Rust is infecting your food , and it can even be dangerous to eat if you’re not careful. It’s pretty unavoidable when you use a grill, especially one that sits outdoors where weather can affect it quickly. But if you’re proactive about cleaning your grill regularly and storing it in a place that can keep humidity and precipitation away, you should be able to manage rust quite well.

The important question is: How bad is the rust? The good news is that it’s unlikely to cause any harm unless you consume large amounts of it. Ingesting iron oxide in small amounts is generally considered safe, and if you do it regularly, your body can process the amount of iron you ingest.

Is it OK to grill on rusted grates?

However, if the rust is severe and it’s flaking off into your food, you need to take extra care when you cook on the grates. This is because the flakes of rust contain iron, and you don’t want to eat any of those. In addition, if you’re particularly sensitive to certain chemicals (like salt), it might be best to avoid consuming foods cooked on the grates altogether.

To get your grates back into working condition, you can try soaking them in a mixture of vinegar and salt. The salt increases the acidity of the vinegar, making it more effective at dissolving rust. You can also try a similar method with lemon juice or powdered detergent, but these might not work as well as the salt and vinegar solution.