Cooking a meal on the grill is one way to enjoy the summer. Gas grills are convenient and allow for even cooking, but they can be dangerous. Diane Morgan and E.J. Armstrong, authors of "Grill Every Day: 125 Fast-Track Recipes for Weeknights at the Grill," suggest using a well-built and sturdy gas grill as the first step to ensuring grill safety.
Gas Shut Off
Gas grills work by using propane to ignite the grill and keep it hot. A propane tank is hooked to your gas grill, and you must turn the knob to open the flow of gas to the grill. A device that limits the flow of gas is an important safety feature because it allows you to turn off the gas immediately if the hose breaks. Morgan and Armstrong note that a broken hose can cause a fire or explosion as the leaking gas comes into contact with the lit grill.
Steven Raichlen and Ben Fink, authors of "The Barbecue! Bible," write that a gas shut-off device is also important in case you smell gas while grilling your food. It enables you to turn off the gas while you identify the problem.
Heat Diffuser
A heat diffuser keeps the heat inside your grill evenly distributed. It also helps prevent cooking juices from coming into contact with the burners, according to Andrew Schloss and David Joachim, authors of "Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking."
When fat drips from the food you cook, it can cause a fire if the burners are too hot and the heat cannot be diffused. A heat diffuser sits directly over the burners and helps distribute the heat coming from the flame to the interior of the grill.
Off Switch
If an accident occurs, it's important that your gas grill have an off switch that will immediately stop the flow of gas and eliminate heat from the interior of the grill. In the event of a fire or spill, turning off the grill is one of the easiest ways to keep the situation under control.
The off switch on the grill is a separate safety feature from the device that stops the flow of gas. In some instances, turning off the entire grill is important to eliminate the heat source causing the fire. Turning the grill off also ensures that gas does not build up in the fuel lines, causing them to crack or burst, say Morgan and Armstrong.
References
- "Grill Every Day: 125 Fast-Track Recipes for Weeknights at the Grill"; Diane Morgan and E.J. Armstrong; 2008
- "The Barbecue! Bible"; Steven Raichlen and Ben Fink; 2008
- "Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking"; Andrew Schloss and David Joachim; 2007
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