Also called grids, these are the grill’s cooking surface. There are several options: Look for stainless steel or porcelain-coated cast iron, which are more durable, sear better and heat more evenly than steel or porcelain-coated steel.

Porcelain coatings can chip, allowing the metal underneath to rust, so on these grates, use brass-bristle cleaning brushes instead of stainless steel ones.

It was late on a mid-October evening in Atlanta.  The Pirates had taken a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth, when their season imploded.  After giving up a sac-fly run to Ron Gant earlier in the 9th; David Justice was on third, Sid Bream on second and Damon Berryhill on third.  An unlikely hero stepped up to the plate.  Back-up catcher and pinch-hitter Francisco Cabrera, the last position player on the Atlanta bench, singled to left to score Justice and – just ahead of Barry Bonds’ throw – Bream.