Save $$ on Beef! Check out these cheap, flavorful beef cuts

2,000+ Free Pages

YOU ARE HERE >> AmazingRibs » Ratings & Reviews » General

Tempered Expanded Steel: Best for Cages and Fences, Not Grills

Last Updated On: October 30, 2025

 

They Are Lightweight and Cheap But Not the Best Choice for Great-Tasting Meat

Common on large barbecue pits, tempered steel grates often come in expanded metal diamond grids. Their main strengths are that they are inexpensive, that they make diamond shaped grill marks without having to rotate the meat, and they are lightweight. On the down side, they rust, they warp, have sharp edges, and they are hard to clean in the apex of the V shaped parts. Like cast iron, they must be kept oiled. Many careless pitmasters just let grease build up, and that’s not tasty or healthy. Expanded steel is best used on cages and fences, not grills.

Find Our Gold & Platinum Medal Winning Products at Lowes.com
Our Lowes.com storefront is your one-stop-shop for all of your outdoor cooking gear while also supporting AmazingRibs.com!
Shop Now At Lowes.com
Drawing of Meathead
Award Information
Awarded 1 Stars / not recommended Medal
Product Information
Model:
Tempered Steel Diamond Pattern Grate
Comments & Questions
Ask Us Anything
Sign in BBQ joint

Before you can post a comment or question you must sign into our commenting partner, Disqus. This helps make sure everyone hanging around the grill is civil. We do not tolerate nastiness, racism, porn, inappropriate language, or attacks on others. All comments are the property of AmazingRibs.com and we reserve the right to quote them, edit them, delete them, and block people from making future comments.

Please leave comments and questions on the same page that is devoted to that subject so others can see questions and our answers when they are reading about the subject. You must enable JavaScript to use the comments section, and you must accept cookies to post comments. Note: the software that runs Disqus is different from the Pitmaster Club, so members need to sign into the Pitmaster Club separately.

Click to comment or ask a question...

Ready to step up your outdoor cooking game?

Join the largest membership-based BBQ and grilling community in the world with a 30-day free trial. No credit card required!

New Recipes, Reviews, and Science Sent To Your Inbox!

Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly newsletter, Smoke Signals, and never miss a new recipe!

New Recipes

Products We Love
Kamado Joe Classic II 18″ Review And Rating
Kamado Joe Classic II 18″ Review And Rating
Read our review of Kamado Joe's Classic II 18”. It's is a well-crafted ceramic cooker that presents strong competition to other 18" models in the premium priced market with a number of remarkable upgrades that exemplify the elegance and innovation that are hallmarks of Kamado Joe. We give it our top Best Value AmazingRibs.com Platinum Medal.