How to properly season your Westwood series grill for optimal performance.
What Is Seasoning
Seasoning, sometimes called "initial burn-in," is a simple, one-time process that primes the auger with pellets and utilizes high heat to burn off residual, food-grade, non-toxic mineral oil that is used during the manufacturing process to prevent rust.
- NOTE: It is normal for the grill to produce an odd smell during the burn-in process due to burning off the residual manufacturing oils.
How Often Do I Need to Season My Grill?
You should only have to season your grill one time (before grilling for the first time); however, you should re-season your grill after replacing the following parts to burn off any anti-rust and manufacturing oils:
- Barrel
- Drip Tray
- Firepot
- Grates
- Heat Baffle
How Long Does Seasoning Take?
Seasoning a Westwood grill takes approximately an hour.
How to Season a Westwood Series Grill
Step 1: Power Up
- Plug your grill into a standard electrical outlet.
- Flip the power switch to the ON position on the back of the hopper.
Step 2: Load the Pellets
- Open the hopper lid.
- Fill the hopper with hardwood pellets until they reach the safety grate.
- Close the lid securely.
Step 3: Wake the Controller/Fill the Auger
- Tap the Ignite/Shutdown button once.
- You’ll see a white LED light under the flame icon and "---F" on the display, indicating the grill is awake.
- Press and hold the ignite/shutdown button to initiate the auger filling process. Hold the ignite/shutdown button until the animation stops (about 2 minutes).
- Once the auger has been filled, check the firepot and remove any pellets that fell in. Ensure the firepot is clean and empty.
- Refill the hopper with fresh pellets.
Step 4: Set Initial Temperature
- Press and hold the "+" button until the temperature reads 350°F.
- Press and hold the Ignite/Shutdown button for 3 seconds.
- The temperature will flash, and an animation will appear—this means the grill is starting up. The grill will display the current temperature until 350° is reached.
Step 5: Begin Seasoning at 350°F
- Let the grill heat up to 350°F.
- Once it reaches that temperature, let it run for 15 minutes.
- You may notice dark smoke or ash—this is normal during initial seasoning and will reduce over time.
Step 6: Increase to 450°F
- Use the "+" button to raise the temperature to 450°F.
- Press the Ignite/Shutdown button to confirm.
- Once the grill reaches 450°F, let it run for 45 minutes to complete the seasoning process.
Step 7: Shut Down the Grill
- Press and hold the Ignite/Shutdown button for 3 seconds.
- A shutdown animation will appear, followed by a countdown timer.
- Once the countdown finishes, the shutdown cycle is complete.
✅ Your grill is now seasoned and ready to use!
Enjoy better flavor and performance with every cook.