Tired of having your barbecues ruined when a grill fire or flare up burns your meat? While a little charring on grilled meat adds flavor, nobody wants to eat black, charred meat. Here are some ideas on how you can prevent a grill fire at your next barbecue.

Clean your Grill Regularly

If your grill has lava rocks turn them all over before lighting your grill then let it heat up. While it’s heating any build up of grease on the rocks will burn off, then once your grill is good and hot, scrub the grills with a grill brush to get rid of any build up left on them.

Minimize the Fat, Drain the Marinade

Flare ups on a clean grill are caused by fat dripping onto hot coals and igniting, so be sure to trim most (but not all) of the fat off your meat before grilling (a little fat prevents meat from drying out and adds flavor). Also drain any meat that has been marinated before putting the meat onto a hot grill.

Tend your Food

Never leave your grill unattended because even a small fire can turn a steak into a lump of coal in just a few minutes. Be sure to plan for flare ups by leaving some free space on your grill or on the warming shelves so you can move your meat any flare ups.

To locate your charcoal grill user’s manual,  gas grill user’s manual, or electric grill user’s manual, visit the ManualsOnline Library.

A freezer with frost is more expensive to run because it uses more energy. Frost also reduces the amount of food storage space in a freezer. Many newer models of refrigerators and freezers come with an automatic defrost feature to prevent frost build-up. If you notice frost in your freezer, follow these steps: Read the rest of this entry »

In the heat of summer, a backyard swimming pool looks so beautiful and inviting that sometimes it’s hard to believe something that attractive could actually be deadly. However, statistics show that for children under the age of ten, a backyard swimming pool can be more dangerous than keeping a gun in your house. So it’s no wonder that virtually all municipalities in North America require properties with a swimming pool (and often hot tubs as well) be fenced. Read the rest of this entry »

World health experts acknowledge that breastfeeding your baby for at least one year is best. While most women do want to do what is best for their babies, studies report a sharp decline since the 70’s in both the number of women who breastfeed their babies at all and the length of time they do it. As more mothers work full time, breastfeeding baby for an entire year poses quite a challenge. Luckily, there are some innovative and useful new ways to meet this challenge. Read the rest of this entry »

Whether you have a huge yard or live in an apartment, you can grow a garden. Read the rest of this entry »

Wondering how to choose the correct fertilizer for your lawn? Picking the right fertilizer can be confusing, but here are some tips on how to keep your lawn green throughout the growing season. Read the rest of this entry »

According to Consumer Reports, nonstick cookware makes up 60 percent of cookware sales in the United States and Canada. The chemical polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) makes the surface nonstick. PTFE is manufactured with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which has been linked to cancer and other health problems. Now, many people are avoiding nonstick cookware altogether. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the perks of buying a flat screen television is reducing the bulk of your home entertainment system.  However, if your television is still in your old A/V cabinet, savings are minimal.  Here are some tips on how to successfully wall mount a flat screen television. Read the rest of this entry »

You may have heard that Hawaii was the only state that didn’t get any snow this winter, so it’s probably safe to assume everybody’s had a ‘hard’ winter. Fortunately, summer is on the horizon, but let’s not forget summer has its issues as well—heat, humidity, and the need for air conditioning. If you’re wondering about your air conditioner getting through this summer (or concerned about how much you had to pay to heat your home this past winter), you might to want to consider an all-in-one climate control option to both cool and heat your home—a heat pump. Read the rest of this entry »

Grilling with Gas

Gas grills are fueled by liquid propane. The fuel is stored in refillable tanks. As long as the tank is full, gas grilling is extremely easy. Simply ignite the grill and start cooking. Unlike charcoal grills, there’s no lighter fluid to deal with and you don’t have to wait for the coals to heat up before cooking. Clean-up is easy too – just use a metal grill brush to scour the grate and you’re done. Gas grills are more expensive than charcoal grills, but charcoal will cost more than propane over time. One downside to grilling with gas – it won’t enhance the flavor of food.

Grilling with Charcoal

Charcoal grills need a little more prep work, but cooking with charcoal has its benefits. The hot heat from the charcoal will quickly sear meat and add a smoky flavor to food. Before you can grill, you need to light the charcoal and wait for it to heat up. The flame is more difficult to control than cooking with a gas grill. If you want to take it to the park or beach, a charcoal grill is easier to transport than gas.

There’s no wrong choice for choosing a grill. If you’re short on time, a gas grill might be the better option. If you have patience and want to bring out the smokiness of grilled food, choose charcoal.

To locate the user’s manual for your charcoal grill or gas grill, visit the ManualsOnline Library.