D. Mastering Temperature

The temperature of any fire is determined by its ratio of fuel to oxygen. Add plenty of both fuel and oxygen and the fire gets blazing hot. Increase the fuel but restrict the oxygen, and the fire burns slowly. Increase the oxygen but restrict the fuel, and the fire burns quickly. The outside air temperature and wind can also increase or decrease the temperature of the fire.

Finding the right temperature for the food you’re grilling is easy on a gas grill because the fuel-to-oxygen ratio is largely predetermined by the gas flow. Your variables here are the knobs and the lid (and the weather, but there isn’t much you can do about that). For the highest heat on a gas grill, crank the knobs on full blast and put the lid down to trap the heat. For the lowest heat, set the knobs to low and close the lid. For varying heat levels, set one burner to high, set the second to low, and if you have three burners or more, set the others to medium. You can also use the upper warming rack for low heat.