Porcelain-Coated Grill Grates Are Almost Never Worth It — Here's Why

Porcelain grill grates may sound luxurious, but for those who actually want to use their grills regularly, they are among the worst options for your gas grill. Porcelain enamel is often considered a nonstick surface, but that's actually a misconception, as food can still stick to porcelain-enameled pots, pans, and grill grates. Not only are grates not as nonstick as you'd assume, but porcelain grates can cause food safety issues due to their external coating. 

Similar to many popular porcelain enamel-coated Dutch ovens and skillets, there is either stainless steel or cast iron under the enamel coating. Both can be exposed when the porcelain enamel coating on the exterior of the grill grates chips over time. 

When the coating is chipped, it can get into your food, and once the enamel coating begins to flake off, it's easy for more to fall off. A lack of exterior coating on the grates invites rust to appear and spread, which happens easily on grills that live outside, exposed to the elements such as rain, humidity, and fluctuating temperatures year-round. 

With porcelain grill grates, it's advisable not to use metal tools for grilling. Long, metal grilling tongs coated in rubber or silicone can be difficult to find and more likely to warp or melt at extreme temperatures than stainless steel grill tongs. 

Users on Reddit have reported that their porcelain-coated grill grates are often difficult to clean, while other Redditors have said that porcelain grates aren't meant to withstand the extremely high temperatures that a grill can achieve. Most Reddit users recommend stainless steel as the best material for grill grates since they can last a decade when properly cared for. 

Stainless steel grill grates are generally the easiest to clean and care for, and the material will last for many years. While you might remember to clean the grill grates regularly, there are many other hidden grill parts you need to clean as well. The only drawback of stainless steel grill grates versus cast iron grates, which, similar to cast iron pots and pans, do require more attention and maintenance, is that cast iron can get hotter and lead to a better sear on foods than stainless steel. If you're looking for more crowd-sourced opinions on grilling equipment, shoppers say these are the best grills you can buy at Costco.