With peak grilling season right around the corner, more people than ever are about to take up grilling for the first time ever. And now’s a good time to do it! Many stores are still offering big discounts on propane grills or selling off last year’s inventory, so frugal grillers out there can save big and perhaps even purchase a more advanced model than they’d be able to during the spring or summer. At Mighty Flame Propane Cylinder Exchange, we think that no matter what grill you have, you’ll still be capable of making some of the best food around.

With all the new grillers out there, we thought we’d take this opportunity to share a few grilling tips and tricks for anyone who doesn’t have a lot of grilling experience. It can be pretty intimidating to fire up a grill for the first time if you’ve never done it before. Fortunately for you, we’ll walk you through pretty much everything you need to know to get started in today’s blog. Keep reading to get started!

Let’s Start At The Beginning

First and foremost, you’ll need to choose a grill that’s within your budget. It can be tempting to just head to the nearest store and make a purchase based on that one thing alone–and that’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do! We would advocate doing a bit of research online as well. You can get a good idea of what’s in your budget thanks to many stores having the ability to narrow down your search to what they have in stock at your local store.

Take the time to read reviews on their website, then look elsewhere as well. YouTube is a great resource for garnering this type of information. You should be able to find everything from unboxing videos to setups to general reviews.

Once you have an idea of what you’d like out of a grill, then you can head to your local store and look it over in person. Be sure to find a knowledgeable member of the staff (sometimes easier said than done, we know) and ask any questions you might have.

Of course you could also make the decision to purchase a grill online and have it shipped to your front door if the price is cheaper. Keep in mind, however, that in many instances you’ll be able to purchase a grill that has already been assembled if you get it at your local store, but if you order online, you may have to assemble it on your own. This can sometimes be a frustrating experience, so be sure to take that into consideration and realize that a higher price might just be worth it to save yourself a headache.

Practice Makes Perfect

One other thing to keep in mind is that you’ll have to learn how to use your grill properly. What we mean by that is that each grill takes a bit of getting used to. Don’t hesitate to experiment and find out what works best for you. Many recipes include general instructions to get you started, but go with your gut and feel free to change things up if it makes sense to you.

You should always make it a point to preheat your grill before cooking. Think of it like preheating an oven. You wouldn’t just throw a frozen pizza into a cold oven and expect it to be done in the time given on the package. A grill works the same way. Be sure to give it between fifteen and twenty minutes to get up to your preferred grilling temperature.

It’s also important to know about grilling zones. Some recipes call for cooking over indirect heat. What that means is that your grill has different burners, so for example, you might heat the two right burners to high heat and leave the other burners off, cooking your meal on the left side. We’d also suggest that you only use high heat to sear your foods. The rest of the time, medium or medium-high heat will probably do the trick.

Use low heat to cook items more slowly. Be sure to consult your recipe for specifics, but like we said, most of the time, it’s okay to go with your gut and realize that sometimes it takes a bit of practice to get things just right. Trial and error is key, so don’t get down on yourself if your first attempt at making something doesn’t turn out quite right. You’ll get there with time.

Know Your Temperatures

Here’s one of the best tips you’ll get when you first start grilling: when a recipe says to grill for ten minutes, you should consider that more of a suggestion. Every grill is different and there are a number of factors that come into play such as the temperature that day, the size of the food you’re cooking, and any tweaks you have made to the recipe.

That’s why we strongly recommend getting yourself a digital thermometer as soon as you buy your grill. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and headaches by knowing exactly which temperature you need to cook your food to. For example, rather than throwing a burger on the grill for 2 minutes on each side and hoping for the best, you can take the temperature and know definitively how done it is.

We recommend printing out a cheat sheet for any foods that you might cook commonly when you first get started, ensuring that you can cook one burger to medium-rare and another to medium-well easily.

Don’t forget that your meat will keep cooking even after you have removed it from the heat, so pull it off the grill just shy of your desired temperature and allow it to do its thing.

Stay Tuned For More!

At Mighty Flame Propane Cylinder Exchange, there is nothing we love more than sharing our love of grilling with those who are new to this exciting hobby. Make no doubt about it, it takes some practice to get to a level where you feel consistently good about your abilities, but trust us when we say that it’s fun even from the get go. Just make sure to be safe, follow the directions on your grill, and have fun. You’ll be fine if you do those things!

Feel free to take a look through our blog archive to find a few recipes to get started with. We’ve been sharing some of our favorites for quite some time now, so you’re sure to find something that catches your eye and makes your mouth water. From there, just jump right in and give it a try. We think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Wondering where to buy a propane tank when you first get started? There are a number of Mighty Flame propane tank exchange locations, so swing on by and ask them to set you up with a fresh tank. It’s as easy as that! We’re always right around the corner. And, of course, stay tuned for more great grilling tips and tricks for new grillers because we have plenty of exciting advice–and a number of amazing recipes–to share. Until next time, friends and neighbors.