Generally though, one of the best choices you can make is choosing cast iron, especially the heavier grates. It makes your food cook fast, provides great grill marks, and can hold a lot of heat. Keep in mind that your cast iron grill will require very careful tending. You must keep it cleaned and well oiled. While grilling, fat and grease accumulates on the grate’s surface and this is good for it. However, since you cannot possibly grill over every square inch of the grate, it is important to take it out occasionally and oil it yourself. The problem is that the flaming heat of a grill will sometimes burn up and vaporize all the grease and fat. Even if you only cook very greasy burgers, you still need to oil your grates.

A good quality and heavy cast iron grate grill will endure decades of use. If you take care of it and use it wisely, even your grand-children will be able to use it.