Basic Care and Maintenance for Your Kamado

Note: This post is part of the “Kamado 101 – The Definitive Guide to Amazing Barbecue” series, in which I  cover everything from the foundational aspects of Kamado cooking all the way through advanced concepts designed to transform you into a backyard barbecue pit master. View the entire series here.

We have already discussed in detail how to deep clean your Kamado, but there are some other basic maintenance things you should know if you want your grill to be kept in tip-top shape. In this article you’ll learn how to remove ashes from your Kamado, give it a quick clean to prevent mold, and how to take care of the pizza stone. 

Removing Ashes

Every now and then, you’ll need to empty the ash from your Kamado. It’s just under the fire box, and your Kamado should have come with an ash tool to help you remove them. Here’s what you do:

1. Stir any charcoal in the grill so that the ash will fall from the fire box. 
2. Open the bottom draft door.
3. Put a small container near the draft door to catch the ash— a dust pan or newspaper will work well. 
4. Put the ash tool through the draft door, pull the ash into your container. 

Voila! An ash-free Kamado. 🙂

Quick Clean / Mold

For those of you who use your Kamado fairly often, you’re probably familiar with the steps to take in order to clean your grill. For those of you who use your Kamado less often, though, you run the risk of moisture getting trapped in the grill which can lead to mold. If you leave your grill abandoned for an extended period of time, the winter for example, you’ll want to give it a quick clean up prior to using it again to make sure that there is no mold or mildew hiding from you!

Here’s what you do:

1. Light charcoal to heat your grill to 600°F
2. Close the dome and let it sit for 15 minutes.
3. Let the grill cool completely, then brush the cooking grate to remove any residue. 

Ceramic Plates

The ceramic plates (or pizza stone) that come with your Kamado for for baking are also gonna need cleaned from time to time. It’s really simple; once the plate has cooled down completely, brush off the plate and store it somewhere nice and dry. There are some important things to remember, though:

• Don’t use your plates on a stove top. 
• Don’t use cooking oils or seasonings on it. 
• Don’t use soap and water or soak it in water— this leads to cracking. 

It’s pretty easy to keep your Kamado grill looking nice and pristine, and that will only make it perform better and last longer! Happy grilling!