Maintaining your Built-in and Freestanding Braai

Maintaining your Built-in and Freestanding Gijima Braai is essential to enjoy outdoor cooking for many years to come. A well-maintained braai is one that delivers delicious meals, time after time.

All good things in life sometimes needs a little extra love. The same for your braai. You know, it’s hard work being the main attraction at get togethers. Here are a few essential tips for proper braai maintenance.

Cleaning

Always remove cold ash from the braai after use. A build-up of ash will block air vents, making it harder to control the temperature of your braai. Ash also absorbs moisture, which increases the risk of rust and corrosion of the interior parts. Avoid throwing water over hot coals, which will make a mess. Use brushes to clean the interior of any ash and build-up.  Clean grids and other parts separately using hot soapy water. Don’t forget to clean the inside of the lid, which often develops a build-up of smoke and residue.

Maintenance

We recommend that you maintain your braai to prevent any major refurbishments.  When you start to notice corrosion or rust you simply need to sand it down to the bare metal and then recoat with heat resistant etch coating.

In freestanding braais, the first part that you might see deteriorate is the bottom of the braai where you make the fire. The bottom of the braai is exposed to very high heat, which can not only cause corrosion but dimensional changes in the structure. As the temperature rises, steel expands due to thermal expansion.

With your built-in braai , you might find that the ashpan sometimes changes shape slightly. It doesn’t happen suddenly, but rather minimal over time.

Look after your braai and you’ll be rewarded with tasty braais for many years to come. Nou gaan ons Braai !