• Grill
• Spatula
• Tongs
• Fork
• Everything Else

Tools:

Grill

The grill itself doesn't have to be fancy, but it should have enough space to let you choose where you set your food. The way I grill, that means that there should be room for at least a third again as much food as I expect to grill at one time. In other words, if I put six hamburger patties on the grill, there's room to put two more, with at least a fraction of an inch around each. This lets me  either work around, or use, hot and cool spots on the grilling surface.

Your grill should also have a tray or shelf on both the left and right sides, to hold incoming and outgoing plates or platters of food. Those shelves are also where I keep the tong and spatula, and a timepiece, when I'm grilling.

The grill's grease trap should be something you are comfortable using. Mine is a loop, holding a soup can slung under the grill: satisfactorily simple to remove and replace.

Be sure the hood has a handle that you can grasp and open without getting your hand or arm near or over the grill. And, you needn't bother with one of those fancy windowed hoods. They get covered with soot quickly, and are more trouble keeping clean than they're worth.

When you buy a grill, take a look at the instruction manual. There will probably be a section on cleaning the grill that apparently was written by someone with compulsions about neatness.

Don't believe it. It took several sessions with our grill before that factory-fresh taste wasn't in the meat. Even after that, it was a little while before we had what I regard as real grilled taste in the food.

I scrape the grill rack before I grill, so that what I call char from the last session doesn't get on this session's food. From time to time, I also remove most of the residue that builds up inside the grill. That stuff will interfere with airflow if it gets too thick. I make sure to leave some in the grill, however, because I believe that much of the home-grilled taste comes from the charred residue of previous grillings. Without that, you might as well say inside and cook on the stove.

Next: Safety

Copyright © 2005-2010 Brian H. Gill