Product Care

Hybrid Fire Grill Care and cleaning guide

The Hybrid Fire Grill is crafted from high-quality stainless steel and built to provide a lifetime of use and enjoyment. When your grill is not in use, we recommend keeping the grill hood and hood vent closed. Read on for care and cleaning tips to keep your grill performing at its optimal level.

CARING FOR YOUR HYBRID FIRE GRILL

In this VIDEO, Kalamazoo Chief Designer Russ Faulk walks through key points on how to clean and care for your Kalamazoo grill. Faulk discusses how to remove ash from your grilling drawer, give your Dragon Burners™ a thorough cleaning, and how often all of this is necessary to get the utmost use from your grill.

PROTECTING AND CARING FOR YOUR GRILLING SURFACE

We strongly suggest not using steel wool or steel brushes on your cooking surfaces or any other stainless steel parts, as it will cause rust. Only use stainless steel brushes or brass brushes for the grill grates. Also, never use chemicals to clean your grilling surface.

BEFORE EACH COOKING SESSION

Preheat the grill then use a stiff stainless steel grill brush or a wooden grill grate scraper to clean the grilling surface. Do not use brushes or scrapers of other metals with the exception of brass. While brass works, we recommend stainless brushes as they typically last longer. 

AFTER EACH COOKING SESSION

Run the main burners on high with the hood closed for 10 to 20 minutes before turning them off. This will help burn away drippings and residue on the grilling surface and in the hopper.


CLEANING YOUR LASER-CUT GRILLING SURFACES

Your laser-cut surfaces should be kept clean, dry and black. Treat them as you would a cast iron skillet. The darker the finish, the better. 

Before using your surfaces for the first time, we recommend seasoning them with oil. To season: 

  • Remove the cold surfaces from your grill and use a cloth rag to wipe vegetable oil over the entire surface of each side. 
  • Place the surfaces back into the grill. Light the grill and run all main burners on HIGH for about 30 minutes with the lid closed. The goal is to turn the surfaces brown. We recommend flipping the surfaces over from time to time to keep them staying level.

TIP: The more you use your grill, the more thoroughly seasoned your surfaces will become. Ideally you want your surfaces to become black and remain that way. If your grill sits idle for long periods without use, you may want to re-season more frequently.

RE-SEASONING YOUR LASER-CUT GRILLING SURFACES

  • Re-season the cooking surfaces by wiping vegetable oil on both sides of the cooking grates using a clean rag. 
  • Place the grates back into the grill along with the grilling drawer(s), then heat the grill to 500ºF with the hood closed for about 20 minutes. When the surfaces turn brown or black, they are seasoned.

CLEANING THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HYBRID FIRE GRILL 

Your Hybrid Fire Grill is made from 304 or 316L-grade stainless steel that is highly resistant to corrosion. However, the stainless steel may discolor; a common condition due to extreme heat.


EXTERIOR CLEANING TIPS

The most difficult part of cleaning your grill is removing the burnt-on food and grease. To clean the exterior of your grill: 

  1. Start by using a degreaser such as Simple Green™ BBQ Cleaner, to remove everything that isn't burnt on. 
  2. Next, we recommend using powdered Bar Keepers Friend® or A-Ben-A-Qui with a microfiber towel.
  3. Follow the grain direction of the stainless steel to avoid scratches. With a little elbow grease, Bar Keepers Friend will remove most stains and discoloration. For real problem areas, a Scratch-B-Gone kit can be used to restore the factory finish.
  4. Rinse off all cleaners, wait for the grill to dry then apply stainless steel polish such as Claire's.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OCEANFRONT ENVIRONMENTS

Oceanfront environments with salt air and sea spray will require regular maintenance and cleaning to prevent rust. For maximum corrosion and stain resistance, we highly recommend cleaning the stainless steel at least twice a month.


BURNING OFF FOOD RESIDUE

We recommend periodically burning off residue in your grill, depending on how frequently you use it. To burn off residue: 

  • Run the Hybrid Fire Grill grill with the main burners on high with the hood closed for at least 60 minutes. This will burn off accumulated residue and dry everything out. The more you use sauces or grill fatty foods, the more frequently you should do this burn cycle.

CLEANING THE DRAGON BURNERS

We recommend you give the Dragon Burners™ a more thorough cleaning at least twice a year. After removing all the ash as described, remove the burners from the grill (following the instructions in your owner's manual). Clean them with a brass-bristle wire brush to remove all debris. Inspect all of the burner ports to ensure they are not clogged. Use a flashlight to ensure there are no obstructions inside the venturi. Carefully reinstall the burners.


EMPTYING THE GRILL’S CLEANOUT BIN

Empty the bin only when the grill and bin are completely cool. 

  • Whenever the bin becomes more than half full, you’ll need to empty it. The tray sits on the floor of the cabinet below the grill and is located in the proper position by a series of pins. The cleanout bin is dishwasher safe.


REMOVING ASH FROM YOUR HYBRID FIRE GRILL

To remove ash on a regular basis, pull the grilling drawer open a couple of inches and then shake it up and down so that the ash falls down into the hopper. 

Occasionally, you will want to do a more thorough ash removal. We recommend following this cleaning process once a month: 

  • Wait until the grill has completely cooled. Empty the ash pan and then put it back into position. 
  • Remove the cooking surfaces, and then brush all the ash that may have remained in the grilling drawer down through the slots and into the hopper. 
  • Next, remove the drawer. Use the brush again to sweep all ash off the burners and any other surfaces down into the cleanout pan. 
  • Empty the cleanout pan again.

Tip: If you use wood or charcoal, or cook a lot of burgers on your grill, the inside of your hood is probably black. We recommend leaving it this way. However, if you choose to clean it annually we recommend using Bar Keepers Friend® and a lot of elbow grease. We do not recommend using a harsh oven cleaner.

SEASONAL CARE FOR YOUR HYBRID FIRE GRILL

If you won't be using your grill for more than a month or will be away from the residence for an extended time, we recommend turning off the gas supply and protecting the grill with a Kalamazoo Sunbrella Cover to prevent water collection.


CARE AND MAINTENANCE TIPS

When the grill is not in use, keep the grill’s hood vent closed. 

Every few months, we recommend following these maintenance tips to keep your Hybrid Fire Grill in good working order for years to come: 

  1. Clean the exterior of the grill with a degreaser such as Simple Green™ BBQ Cleaner, then Bar Keepers Friend® or A-Ben-A-Qui where needed, then rinse and dry. With a microfiber cloth polish the stainless steel. Follow the grain direction of the stainless steel to avoid scratches. 
  2. Remove the cooking grates and grilling drawer(s) to freely access the Kalamazoo Dragon Burners™ and hopper. 
  3. Use a brass brush to clean the tops of the burners and slide any remaining debris down the hopper to the cleanout bin. Empty the cleanout bin. 
  4. Clean your grill grates following the instructions from this care guide. 
  5. Re-season the cooking surfaces by wiping vegetable oil on both sides of the cooking grates using a clean rag.
  6. Place the grates back into the grill along with the grilling drawer(s), then heat the grill to 500ºF with the hood closed for about 20 minutes. When the surfaces turn brown or black, they are seasoned.

For more specific instructions on burner and orifice cleaning, read the Hybrid Fire Grill Use & Care Manual.

To learn more about winterizing your full outdoor kitchen, visit our complete guide here.