Chargrills become a mainstay of restaurants that are serious about the meat they serve. The open-flame flavor and scoring they offer can be especially appealing to customers. While charbroilers are relatively easy pieces of equipment to use — food cooks over a fire — operators can take some simple steps to keep their units running at peak performance:

• Frequently empty a charbroiler’s grease trough or drawer that captures food drippings.
• Clean the cooking grates daily. Most manufacturers recommend using a wire brush. Dirty grates can compromise food quality and slow cooking times.
• Operators can also clean grates by burning off debris and attached particles. After burning off one side, flip the grates and burn off the other.
• Keep the burners clear of debris, which can also slow cooking times.
• If the flame produced by a burner changes color or size, there may be an obstruction that should be cleared.