Safe Grilling Tips

Grilling is a great way of cooking famous restaurant recipes , especially meats and vegetables such as corn and potatoes, however as you are working with propane and an open flame, you need to be very careful. Follow the jump to find 13 tips on how to keep safe while grilling.

1. Leave sufficient space between the grill and any over hangings, and make sure it’s on a level surface. If you live in a multi-family residency do not use charcoal or gas grills on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of any building.

2. Before cooking, be sure to check that all of the hose connections are tight and never use a hose with visible cracks.

3. Always follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions when using a grill.

4. Grills are not toys — keep the children away from them, especially the three legged grills as they are easily tipped over.

5. Make sure the grill is clean before lighting it.

6. When cooking small pieces of meat it is recommended to use charcoal, as it gives strong and quick heat, for medium sized pieces of meat you can use a mixture of charcoal and briquettes, while only using briquettes on larger pieces.

7. A rule of thumb is the greater the size of the meat — the greater the distance between the coals and the meat.

8. Only use lighter fluids that are designated for BBQ grills and do not add to an already burning grill.

9. The barbecue is ready only when the surface of the coals are gray and all the flames are gone. Drizzle the meat and the grill bars with oil when the grill is ready.

10. Never leave a started grill unattended.

11. Soak wooden sticks that are used to hold meat in cold water for about an hour so they don’t char easily.

12. Soak coals in water for 48 hours before disposing them into the trash.

13. Lastly but certainly not least — ALWAYS HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER NEAR BY