Why not?
Weber makes foil disposable drip pans....would one of them work?

I used an empty large (like soup) can to funnel the grease on a gas grill years ago for the same reason. I would look first at using pans meant for ovens - like cake pans, if it gets hot in that area.

This past spring, we replaced our gas grill made by Vermont Casting when we found the grease pan had rusted away toward the back - along with other parts - we loved that grill! It was such a great grill-it owed us nothing.

Thanks, Lindac and magothyrivergirl. I'd forgotten about those Weber pans, and I often pick up cake pans at ACMoore with a 50% off coupon. Now I have a couple of alternatives.

We bought this grill at BBG Galore in '06 and it was called "Cook-On". When we bought it, I could swear someone told us it was a Vermont Casting-made grill. Same thing happened to this grease pan - rusted away. Everything else is still good enough for one more season though. It HAS been a good grill!

In the grocery store they have a section of aluninum foil pans etc throw away ,they have like oven floor pieces,different sized dishes ,you could probably find one there.

No, you can't use it assuming that the oil pan is galvanized metal. Galvanized metal has zinc & the fumes from heated zinc can cause illness. More at the link.

I would do as others suggested, using an aluminum foil pan or, for something longer lasting, pick up a cheap metal pan from a rummage sale or thrift shop. You want all metal, either steel or aluminum. You do NOT want a non-stick (Teflon, etc.) because, again, of the fumes released by high heat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Metal Fume Fever

Restaurant supply stores sell large steel baking pans, which would work if you can get the right size.

Jim

I say: "$crew the drip pan". Let the grease drip down
and flare up. Just move your food to another part of
the grill, and when the flames go out, move it back.
I've been grilling on gas grills from back when Hector
was a pup, and they didn't have any fancy 'drip
pans' back then. Pretend you are one of America's
Pioneers.

On my grill, the drip pan catches the grease after it has gone through the grill...all that might flare already has. Keeps the grease from staining the deck and making a mess on the patio.

As for the dangers of heated galvanized metal....unless you will be grilling for long hours inside your house....it's fine. People working daily with heating certain metals in A poorly ventilated area may be subjected to developing "metal fever".
Outside as a grease catcher for your grill you will be fine!
I prefer a disposable pan....so I can remove it and throw it away, grease and all....but ...

Lindac, I agree, there may be some grease that doesn't
flare up, but, in the 90+ years, (maybe it's 100), that I've been grilling, I haven't seen it. If it's an issue, then get yourself a big a$$ cookie sheet to put beneath the entire grill.

Hmm.....when I grill a chicken I get a considerable amount of fat in the drip pan. And the Weber kettle gets a serious amount of grease in the bottom that has to be cleaned out now and then.
Curious....wondering if anyone else feels a drip pan isn't necessary in a grill.

Many years ago, when gas grills first came out, I bought
a 'Charbroil' gas grill. It had channels in the base
of it that funneled into a little spout that held
an empty beer can under it. According to the instructions,
the beer can was possed to catch grease. Well, I grilled
everything under the sun, on that grill and never was
there ever a drop of grease in that beer can. But I had
a lot of flare-ups.

I thought I'd report back on this. I ended up buying a pack of 2 large, shallow, disposable aluminum pans from the grocery store for $2.79. Put them under the grill and used the grill a couple of times. They were absolutely dry. Went on vacation and they blew into the neighbor's yard. Retrieved them and put them back under the grill. Used it a couple more times and the pans were still dry. I have to concur with lbpod that my grease is going somewhere other than into the pans (or the grease cup that I used to have). I do have a lot of flare-ups, too, but I figure we're due for a new grill. I'm looking for a good buy now and will probably replace it soon. Thanks for the input!

I have a Weber gas grill and I get a lot of grease in the grease pan...but I also cook a lot of dark meat chicken and pork roasts on the grill.

Thinking about it, if the grease pan is underneath the grill, like on my Weber, the type of metal isn't going to make any difference because it's never going to get hot enough to fume. For some reason, I was thinking about those flavorizer bars in my Weber (that sit over the burners rather than having lava rock or ceramic briquettes) when I responded originally. Definitely, you would NOT want those to be made out of galvanized metal and have the fumes permeating your food.

Oh, and Webers are fantastic grilling machines. Flare-ups are pretty much history. Expensive grill if you buy new but I found a working grill for only $20. The end casting on the hood was broken so it didn't have a handle. Used it for few weeks until I located another parts grill for $35. Fixed the hood and salvaged a set of slightly used burners and cooking grid for replacements later on. Anyway, just had to tell you how much I love the Weber. This is our 4th or 5th grill, by far the best grill we've owned plus it represents the least am't of money we've ever spent on one. I'm just thrilled with my bargain grill!!

Always have had a weber...well but for a few years when we used a little hibachi.
Currently have a Weber Q and a kettle. I suppose if you only grill lean steaks and boneless skinless chicken breasts you might not get any grease in the drip pan....but where's the fun in that?
I think the issue is with a good quality grill you can control the temperature so well, you don't get the flare ups and all the smoke from the burnt grease on your food. On the gas grill I can turn it so low that the temperature is only about 300....and with the kettle, I can put a little pile of coals on one corner and a pork roast in the other....and some damp hickory chips on the edge and get a lovely smokey roast;. In a case like that I usually make a drip catcher out of heavy duty foil.