How Long It Takes For A Propane Grill To Properly Heat Up

True grill masters know you can fire up that barbecue any time of year, but some of us wait to see more sunshine during the day before tossing some steaks on the grate. But, whether you're hosting or you just want to hear that sizzle as meat hits the BBQ for your own delicious dinner, there's something you must do first: preheat your grill.

It doesn't take much to preheat your propane grill properly. Okay, maybe a little patience is asking a lot, but trust us when we tell you it's worth it. A good rule of thumb is 15 minutes of pre-heating with the lid closed, but depending on whether or not it's windy, or if it's quite cold outside, you might need to run the grill a little longer before you start to cook. On the flip side (no pun intended), if you plan to grill at a lower temperature — like for a low and slow with longer cooking time — you can get away with preheating the grill for just 10 minutes or less.

Open the lid of your propane barbecue before lighting (avoiding serious injury on the first step can't be emphasized enough). Once lit, you'll want to turn the heat setting to the highest temp you can, then close the lid and wait about 15 minutes. When you're ready to grill, you can turn the temperature to the appropriate setting but, for preheating, max it.

Now, you might be thinking you're going to run out of propane by preheating, or that the grill will reach the desired temp along with your meat. You can think that, but you won't be correct. There are actually plenty of reasons to heat up your grill before cooking. First, you will likely overcook your meat if your grill doesn't start out at the optimal temperature. Second, when the grill is preheated, the high heat will sear the surface of your meat, trapping the moisture inside for a juicier finish. Without preheating, you also won't get those cool grill marks that make you look like a BBQ hero when serving, and finally, when you put your steaks on a preheated grill, the meat won't stick to the grate.