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General How Tos

The posts below cover some practical sides of outdoor cooking, things we all need to be good at, but that aren't specific to only BBQ or grilling.

We cover things such as using thermometers effectively and correctly, keeping your knives sharp, cleaning, charcoal storage, and the odd technique or two.

An overhead shot of reheated steak on a white plate, with some roasted veg, next to a glass of wine.
General How Tos

How to Reheat Steak Without Overcooking and Drying it Out

The idea of not finishing a steak may seem foreign to many, but sometimes it just happens. Maybe you have a no-show? Perhaps you filled up on a pre-dinner dessert? Whatever the reason, there’s NO reason you can’t reheat and enjoy a leftover steak for a delicious meal another day. Here’s how to do it.

Before and after pictures of a grill brush that
General How Tos

How to Clean a Grill Brush — Plus Maintenance Tips to Last Longer

Today’s money-saving article will teach you how to clean your grill brush — Whether bristled or bristle-free — to prevent tainting the taste of your food. Plus, learn how to keep it in tip-top shape with maintenance tips, so it lasts longer, and how to know when the time is right to replace it.

A woman
General How Tos

Wood Pellet Storage Guide — Dos, Don’ts, and Expert Tips

If you’re new to smoking, you probably have lots of questions. And if you use a pellet grill, an important one is: what’s the best way to store wood pellets? It turns out this mystery is an open and shut case. Get the longest life and best performance out of your pellets with our guide.

Pork belly slices with very good-looking, crispy crackled skin.
General How Tos

How to Get Crispy Pork Skin and Make Crackling — Right Every Time!

Get crispy pork skin — or even better, full on crackling — by following the simple tips in this guide, that work every time. We also cover a few things to avoid, because you can sabotage your crackling even when you think you've done everything right...when you haven't!

Close up of dirty and rusted gas grill burners and flavorizer bars.
General How Tos

How To Clean Gas Grill Burners [With Video]

If your gas grill isn't heating as strongly or evenly as it once was, it could be due to clogged burner tubes. A common but easily solvable problem. Here's how to clean them to get the performance back where it should be, with a video to follow along to.

A clean charcoal grill on a grass lawn.
General How Tos

How to Clean Your Charcoal Grill, Ready for the Coming Grilling Season

A dirty grill not only works less efficiently, but it can also spoil the flavor of your food, ruining all your hard work and not impressing guests with the food you produce. So keeping your grill reasonably clean is essential, despite all the highly vocal ‘that grease is flavor’ crowd.

Using a charcoal chimney starter to fill a grill with coals.
General How Tos

How to Use a Charcoal Chimney Starter — Easy Step-by-Step Guide

A charcoal chimney is one of the most efficient ways to get a charcoal grill up to cooking temperatures quickly. It’s also a highly reliable to measure out different amounts of charcoal for different temperature cooks. Here’s when, why, and how to use one properly.

A gloved hand cleaning the inside an electric smoker.
General How Tos

How To Clean an Electric Smoker — In 9 Easy Steps

A dirty smoker can be unhygienic, produce tainted food, and be embarrassingly unsightly for any dinner party guests. So we have provided this step-by-step guide for cleaning your electric smoker, both inside and out, to keep it running smoothly, producing the best food, and extending its life.

A gas grill being cleaned with a reversible grill brush.
General How Tos

How to Clean a Gas Grill — Inside, Outside, Grates and All Parts

In this guide, we take you through cleaning your gas grill inside and out in a few easy-to-follow steps. We cover the cleaning of all parts, surfaces, grates and all, to keep your grill looking immaculate and performing optimally while adding potentially years to its life.

An instant read thermometer being used to take the temp of a spatchcock chicken on a grill.
General How Tos

How to use an Instant Read Digital Meat Thermometer Correctly

Taking an accurate internal temperature of your food is the ONLY way to know when it’s cooked to your desired doneness. To do so, you need to use an instant-read food thermometer that reads quickly and accurately. Here’s how to use one correctly.

A diagram demonstrating cutting against the grain.
Prep & Serving

Cutting Against the Grain — What Does this Mean When Carving Meat?

Cutting against the grain gives an entirely different ‘mouthfeel’ to meat during eating. It can be the difference between the same cut of meat feeling tough or wonderfully tender. So learn how to cut against the grain in our guide to getting the best results from meats you cook.

Photo of a demonstration on how to use a sharpening steel.
General How Tos

How to Use a Sharpening Steel — Step-by-Step Guide with Video

Despite its common name, a sharpening steel doesn’t actually sharpen, it simply hones. But what does it mean to hone a blade? How do we do it, and why? Learn how to use a sharpening steel in our guide to this essential knife sharpening tool.

A knife being sharpened on a whetstone next to bowl of water on wooden table.
General How Tos

How to Use Any Knife Sharpener — Step-by-Step Guides With Videos

There are four different types of knife sharpener. Which do you have? Are you using it correctly? In this guide, we detail step-by-step how to use every kind of knife sharpener, with instructional videos to help, so you can be sure you’re getting the most from your efforts.

Kamado Joe dome thermometer being calibrated in boiling water.
General How Tos

How to Calibrate a Thermometer That You Use for Cooking

Thermometer accuracy can drift over time, so they need calibration to prevent false readings that can lead to woefully under— or over-cooked food and potentially even unsafe food. So follow the steps below to calibrate your thermometers, so you can trust them.

Stainless steel grill grates being cleaned with a wire brush.
General How Tos

How to Clean Stainless Steel Grill Grates, so They Look Like New

Despite what some people say, that horrible baked-on grease and old food on your grates is NOT extra flavor. It’s dirty, acrid-tasting junk. Get it cleaned off! Here’s how to get your stainless steel grates looking like new and how to keep them that way.

Some fish fillets on a plate with lemon after broiling to create a nice sear.
General How Tos

What is Broiling? Can You do it on a Grill or BBQ?

Do you know the cooking technique of broiling? It’s similar to grilling, yet also very different because the heat comes from above, not below. Can this be achieved on our standard BBQs and grills? Why would we even want to bother? Find out below.

Close up of reheated baby back ribs.
General How Tos

How to Reheat Ribs, in Oven, on Grill, Sous Vide, and More

It’s best to cook multiple racks of ribs to make the best of your time and fuel, which leads to storing and reheating them later. But how do you reheat ribs? What is the best way? Here’s how to reheat ribs, keeping quality high as if fresh off the smoker.