When I told my husband what I was writing about for this week's How-to tutorial, he chuckled under his breath. "What are you laughing at?" I asked, hands on my hips and tapping my foot impatiently. Of course, I knew very well why he was so amused. Doing a step-by-step tutorial about turning on a grill sounds a little silly. However, if any of you have the same fears I had five or six years ago, you probably refuse to have anything to do with things labeled as "propane" or "ignition". Before I learned this easy process, I was certain that one false move would cause me to blow up a city block. So, I always left it up to my husband, which wasn't terribly convenient when I wanted to get dinner started early. So, I asked him for a lesson and now I am the master of my grill domain - there is no stopping me.
How to do it:
Disclaimer: I am by no means a barbecue expert, so be sure to refer to the owner's manual for your grill before use.
Be sure your grill is situated in a well-ventilated area, and open the lid of the grill.
Turn the valve on the propane tank one full turn counter-clockwise.
I used to turn the valve as far as it could go until I learned that enough gas is released with just one rotation. In fact, it is safer to do this. If there is ever a problem, you will be able to turn it off and stop the flow of gas quickly.
Turn the burner control that is closest to the ignition switch to High. Press the ignition switch one to two times to light the burner. If the grill does not light, turn off the burner and the propane. Allow the gas to dissipate for a few minutes before trying again.
Turn the other burner(s) to High. You should be able to hear them light as the flame leaps from one to the other.
That's it! You did it.
Let the grill heat for about 10 minutes, then adjust the heat according to the recipe you are making.
Turning it off:
After removing the food from the grill, turn the heat to High and allow any remaining food bits cook off, about 5 minutes. The only way I remember to turn off the grill (because I'm busy eating) is to set a timer. You might want to do the same.
Turn off the valve first by turning the knob clockwise. By stopping the flow of the propane before turning off the burners, you insure that no gas will be caught in the hoses. Turn off all of the burners. Let the grill cool before closing and covering.
Now there's no stopping you. So, get out there and get grillin'.
Charlotte
Thanks for the tutorial. I really don't do grill i'm terrified I might burn myself. My husband do the grill, but I'll try to do this myself someday to surprise him.... so that I won't be too dependent on him. I want to make him proud that I can do this.
Rhonda
Thank you so much for this. Like many of you, I'm afraid I'm going to blow something up. I've always relied on the hubby for this but now I'd like to surprise him by grilling something up on Valentines day
Jhonna
I did it! Thank you..had no clue 🙂
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
I'm so glad! Now there will be no stopping you. 🙂
Crystal
Thanks for posting this!! I was so clueless without it! haha!!
Allen
As a 28 year old man who has never used a gas grill in his life, I appreciate that you took the time to make this!
Megan Houlihan
Thank you for this! All the grill tutorials I have read assume I know how to actually turn it on first, very helpful!
Tayelor
Thank you so much! It is September now that I finally have found this article, but I just got the grill turned on for the first time myself!!! Yeay! Now the ribs are cooking away and I can't wait for next year! Thanks again, and tell your husband that there are some of us that need a little encouragement on even the little things!
Sheila
I wish I had seen this earlier. I would have shared it with my mother before she decided to fire up my gas grill. Especially the mention if it didn't light to turn it off and let the gas dissipate before trying again! She lost a few eyelashes that evening.
Nichol
I love this. I don't ever use the grill and there are times I want to, and have to bug the hubs to set it up. I just learned recently how to turn on a grill, sad lol.
Lucy@acookandherbooks
Thank you for this primer. My husband will be absolutely stunned when I start the grill. (This post makes me remember middle school yearbook signatures that began "You are a nice gril.")
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Lucy, you can do it! Be sure to report back.
Drick
can't tell you how many times sitting at the table I have jumped up to run outside just because I forgot to turn off the grill - the timer is a great idea...my only problem is remembering nothings in the oven...