Review: Grill Grates by Craycort

These grates sure look impressive!
Photo by Gary Glen

Let’s face it, the wire grates that come with the majority of grills these days aren’t the most ideal for great grilling. Usually made of steel or if you’re lucky, stainless steel, these materials just beg to have food stick to them. I oftentimes hear my grill grate whispering, “Please Mr. Hamburger, let’s stick together”.

They’re also not the best for uniform heat distribution. Why, how could those little wires hold enough heat to evenly cook across the entire surface of a steak or chop? The answer is, they don’t. You’re completely dependent upon your fire to do all the cooking.

Craycort solves these dilemmas by utilizing pre-seasoned cast iron to manufacture their grill grates. As we all know, seasoned cast iron is the perfect non-stick cookware. The nature of cast iron also assures great heat distribution. It’s actually the perfect material for grill grates. Think about your favorite cast iron skillet.

Craycort’s design is ingenious with a large ring which acts as a “pie pan” that holds the individual pieces of “pie” or in our case, grates. Each grate can be individually removed which is great for replenishing charcoal or adding smoking wood. Craycort also offers an optional tool that is perfect for manipulating the grates. Two other options available is a griddle/hot plate and a veggie wok insert. Simply remove a grate and place in these other modules.

Summation and Thoughts

I love Craycort’s Grill Grates! For one, they look damn impressive! My Weber grill has been tricked out into a monster grill. Bragging rights aside, their functionality is what’s really impressive. They fit my Weber Performer like a glove and as a bonus, they also fit my old Kamado Komodo smoker.

Even cooking and great grill marks.
Photo by Gary Glen

The non-stick characteristics of the cast iron reduced food sticking to almost nil, while at the same time facilitated clean up to an easy task. If sear marks are your thing, you’ll be impressed with the quality markings you’ll achieve with these grates. They’re much more pronounced than what you get with the stock grates that came with your grill.

Even heat distribution was also noticeably improved. My typical cooking time of 6-8 minutes per side for pork chops were reduced to about 5-6. Now this may not seem like a big time saving issue, but it does indicate that the meat would be more evenly cooked. That’s a big plus in compensating a little for hot spots on the grill.

Clean up was a breeze. After the cook, a wire brushing followed by a light coating of cooking spray had the grates ready for the next cook. I assume at some point, a thorough cleaning and re-seasoning will be in order, but that should return them to almost new condition.

Optional griddle, wok and cast iron handle.
Photo by Craycort

Now, my cheap-skate ways almost tempted me into not spending the extra $11 for the handle tool. Don’t make that mistake. It was every bit worth the money. It’s the perfect tool for handling the grates. I also didn’t pick up the griddle or wok basket, but I guarantee they’re on my wish list. I’m assured they’ll work great!

If you want to take your grill to the next level, don’t hesitate to order Craycort’s Grill Grates. They’re easily one of my top picks for grilling accessories.

For more information or to check if Craycort makes a grate for your grill, visit their website by clicking HERE.

Want Another Opinion?

The folks over at QualityGrillParts.com did quite the comprehensive review of Craycort’s cast iron grate system. Check it out! You can read it HERE.