Your Cor-Ten Grill is meant to rust. It isn't a fault and it isn't something to fix. The rust is the finish, and it protects the steel underneath for decades.
Here's what happens in the first year, and what you need to do about it. Not much.
What Cor-Ten Is
Cor-Ten is weathering steel, a high-strength structural steel with small amounts of copper, chromium and nickel in it. When it meets rain and air, the surface oxidises and forms a dense patina.
On ordinary steel, rust flakes off and exposes fresh metal. On Cor-Ten, the patina seals itself and stops. Bridges, sculpture and building facades use the same steel because it lasts outside for decades without paint. The Angel of the North is Cor-Ten.
It Arrives Already Weathering
We pre-rust every Cor-Ten Grill before it leaves the workshop. So yours won't turn up grey and shiny. It arrives with the first patina already on it, orange and russet, and the weathering carries on from there.
In the first weeks the colour is uneven and it moves fast. Rain brings out fresh orange. Dry spells let it settle. You may see rust-coloured run-off on the paving beneath the grill. Stand it on gravel or a tray for the first 2 months while the surface finishes sealing.
Months 2 to 6
The orange deepens to russet and then to brown. The colour evens out. Streaks fade as the whole surface catches up.
Fingerprints and drips show more at this stage. Leave them. They disappear into the patina.
After a Year
The surface is a stable dark brown with a slight texture, like the bark of an old oak. It no longer marks paving. It doesn't change much from season to season.
From here on it slowly darkens. A 5-year-old Cor-Ten Grill is a rich chocolate colour, and looks better than it did new.
What to Do
1. Nothing to the outside
No oil, no paint, no sealant. Treatments stop the patina forming and shorten the steel's life. The surface is the finish.
2. Brush the cooking surfaces
The V Grills and the Chapa are stainless steel. Keep them clean and leave them dry. No oil.
3. Empty the ash
Wet ash sitting in your grill holds moisture against one spot and can be corrosive . Remove it out after each cook, once it's cold.
4. Leave it out
Cor-Ten thrives in the weather. The body doesn't need a Cover and it doesn't need a porch. A Cover keeps rain off the cooking surfaces and stops leaves piling in, and that's the only reason to use one.
What Not to Worry About
- Orange and uneven colour in the first months
- Slight surface texture. That's patina, not damage.
- Run-off on the ground early on. Gravel or a tray solves it.
- Rain. It's doing the work.
The Warranty
Every Cor-Ten Grill carries a 20-year warranty. The steel gets tougher as it weathers, not weaker, and the warranty covers burnout. Your Ember Maker will still be turning logs into embers long after most BBQs have gone to the tip.
Related: How to Clean Your V Grills · Why the Ember Maker Sits at the Back · Why We Don't Paint Our Grills
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