Grill Maestro

Memorial Day has traditionally been seen as the start of the grilling season (though I started grilling the moment I bought my new propane grill several weeks ago) and so now is a good time to review some very important safety tips with regard to using your grill.

Nowadays, refilling a propane cylinder is as simple as going down to Home Depot, trading in your oldie for a new one, and paying your $18. If you really want to refill your old one and it doesn’t need to be rerated, check for dents, scratches, rust marks, etc. for any signs that the cylinder may be damaged and leaking. When you do get a new tank, make sure you don’t smell any propane. If you do, bring it back, that’s not normal.

When hooking it up, keep it away from fire whether it’s a lit cigarette, citronella candle, or a tiki torch – fire + propane = disaster. If you aren’t using it now, keep the plastic cap on and the valve firmly sealed.

When grilling, keep all sorts of junk away from the grill. You don’t want to trip on some cheap lawn furniture and lose a sirloin, that’d would be a travesty. Also make sure you’re grilling outside, that might sound like common sense but the Darwin Awards exist for a reason.

Finally, not a safety tip but more of a sanity tip, get what you need now and beat the rush. It sucks standing in line at a store when it’s gorgeous outside. Happy grilling and good luck!

Image by tom-tom.

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