How to Clean and Maintain Your Hibachi Grill (So It Lasts for Years)

A hibachi grill is a simple piece of kit. There are no gas lines, no igniter mechanisms, no circuit boards. It's steel, grates, and fire — and if you look after it properly, there's no reason a quality stainless steel hibachi shouldn't outlast everything else in your outdoor kitchen.

But charcoal cooking is hard on equipment. Ash is corrosive. Grease builds up. And the combination of Sydney coastal air (or Melbourne's wet winters, or Queensland's humidity) will find any weakness in your maintenance routine.

Here's how to do it properly — after each cook, once a month, and before storage.

After Every Cook: The 5-Minute Routine

This takes five minutes and prevents 90% of long-term grill problems.

1. While the Grill is Still Hot: Brush the Grates

Right after cooking, while the grill is still hot, use a stiff-bristled grill brush to scrub the grates clean. Food residue burns off more easily when hot — don't wait until it cools and hardens.

Avoid wire brushes with loose bristles. They shed, and you don't want steel wire embedded in next week's dinner. A coiled stainless brush or a bristle-free grill scraper is the safer choice.

2. Let the Coals Die Completely

Don't pour water on hot coals to speed up the cool-down. The thermal shock isn't great for the steel, and wet ash is harder to clean than dry ash. Let the coals cool naturally — with the grill in an open, ventilated spot, this takes about an hour.

If you need to go inside and want to stop the coals faster: block airflow. Close any vents if your grill has them, or push the coals together and cover the grill loosely. Starving the fire of oxygen is faster than water and safer for the steel.

3. Dispose of Ash When Cool

Once the grill and coals are fully cool (wait at least 90 minutes — residual heat in ash can surprise you), tip the ash into a metal bin or bag. Never into plastic — even seemingly cool ash can have enough residual heat to melt or ignite plastic.

Give the charcoal tray a quick wipe with a dry cloth or paper towel to remove the last of the ash dust.

4. Lightly Oil the Grates

After cleaning, while the grates are still slightly warm, wipe them with a paper towel dipped in a high smoke-point oil — rice bran, canola, or grapeseed. This prevents rust from forming on the grate surface and seasons the steel over time.

This single habit is the biggest difference between a grill that looks good after two years and one that looks neglected after three months.

5. Cover or Store Indoors

If you're leaving the grill outside, cover it. A canvas or polyester BBQ cover designed for your grill size is a small investment that prevents a lot of corrosion. If you're in a coastal area — anywhere within 5km of the ocean — salt air is actively working to corrode unprotected steel. Indoor storage between cooks isn't excessive; it's just practical.

The Monthly Deep Clean

Once a month (or after every 4–5 cooks), it's worth doing a proper clean that gets into the corners your after-cook routine misses.

What You'll Need

• A stiff grill brush or bristle-free grill scraper
• A bucket with warm water and a small amount of dish soap
• A non-scratch scouring pad or stainless steel scrubber
• Paper towels or a clean rag
• Cooking oil

Step-by-Step Deep Clean

Step 1: Remove and soak the grates. Pull the grates out of the grill and place them in warm soapy water for 15–20 minutes. This loosens carbonised grease without any elbow grease required.

Step 2: Scrub the grates. After soaking, scrub with a non-scratch scouring pad. You're not trying to get them back to factory-new — some seasoning on the grates is a good thing. You're removing built-up carbonised grease and any flaky bits.

Step 3: Clean the charcoal tray. Remove any remaining ash and wipe down the tray. Check for any signs of rust. On quality 201/304 stainless steel (which all WillBBQ grills use), surface rust shouldn't appear if you've been oiling regularly — but if you spot any, address it now (see below).

Step 4: Clean the grill body. Wipe down the exterior with a damp cloth. Stainless steel is easy — mild soap and a soft cloth is all you need. Don't use steel wool on the exterior, as it scratches the surface finish and makes it more susceptible to rust over time.

Step 5: Rinse and dry completely. Any moisture left on steel leads to rust. After cleaning, dry everything thoroughly — grates, tray, body — with a clean cloth or paper towels. Then let it air-dry for another 10–15 minutes in the sun if possible.

Step 6: Re-oil the grates and lightly oil the interior. Once fully dry, wipe the grates and interior surfaces with a light coat of oil. This re-seasons the surface and protects against moisture.

Dealing with Surface Rust

Even quality stainless steel can develop surface rust — particularly in coastal environments or if the grill was stored wet. The good news: surface rust on stainless steel is almost always treatable.

For minor surface rust: 1. Mix equal parts baking soda and water into a paste 2. Apply to the rusted area and let it sit for 15 minutes 3. Scrub with a non-scratch scouring pad — in the direction of the steel grain if visible 4. Rinse, dry completely, and oil

For more stubborn rust: A stainless steel cleaner like Bar Keepers Friend works well. Apply, scrub with a soft cloth or non-scratch pad (again, with the grain), rinse, dry, oil.

What to avoid: - Steel wool on the exterior finish — it scratches and embeds iron particles that rust faster than the stainless itself - Bleach-based cleaners — these can compromise stainless steel's protective oxide layer - Leaving acidic food residue (citrus, tomato, vinegar) on the grill surface for extended periods

Seasoning Your Grates Over Time

Seasoning — the process of building up a thin layer of polymerised oil on the cooking surface — makes your grates increasingly non-stick and flavour-rich over time. The same principle as a cast-iron pan.

Each time you oil the grates before and after a cook, you're adding to this layer. After 10–15 cooks, your grates will have developed a natural non-stick patina that requires less oil and cleans up faster.

Don't try to scrub this patina off in your deep clean — you want it. You're only removing the loose carbonised bits, not the bonded seasoning layer underneath.

Long-Term Storage (If You're Not Cooking for a While)

If the grill's going into storage for a season (or you're between houses), do a full deep clean first, then:

1. Oil everything — grates, tray, and all interior surfaces
2. Wrap loosely in a clean dry cloth, not plastic (plastic traps moisture)
3. Store in a dry, ventilated space — a garage or garden shed is ideal
4. Stand it upright or on its legs rather than on its side if possible

When you bring it back out, do a quick burn-in: light a small amount of charcoal, let the grill come to temperature empty for 10 minutes. This burns off any dust or residue that accumulated in storage before food goes on.

Maintenance by Grill Location

The Real Investment

A WillBBQ stainless steel hibachi isn't a disposable seasonal purchase. The steel gauge and build quality are designed for years of use — but only if the basic maintenance happens. Fifteen minutes of care after a cook and a proper clean once a month will keep any quality hibachi performing at its best for five, ten, even fifteen years.

The ones that rust out in two seasons? They were stored wet, cleaned infrequently, and never oiled. Don't be that cook.

WillBBQ hibachi grills are made from 201/304 stainless steel and are built to last. Shop the full range with free shipping Australia-wide.