All good things in life sometimes needs a little extra love. The same for your braai. You know, it’s hard work being the main attraction at get togethers. The days of leaving your braai outside in the rain, not really caring if it’s rusted and falling apart is over! We’ve put together our top ways to maintain your charcoal braai, not just to look pretty, but to stay functional for a long time. After all, a braai is an investment to your home.
The elements and your braai
Like any outdoor appliance or cooking equipment, it’s not made to withstand the elements if it’s just used outdoors. The same with a braai. Our braais are made of either mild steel or stainless steel, painted and baked in our factory. This material can deteriorate over time, and even more so if left in direct sun or rain.
Once your braai has cooled off after use, store it under a roof, preferably a garage or closed patio.
Directly after use
Pieces of meat, basting sauce and marinade, or even small burnt pieces can get stuck to your grid while you braai. If left, these pieces can get stuck on the grid which can leave a strange taste to your food when you braai again.
Once your braai has cooled off after use, store it under a roof, preferably a garage or closed patio.
How to dispose of ash
Pieces of meat, basting sauce, and marinade, or even small burnt pieces can get stuck to your grid while you braai. If left, these pieces can get stuck on the grid which can leave a strange taste to your food when you braai again.
We suggest cleaning your grid immediately after you’ve finished braaiing with our grid cleaners. Because your braai is still hot, the extra grease will come off easily before it crystallizes.
Not the most fun task to do after a braai, and especially so if your braai doesn’t have a removable ashtray. How we dispose of ash:
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Grab a plastic or paper bag.
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Spray a little bit of water on the ash to make a paste. This will reduce the loose ash powder when scooping it out.
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Pinch or fold over the sides of the bag. Higher sides can easily fold in and make a big mess while you’re scooping the ash inside.
- Using a small shovel, scoop the ash inside the bag.
- Close and dispose of safely.
- Wipe the remaining ash paste and moisture out of your braai with a cloth.
Maintain your braai
The effects of fire
The fire made in a braai damages protective coatings like paint, even when baked and treated. Surface corrosion will form on exposed steel surfaces. This happens slowly, and sometimes just in patches where the heat was at its highest. Rust can form from the oxidation of the steel, a chemical reaction, which is temperature dependent.
The size of your fire can determine how long your braai will last. Bigger fires = higher heat = bigger risk of damage to your braai.
Dimensional changes
In freestanding charcoal braais, the first part that you might see deteriorate is the bottom of the braai where you make the fire. The bottom of the braai is exposed to very high heat, which can not only cause corrosion but dimensional changes in the structure. As the temperature rises, steel expands due to thermal expansion.
In a built-in braai , you might find that the ashpan sometimes changes shape slightly. It doesn’t happen suddenly, but rather minimal over time.
Our recommendation
We recommend that you maintain your braai to prevent any major refurbishments. When you start to notice corrosion or rust you simply need to sand it down to the bare metal and then repaint it with DTM heat resistant paint. You can purchase the DTM heat resistant paint directly from the Megamaster Customer Service Department or any hardware store.
However, if you start to see structural changes or sections where your braai has holes that has burnt through, please contact our Customer Service Department for expert advice on how to replace or fix your braai.
There you have it, our top tips on how to maintain your charcoal braai. The most important, if you look after your braai, it will look after you. For any further questions or help with maintaining your braai, please contact our Customer Service team.
For more top tips, check out our blog on the top braai tips you need to know
