Marinate food in the refrigerator.

Before you place the rack on the grill, always coat it with cooking spray so the food has less chance of sticking.

Use medium fire for seafood and vegetables, more intense fire for meats.

Keep a spray bottle full of water handy to extinguish flareups that can char your food.

When grilling meat kebabs, make sure the pieces are all the same size to ensure even cooking. Pounding chicken to an even thickness helps it cook quickly and evenly.

As a rule, cover the grill when doing slow, indirect grilling with large pieces of food. Leave the grill uncovered when doing fast or direct grilling with smaller items that cook quickly.

When turning chops, chicken breasts, and the like, use a pair of tongs rather than a meat fork, which pierces the food, allowing valuable juices to escape.

Always place grilled foods on a clean platter or cutting board.

In general, give the grill 10 to 15 minutes to heat up properly.