CLEAN THIS Gas & Charcoal Grills

Contrary to popular belief, lingering crud on your grates is not there to add flavor to your next batch of burgers. Let's scrub those racks-and everything else.

- LESLIE CORONA

At the Start of the Season Before your first cookout, give the owner's manual a quick reread (if you still have it!) and inspect the grill for spiders and other creatures. Those nooks and crannies make great hiding places! Assuming you cleaned your grill before putting it into hibernation, just wash it with some soap and water. If you didn't, follow the deep-cleaning directions at right. Then, for gas grills, use a paper-towel-wrapped chopstick to clear any spiderwebs out of the burner tubes, and make sure all the connections are secure when you hook up the tank.