garwig, I coated mine with shortening before I used it for the first time, but it probably wasn't necessary. I always store it inside the Egg to keep it from getting wet and it's been fine. I use one mostly for cooking steaks, with the "point" side up. With the "flat" side up it is useful for things that might have a tendency to fall through the grill, because it has more surface area than the regular grids.
