Two-thirds of Canadians own a barbecue or grill. Many want to hit the grill running to take advantage of good weather. But it’s also important to be prepared.

Here are a few tips to make the most of barbecue season.

First, clean your grill before your opening cookout. You’ll avoid flare ups and funky flavours. Also swap out your old wire bristle brush to avoid serving stray bristles.

Next, choose the right grill. There’s no shortage of options; however, wood-pellet grills can be a game-changer. They use hardwood pellets to feed the flames and add wood-fired flavour. They’re easy to use because they create even reliable temperatures that let you cook anything. Grills like the Traeger Ironwood series even have set it and forget it features to help limit guesswork.

Finally, become one with the grill. The more you barbecue, the more you deliver on that sweet spot in burn to smoke ratio and the sooner you become a grill master.

Find more tricks and recipes at traegergrills.com