Hooded & Hooded Classic Care and Maintenance

Preparation Before Cooking

To prevent foods from sticking to the porcelain, please use a long handled brush to apply a light coat of cooking or vegetable oil before each barbecuing session. Line the drip tray with aluminium foil, then place a uniform layer of clean, dry sand 1cm deep into the tray. This will absorb excess cooking fat, thus making cleanup easy.

Flare-Up Control

*** Very Important Notice ***

Flare-ups occur when meat is barbecued, and its fat and juices fall upon the hot flame tamer. Smoke of course helps give food its barbecued flavour, but it is best to avoid excessive flare-up to prevent food being burned. To control flare-ups, it is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to trim away excess fat from meat and poultry before grilling, use cooking sauces and marinades sparingly and try to avoid very cheap cuts of meat or meat products as these tend to have a high fat and water content. Also, the burners should always be placed on the low setting during cooking. When flare-ups do occur, they can usually be extinguished by applying baking soda or salt directly onto the flame tamer. Always protect your hands when handling anything near the cooking surface of the barbecue, and take care to protect yourself from the flames.

If a fat fire should occur in the drip tray, turn all knobs to the off position, turn off the gas at the bottle, and wait for the fire to go out. NEVER pull out the drip tray or douse with water.

End of Cooking Session

After each cooking session, turn the barbecue burners to the “high” position and burn for 5 minutes. This procedure will burn off cooking residue, thus making cleaning easier. Make sure the hood or lid is open during this process.

Turning Off Your Barbecue

When you have finished using your barbecue, turn all the control valves fully clockwise to the “Off” position, then switch off the gas at the bottle.

Care and Maintenance

Regularly clean your barbecue between uses and especially after extended periods of storage. Ensure the barbecue and its components are sufficiently cool before cleaning. Do not leave the barbecue exposed to outside weather conditions or stored in damp, moist areas.

• Never douse the barbecue with water when its surfaces are hot.
• Never handle hot parts with unprotected hands.

In order to extend the life and maintain the condition of your barbecue, we strongly recommend that the unit be covered when left outside for any length of time, especially during the winter months. Heavy-duty Outback® barbecue covers and other accessories are available from your local Outback® stockist.

Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Cooking Surfaces

Clean with hot, soapy water. To remove any food residue, use a mild cream cleaner on a non-abrasive pad. Rinse well and dry thoroughly. We do not recommend cleaning grills and griddles in a dishwasher.

Burner Maintenance

Provided that they are operating correctly, in normal usage, burning off the residue after cooking will keep the burners clean. The burners should be removed and cleaned annually, or whenever heavy build-up is found, to ensure that there are no signs of blockage (debris, insects) in either the burner portholes or the primary air inlet of the burners. Use a pipe cleaner to clear obstructions. When refitting the burners, be careful to check that the neck of the burner fits over the valve outlet.

Flame Tamer

Remove any food residue from the flame tamer surface with a plastic or wooden scraper or brass wire brush. Do not use a steel scraper or wire brush. Clean with hot soapy water and rinse well.

Drip Tray

After every use clean the drip tray and grease cup of any fat or food particles. Failure to keep these clean can result in a fat fire. This can severely damage the barbecue and is not covered by the warranty.

Barbecue Body

Regularly remove excess grease or fat from the barbecue body with a soft plastic or wooden scraper. It is not necessary to remove all the grease from the body. If you need to clean fully, use hot soapy water and a cloth, or nylon-bristled brush only. Remove cooking surfaces and burners before full cleaning. Do not immerse the gas controls or manifold in water. Check burner operation after carefully refitting into body.

Barbecue Hood

Use a non-abrasive cloth or pad and clean with hot, soapy water. Do not use scouring pads or powders as they can permanently damage the finish.

Trolley

Your trolley is manufactured using a hardwood suited to outdoor use, provided it is treated with Teak oil or similar after assembly and on a regular basis thereafter. Hardwood will naturally weather and change its appearance. It is quite natural for small cracks to appear on the surface of the wood.

Fixings

All screws and bolts, etc. should be checked and tightened on a regular basis.

Storage

Store your barbecue in a cool dry place. To save space during long-term storage, the side shelf screws can be removed, the side shelves repositioned vertically (pointing towards the floor), and the screws replaced. Cover the burners with aluminium foil in order to prevent insects or other debris from collecting in burner holes. When using the barbecue after extended periods of storage, return side shelves to the normal position and follow the cleaning procedures. The barbecue should never be operated with the shelves positioned vertically. If the barbecue is to be stored indoors, the gas bottle must be disconnected and left outside. The gas bottle should always be stored outside, in a dry, well-ventilated area, away from any sources of heat or ignition. Do not let children tamper with the bottle.