Are Grill Mats Safe? What are the Types of Grill Mats?
BBQ Grill Mats have definitely made the cleanup process easier than ever before. As someone who barbecues regularly, I find that cleaning your BBQ grill sometimes feels like one of the toughest jobs in the world. Especially after chowing down on some delicious BBQ.
Barbecue grill mats are a result of our pursuit of happiness convenience. From microwaves to non-stick utensils, we like things that help us spend less time cooking and more time eating. BBQ Grill Mats are popular because cleaning them is much easier than cleaning a grill manually. However, with all the news reports about the toxicity of BBQ Grill Mats, it’s important to know if we’re putting our families at risk for this convenience.
Through this article, I’m going to discuss the toxicity of BBQ grill mats, the non-toxic alternatives, and other questions that you may have around BBQ Mats.
Let’s jump right in!
What Are BBQ Grill Mats?
Barbecue Grill Mats (aka BBQ Grill Liners) are heat-resistant sheets used as a non-stick grilling surface. They are placed on the top of grill grates to simplify cleanups and prevent grease flare-ups. Barbecue Grill Mats are made from fiberglass cloth and covered with a non-stick coating.
Grill Mats make the cleanup process much easier. When you use Grill Mats, you don’t have to worry about cheese, sauces, and food leftovers oozing through the grill grate, and you can use Barbecue Grill Mats with any type of grill.
Looking for BBQ Grill Mats?
Here are the best BBQ Grilling Mats you can buy in the USA, Australia, Canada, and the UK.
Here are the best BBQ Grilling Mats you can buy in the USA, Australia, Canada, and the UK.
What Was Used Before the Grill Mats?
Until a few decades ago, BBQ was made by putting the meat and veggies directly on the grill grates. This method of cooking wasn’t just messy, but there were concerns about whether Barbecue food is bad for your health. This lead to the use of different sheets and foils which are the predecessors of today’s BBQ Grill Mats:
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Tin Foil
People used tin foil or aluminum foil to avoid cleaning problems and preserve the juiciness of the meat. But after it got popular, researchers found that cooking meat in aluminum foil was hazardous to health. When exposed to heat, the metal gets transferred to the meat, and the high levels of aluminum can lead to kidney failure or bone diseases.
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Butcher Paper
Butcher paper was a good replacement for tin foil. The fact that it wasn’t coated with metal made it safe for BBQ, and it is FDA approved as it fulfills both quality and health safety measures. However, using butcher paper needs a lot of attention as the paper can easily get burnt on high heat. The burnt ash leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and consuming butcher paper isn’t good for health either.
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Parchment Paper
Parchment paper is a sheet that is specially made for oven use. Parchment paper contains silicone, which makes it grease and moisture resistant. However, parchment paper can’t withstand the high heat of a grill because it catches fire at these temperatures. That’s why Parchment paper is not well suited for a barbecue.
Why Are Grill Mats Better?
Here are the reasons why grill mats are preferable to foils and papers:
- Grill mats don’t absorb the sauces and oils used, giving you a tastier outcome.
- Using grill mats ensures that the sauces and oils don’t leak through the grates.
- Grill mats ensure that meat never sticks to the grill grate. This makes cleaning much more convenient.
- Grill mats are versatile. You can cook anything on it, including eggs, bacon, and even pancakes.
- Grill mats are easy to wash. You just have to wipe off the leftovers.
- Grill mats can be used over 1000 times per side.
- Grill mats save you money. Since they prevent sauces, oils, and cheese from leaking through your grates.
- Food made with a BBQ Grill Mat is tastier than grilling without it. Follow the tips in the next section to get the best results.
How to Cook With A Grill Mat?
Using grill mats is easy. Once the grill heats up evenly, place a BBQ Grill Mat on top of the grill and start cooking your food.
Even though BBQ Grill Mat manufacturers claim that grill mats are all you need for Barbecue perfection, grill mats aren’t a replacement for regular grilling. Grill mats are a tool that helps you achieve perfect doneness in meats and vegetables.
For best results, sear your meats after cooking them on the grill mat. This way, you will have juicy meat on the inside, with beautiful grill marks on the outside.
If you are cooking vegetables on the grill mat, you don’t need to sear it afterward. Vegetables cooked on a grilled mat taste more fleshy and juicy because the grill mat keeps the vegetables from overheating.
What Are BBQ Grill Mats Made of?
Grill mats are typically made from a flexible, heat-resistant material, like Silicone, Copper, or Teflon, and coated with PTFE (Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene). PTFE is a chemical compound used to coat all varieties of non-stick cookware.
What Are the Types of BBQ Grill Mats?
BBQ Grill Mats are differentiated based on the flexible material that they’re made out of. Here are some of the popular kinds of grill mats:
Silicone Grill Mats
Silicone is a colorless and rubber-like substance that works as moisture and oil resistant. It is a great way to cook meat at low temperatures. Silicone grill mats are FDA approved because these are not toxic.
Copper Grill Mats
These grill mats have copper infused in them, which adds its own flavor to the food. These grill mats are also FDA approved due to their non-toxic nature. The main reason for its popularity is that copper is a great conductor of heat. The uniform temperature across the surface of the mat ensures evenly cooked meat that tastes amazing.
Teflon Grill Mats
This grill mat belongs to the Teflon cookware family. These are completely non-stick, and the black color helps in heat conduction and ensures uniform temperature levels across the surface of the mat. Most of these grill mats come with safety warnings labels. Some of the expensive black grill mats claim to be free from hazardous acids.
Looking for BBQ Grill Mats?
Here are the best BBQ Grilling Mats you can buy in the USA, Australia, Canada, and the UK.
Here are the best BBQ Grilling Mats you can buy in the USA, Australia, Canada, and the UK.
Are BBQ Grill Mats Safe?
Although grill mats are generally safe to use, some of the grill mats give off toxic materials that may cause health problems. The best way to be safe is to avoid known problematic chemical compounds like PFOA (Per Fluoro Octanoic Acid).
Today, companies use PTFE coating (as an alternative to PFOA) while making non-stick crockery. PTFE is considered safe since the melting point of PTFE is 500°F (260°C), while meat for BBQ can be cooked between 350°F and 400°F (176°C to 205°C).
Why is PFOA Bad for You?
PFOA is a chemical belonging to the PFAS (Poly-Fluoro-Alkyl Substances) family. PFOA, also known as C8, isn’t a part of non-stick crockery, but it is used in the Teflon-making process.
The mega-corporation ‘DuPont’ first discovered the Teflon back in 1946, and it was initially used in non-stick cookware.
In the early 2000s, an organization named EWG (Environmental Working Group) brought a case to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This drew attention towards the safety warnings labeled with every non-stick crockery. PFOA was proven to have many harmful effects from ulcers to liver damage.
There was a big controversy when research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that PFOA poisoning was so ubiquitous that it was “in the blood of 99% Americans.” This controversy stayed alive until 2015 when the CPSC ruled that companies manufacturing non-stick crockery had to eliminate PFOA from their Teflon making process.
If you want to learn more about PFOA, I recommend watching the documentary ‘The Devil We Know.‘
How to Choose a BBQ Grill Mat?
When buying a grill mat, it helps if you know what you are looking for. Here are some things to look for when choosing a grilling mat:
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Grill Mat Size
Measure your grill grate before you shop. Remember that oversized grill mats aren’t as much of an inconvenience as smaller grill mats since you can always cut the grill mat down to size.
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Grill Shape
If you have a circular grill, it is best to buy a circular grill mat because, unless you’re skilled at it, cutting a perfect circle isn’t as easy as it looks.
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Mat Surface Type
Grill mats can differ in surface smoothness. Some are slicker when others have coarser surfaces. Mats with a slicker surface generally use more PTFE for coating.
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Mat color
Mat colors depend on the materials used. You may choose black for optimal heat conduction, or choose a silicone mat that matches the color of your grill.
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Temperature Limit
The temperature limit of your mat should be around 500°F (260°C). The higher the temperature limit, the better. This will prevent the PTFE on your mat from breaking down in case your BBQ becomes a little too hot.
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Grill Mat Thickness
The performance of grill mats largely depends on the thickness of the mat. Mat thickness ranges from 0.1mm to 0.3mm. If your mat is are too thick, it will take longer to heat up, and you may find your food being cooked unevenly. Thin mats heat up faster, but they’re susceptible to heat and usually wear out quicker. I recommend using mats that are right in the middle (0.2mm).
Looking for BBQ Grill Mats?
Here are the best BBQ Grilling Mats you can buy in the USA, Australia, Canada, and the UK.
Here are the best BBQ Grilling Mats you can buy in the USA, Australia, Canada, and the UK.
How to Maintain Your Grill Mat?
You are a few best practices for the best grilling experience::
- Check the grill mat for cracks before and after every use. If you see any signs of degradation, it is best to throw it away.
- Don’t use a coarse material to clean the grill mat. It is best to be gentle when cleaning the mat to avoid scratching the coated surface.
- Don’t overuse the grill mat. The instructions on the packing of the grill mat will mention the uses allowed per side. Don’t exceed that limit.
- Avoid using sticky sauces while grilling because you may end up scraping the grill mat when trying to get it off.
- Don’t overheat the grill mat. Due to the presence of PTFE in all grill mats, the FDA recommends keeping the grill temperature under 500°F (260°C). 350°F to 400°F (176°C to 205°C) is optimal.
Conclusion
I hope this post answers all your questions about BBQ Grill Mats. Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments section below.
Be sure to follow all the BBQ Grill Mat best practices I wrote about to enjoy a safe, juicy, and tasty BBQ.
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