12 Tremendous Barbecue Hacks to Save Time and Money

We all want easier, more efficient, more creative ways to make fantastic barbecue while saving money doing it. This list started with an article from friend of the show Meathead — “12 Genius Barbecue and Grilling Hacks to Save You Time and Money” — and I’ve added my own flavor, plus some gems from our live community. None of these should break the bank; most use things you already have around the house.

1. Clean Your Grill Grates with Aluminum Foil — or an Onion

Skip the wire-bristle brush (those broken bristles can end up in your food, and that’s genuinely dangerous). Instead, crumple up some aluminum foil, grab it with tongs, and scrape your still-hot grates clean. Even better, my favorite: cut an onion in half and run it across the hot grates. It cleans them, and the onion’s natural juices help keep the grates seasoned. When you’re done, toss that onion into the fire — it’ll make everything smell great.

2. Stoke the Fire with a Hair Dryer (or Better: a Leaf Blower)

Fire is oxidation, and a hair dryer is like a bellows on steroids — a constant blast of oxygen that transforms a lame, smoldering pile of coals into a perfect fire in minutes. Now, I’m a guy without a hair dryer, so here’s my substitute: a leaf blower. Mine runs on rechargeable batteries, so no outlet needed, and it pushes even more air than a hair dryer. In a pinch, it revives a struggling fire fast.

3. Use a Charcoal Chimney for Crazy-High-Heat Searing

Nothing beats a steak seared over a raging hot fire, but heating a whole grill is a waste of time and fuel for one or two steaks. Instead: flip your chimney upside down, fill it one-half to three-quarters with charcoal, and fully preheat the briquettes. Lightly oil your steaks (no more than an inch thick), and — here’s the tidbit I didn’t know — season with salt only, because pepper will burn at these extreme temperatures. Set a small grate on top of the chimney and grill the steaks, moving and flipping about once a minute, until seared and cooked to 130°F for a perfect medium rare.

4. Check Your Propane Level with a Cup of Hot Water

Before your next gas grill session, make sure you have enough fuel to finish the job. Pour a cup or two of really hot water down the side of the tank, then run your palm from top to bottom. The metal feels hot where the tank is empty and cooler toward the bottom where there’s propane — you’ll even see a condensation line marking the fill level. Pretty ingenious.

5. Turn a Disposable Aluminum Pan into… Almost