10 Best Ways to Hack Your Grill
Your grill: This is your typical outdoor cooking vessel and can be much larger at the same time. From cleaning your grill to updating its features, here are some of the best tips and tricks we’ve seen to keep your grill up and running.
This post was originally published in July 2014 and has been updated.
10. Make your old grill look like a new one
Naturally, the first thing you need is a working grill. If you don’t already have one, you can repair or refurbish your old charcoal or gas grill , no matter how old and rusty it is. Maybe even a layer of Krylon Stove and BBQ Paint is all your grill needs to look its best.
9. Clean the grill quickly or deeply.
Of course, maybe your grill just needs a good cleaning. We recommend that you deep clean your grill at least once a year by disassembling and cleaning each part. However, in between these more intense cleanings, you can use quick and easy cleaning techniques, including using an onion or a simple coffee bath, to prepare your grill for what you are about to throw at it.
8. Add side tables to your grill.
As with indoor cooking, the more space you have around the cooking area, the better. Upgrade your grill with wooden TV trays . Bolt them on so that even if you have a very simple (or cheap) grill, you can equip it with side tables that make grilling easier, with built-in holders for your grilling tools.
7. Turn your grill into a smoker.
A typical charcoal grill can do more than just charcoal meat. Can replace a separate meat smoker. All you need is an aluminum pan filled with water and careful maintenance, or, for a cold smoker, a soldering iron and aluminum can .
6. Turn your grill into a pizza oven.
Did you know that your Weber grill can also be used as a pizza oven ? It’s about major modifications (fireproof blocks and a cement roof), but homemade pizza might well be worth it. (And if you don’t want to hack into your grill for that, grilled pizza is still pretty cool.)
5. Preheat the grill to a flame.
Add to the grill starter for the chimney, and you can achieve incredible heat necessary for the proper preparation on the grill wok. Lava stones can also improve grill performance by retaining more heat under the wire shelf for better browning of meats and vegetables.
By the way, if you ever have trouble igniting charcoal, try lighting an egg box with charcoal inside using waxed cotton lighters , or maybe even Doritos or other chips . Or, ditch charcoal and try the wood fire technique for potentially more flavorful results.
4. Add the handles to the grill grate.
It is surprisingly easy to add lifters to your grill rack with just a few bolts and other common equipment. However, you probably want to check food safety parts (e.g. stainless steel instead of galvanized steel).
3. DIY grill
There is no need to buy a grill if you can do it yourself. Turn a beer keg into a charcoal grill or make a super cheap lasagna skillet grill . If you want to cook barbecue on the fly, make a portable grill of: old box for tools , a conventional tin or tin Altoids, where you can cook burgers and hot dogs .
2. Know how much propane you have left.
We’re not trying to leave you aside, gas grill owners. This water trick will help you estimate how much propane is left in your tank so you don’t suddenly run out of gas during your next grill party.
1. Learn the secrets of the masters of the grill
The best grill hack can be learning all the intricacies so you can grill like a pro . This means knowing how to arrange charcoal to create different cooking zones, where to grill different foods , why you should use an aluminum pan for more even grilling, and when to remove foods from the grill .
And then there are other tricks, for example:
- fry more juicy chicken under a brick
- spiral cut hot dogs for more roast flavor
- obtaining a steak-house quality crust by quickly freezing the steak
- improving fried chicken wings by starting them on the cool side
- thick steaks cooking on low heat
- grilling sausages
- you can brew beer from chicken
Before doing all of this, marinate the meat in the beer for healthier grilling.
Uf. If you don’t have enough information about grilling, remember that you can also use your grill as an outdoor oven , for roasting coffee or even a whole turkey, or for making pottery .