I notice kettle grills have a more personal connection to their owners. No one refurbishes their gas grills when they wear out. They get chucked in the trash and replaced with something shinier. But kettle grills are awash with aftermarket parts both to replace broken pieces as well as to enhance what comes stock. My own grill in fact, which was an anniversary present from Liz, has had its ash sweeper/air control replaced, new grill grates, and a fancy weather cover added. I’m very fond of it. It represents when I started charcoal grilling, and on my deck of my new home too. Very suburban.
And speaking of enhancements, I got tired of the steel grates. They’re thin and tend to bend with wear, and the steel has a low specific heat. So I found cast iron replacements!
I seasoned and sealed them over the weekend, and Sunday it’ll be warm enough that I’ll try grilled chicken. Here’s hoping I can step up my grilling game another notch!
–Simon