Grill Temperature 

First and most important is that great looking thermometer in your grill hood is useless other than in a binary way of “is the grill hot, yes or no?” The numbers are meaningless.

That thermometer is a cheap thermometer that has a tube probe. It will give an average reading along that probe. But it can’t even measure that accurately.

So the hood thermometer measures (inaccurately) the air temperature near the top of the hood (remember heat rises).

Not where the food is cooking. Never rely on it.

Surface Temperature

You need to know the temperature at the grill surface where the food is cooking, not 12-inches away.

And you need to know it reasonably accurately.

Some grill experts say you can tell the temperature by putting your hand 3 inches over the grill and counting until you have to remove your hand. Don’t even waste the time trying this.

Measuring Temperature

Grills vary greatly, so the dial setting doesn’t work well, either.

A grill surface thermometer is required.

You can get one for about $10 from Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s, or most hardware stores (link at the end of the post).

They will get grimy, and after 2-3 months of use, they usually need to be replaced so you can read them.

Thermoworks ThermoQ is a remote monitor of both the surface and meat temperatures—very slick.

IR thermometers are fine, but you will get the grill metal temp, not the air temperature; you need to hit the metal with the beam, and you may need to leave the hood up longer.

What Temperature To Use

Many sites will give a range in most grill recipes. But this is not a kitchen oven, so you can’t be exact.

Just open the top of a grill releases lots of heat. All this means is it is a little more an art than a science.

Always remember to never cook or grill by yourself alone.

For most grilling, both an instant-read and a surface thermometer are required to get it right.

This is as hot as it goes. Some grills can get to 700° plus, and lesser grills may only get 550°.

Here are a couple of examples:

How to Grill a Strip Steak on a Gas Grill

Medium

This is 450°-500° to me and where I usually cook chicken, most pork, and veggies.

Low

225° up to 300° this is the low and slow cooking for ribs, pulled pork, brisket, etc. It is usually done by indirect cooking.

How To Set Up Your Gas Grill for Smoking and Low and Slow Cooking, adding wood chips to the smoker box

Grill Hood – Open or Closed?

It is usually closed unless stated otherwise.

Things less than ½ inch thick can usually be grilled open.

Between ½ to 1 inch thick, open is possible but harder to control. Over 1 inch, closed. Low and slow, always closed.

So those generic grills you see in the parks can cook hot dogs, burgers, and, if you are careful, a skinless chicken breast. But not thick stuff.

Final Words

It takes some practice to improve your grilling skills.

It requires knowledge of the surface temperature and an instant-read meat thermometer.

Those two things will improve your grilling skills 1000% instantly.