I must caution everyone one regarding the use of abrasives and scouring pads on chrome plated cooking grates. I have a small GOSM which I can no longer use the grates for food contact due to wearing off the chrome plating from cleaning with scouring pads. 3M Scotch-Brite and hot soapy water, along with a dish cloth to finish it up, were my weapons of grate destruction for the past year that I used that smoker, and I quickly learned how fast the chrome can be rubbed off with that method of cleaning. The chrome is gone on the majority of the grate wires, with copper-clad now showing, which causes oxidation of any meats that contact it during cooking...nasty green colored grate marks are the result. I have noticed a few spots which the copper-clad has worn off, and bare steel wite is now exposed.
Since learning of this, I now just fire my smokers to high heat and run a brass or stainless grill brush across the grates to knock off the crud. If it's charcoal fired smoker, I run the grate over an outdoor cooker propane burner while brushing it off.
Eric
