Besides an aggressive cleaning, obviously! The outside isn’t usually this terrible, but we’ve had some recent bad weather so it’s even worse than usual.
Background: I bought this new many (12-15ish?) years ago as a Father’s Day gift for my husband. It’s been well-used and well-loved, if not always well-cared for. I’ve considered getting him a new one the last few years, but it still works great and I’m not seeing anything really compelling features-wise to dump a perfectly serviceable grill.
3 years ago, struggling with the same grill indecisiveness, I got him a little portable Royal Gourmet griddle because I wasn’t entirely sure if he would take to the whole griddling craze or not (indoors he LOVES making things on a griddle), so I didn’t want to invest big money or patio space on a Blackstone or something. Well, he liked it quite a bit, and has become even more intrigued lately because he visited a couple different friends who have Blackstones. So once again, I decided against a new grill and, after researching, decided on a Weber Slate 30” (over a Blackstone) that will be his Father’s Day gift this year.
But the state of this old grill is driving me nuts. When I bought him the portable griddle in ‘22, I did tackle cleaning this thing and also ordered and replaced the ignition button that was broken for years (he lit it with a lighter every time). But it’s long overdue for another thorough cleaning, and I’d like to restore it as much as possible so it won’t look so junky sitting next to the new Slate lol. I’m just not sure what to clean, what to replace, what to sand and paint… I’m not sure whether this is an E-320 or an S-320 – couldn’t quite nail down the difference (identifying info is completely worn away). I wouldn’t mind finding out what accessories might be nice. I think there used to be a rack but if there was, I can’t find it.
What would you suggest to make this grill seem semi-new again? As you can see, it’s in pretty bad shape. I don’t know whether the peeling under the lid is just carbon that can be cleaned away, or if the paint/finish itself is peeling. Likewise, inside the cabinet is horrific – besides cleaning, can all this peeling be sanded away? I think the grates just need a good scrubbing, but how would I know if the flavorizer bars should be replaced or just cleaned? What else should I do? I’m fairly handy and techie and love to DIY things, but he’s the griller in the family (although I’d like to learn more this year). So I don’t know what little extras are nice grill upgrades and what are just silly. I’m sorely tempted to sand and repaint the lid as well.
My husband rarely asks for anything for himself, so I’d love to give him a brand new grilling/griddling setup. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
by Handust