin with.

That’s why oiling your grates after each use, and DEFINITELY before storing your grill away for long periods, is so important.

Remember earlier when I said grills don’t all need moisture to rust, especially when reaching high temperatures? Well, what’s the point in doing all the steps above if it’ll just rust anyway?

Thankfully, there’s a way to prevent this fast-forming rust from forming anyway, and it’s a really simple thing to do with just a wire brush:

• Before using your grill (even after following all the steps in the part above) you must use your wire brush to scrape the surface of the grill grates
• Use cooking oil to cover the grill grates again before adding meat etc, to prevent the moisture from the food reacting with the metal
• After cooking, use your wire brush to remove debris again, and any moisture or rust that may have formed
• Then continue with the steps in the part above to prevent rust for storage

The worst thing you can do to your Weber grill is allow rust to build up, and prevention is always the key to this. But if you’ve got a rusty Weber grill right now, all hope isn’t lost.

In the final section, I’ll show you how to get rid of the rust, so you can follow the steps in this section and prevent it from happening again.

How To Get Rid Of Rust On Weber Grills

When you’ve got hard to move rust on your Weber grill, you need to use two very important things to remove it: heat, and a wire brush. This ought to get it looking good again. Here’s what to do:

* Heat your grill up to a high heat – this will help loosen the rust

* Once hot, turn off the heat

* Use heat proof gloves and a wire brush to scrape the loosened rust from the grill

* If the rust is particularly bad, you may need to repeat this process multiple times

* Once the rust has been removed, oil the grill grates to protect them from future rust

* Follow the prevention tips in the section above

Provided the rust hasn’t been left for so long that it’s damaged the metal of the grill, then this method should work wonders, although it will take some patience and a lot of work if the grill is rusted badly.

If this method doesn’t work, then replacement might be your only option.

Round-Up

Do Weber grills rust? Yes. Will ALL Weber grills rust? Absolutely not! Follow the prevention tips I laid out above, and your Weber grill will stay as rust-free as if it were made of stainless steel.

You can always fix rust if it hasn’t been a problem for too long, but if you keep neglecting your Weber grill, eventually cleaning up the rust won’t be enough and it will compromise the integrity of the metal.

If you want to really dive deep into rust and weber grills, check out this resource they have over at Weber Grills on tackling (and preventing) rust on your Weber Grill.

Still, care for your Weber grill in the right way, and you’ll have a grill that’ll serve you well for many years of grilling!