StainlessSteelBBQHotplates
WhypurchaseastainlesssteelplateonyourHeatlieBBQ?
Manychefsprefercookingonastainlesssteelhotplateastheybelievemetalisnotleachedfromthe
plateintothefood.Thiscanoccurwithothermetals,suchasaluminiumandcastironleavingametallic
tasteinthefoodwhichiscookedontheplate.
Chefsalsopreferstainlesssteelfortheeaseofcleaningandtheshinylook.However,thisshinewillonly
beretainedwithconstantcleaningandscrubbing.Alotofelbowgreasewillberequiredtokeepyour
hotplateshinyandlookinglikenew.
Seasoningyourstainlesssteelhotplate.
BeforeusingyourHeatliestainlesssteelhotplateforthefirsttimeyouwillneedtoremovethelanolin
coatingbywashingtheplatewithwarmsoapywateruntilyouarenolongerabletofeelthestickylanolin
onyourfingerswhenyoutouchthebbqplate.Rinsewithcleanwaterthencoverwithalightcoatingof
cookingoil.Heatfor5minutes(nolonger),wipeoffthislayerofoilwithapapertowel.Reapplyanother
layerofoilandyouarereadytocook.
DiscolourationofyourHeatliestainlesssteelhotplate.
DiscolourationoftheHeatliestainlesssteelhotplateisnormal.Stainlesssteelisapoorconductorofheat
andthereforethehottestpartofyourplatewillbedirectlyabovetheburners.Thiswillbevisiblebythe
discolourationoftheplateinthisarea,asthephotographbelowillustrates.
Thisplateismadeof3CR12whichisagradeofstainlesssteelsuited
tothispurposeasitisthe“best”conductorofheat,althoughnotas
goodaconductorasmildsteel.This3CR12plateismagnetic.Itis
composedof12to18%chrome,nonickelandalowcarboncontent,
andistermed“ferritic”.Ithasafairtogoodcorrosionresistance.
Comparethisto304and316stainlesssteel,whichweuseinotherproductsincludingthebodyofthe
Heatliestainlesssteelbbq.The304and316stainlesssteelproductsaretermed“austenitic”andarenonmagnetic.Theyarecomposedof18%chromeand8%nickel,andnocarbon,makingtheirheatdispersion
andtransferpropertiespoor.Thesegradesofstainlesssteelhaveexcellentcorrosionresistance,
cleanabilityandhygieneproperties,butarealsoattheupperendofthepricingscale.
HowtocleanyourHeatliestainlesssteelhotplate.
Heatlierecommendyouscrapeyourstainlesssteelhotplatecleanwithawallpaperscraperaftereach
use.WeDONOTrecommendscrubbingdownaftereachusetomaketheplateshinyasthefatoroil
residueprotectstheplateagainstcorrosionand,asexplainedintheabovesection,thisplatehas
reasonableheattransferproperties,butdoesnothaveasgoodresistancetocorrosionas316grade
stainlesssteelwould.
HOWEVER…..
Heatlierecognizethatmanyofourcustomerspurchaseastainlesssteelplatewiththe
expectationofmaintainingthe“shinynewlook”.Thiscanbeachievedthroughthoroughcleaningand
scrubbing,aftereachuse,withascourer.Non-causticcleaningproducts,suchas“Glitz”,availablefrom
Bunningsor“GreaseLightening”availableatbbqandhardwarestores,canbeused.Also,buffingbackthe
platetoitsoriginalgloryisanoption,butthisshouldpreferablybeajobundertakenbyaskilled
tradesman.
BenefitsofaHeatlieStainlessSteelHotplate
• Non-metallictastetofood(Butthisisnotuniquetothisplateasthisdoesnotoccurwiththemild
steelplateeither).
• Shinyhotplate,givenregularcleaningandelbowgrease.
AnswerstoMisconceptions
• Theplatewillnotremain“newlooking”unlessregularmaintenanceisundertaken,whichincludes
scrubbingtheplate
• Stainlesssteelwillnotconductheataswellasthemildsteelversion,howeverthegradeof
stainlesssteelusedintheHeatliestainlesssteelhotplatewillprovideagoodcookingsurface,but
notexcellent.Heatwillbecenteredovertheburnersandwillnottransferacrosstheplateevenly.
• TheplateWILLdiscolouralongtheburners(asillustratedinthepicture).