Of course, a lot of this heat is going to be lost, but the heat that hits the surface of the meat is going to be intense. This is because the coals now have access to huge amounts of oxygen. When you leave the lid off a charcoal grill, the temperature is going to soar.

Charcoal Grills – grilling with the lid up This method of cooking lends itself to thicker cuts of meat where an even distribution of heat will result in properly cooked food, all the way through. Due to the heat lost when you open the lid, you simply cannot cook indirectly with the lid up. This is the same way an oven works.Īnother way this method might be described is ‘indirect cooking’. In the case of your grill, the convection cooking occurs as the hot air trapped in the cooking area moves around your food and heats it from all sides. When you keep the lid shut, you create an environment in which you can cook using convection.Ĭonvection cooking is when heat is transferred to your food via another medium such heated air or water. This is largely due to the sheer amount of heat that you lose every time you open the lid. Watch out for flare ups-they are more common when grilling lid up.Īs we have discussed, in most instances it’s best to grill with the lid down when using gas.Don’t even bother trying to roast a leg of lamb on your gas barbecue with the lid up!.In these situations, you want a brown exterior without a overcooked, tough middle. This method with work when cooking thin cuts of meat or patties.Here are some points to keep in mind when grilling with the lid up on a gas grill: This means that only the surfaces of your food which touch the grates or pick up some of the radiant heat from the lava rocks and briquettes will be cooked. Your food is cooked with this heat moves from the grates to the food via conduction. When cooking lid off with gas, the radiant heat coming off the lava rocks or briquettes in your grill is absorbed largely by the grates. Like when you touch a hot pan and burn your hand. Conduction: Heat is transferred when the heat source is touched directly.For example, toasting a marshmallow on a campfire. Radiation: Direct exposure to light or energy.The two main ways heat is transferred to your food when grilling with the lid up are radiation and conduction. This heat loss is not going to matter quite so much when you are cooking thin steaks or burger patties which need to be grilled directly anyway. As a result, when cooking with gas, leaving the lid on is generally going to be the most effective way to cook. Heat will escape every time you lift the lid on a gas grill. Let’s have a closer look at what to do with the lid when cooking with these different types of grill. Conversely, lifting the lid on gas will let all the heat held in the chamber escape, making the temperature drop.When cooking with coals, taking the lid off will increase the amount of oxygen and will encourage the coals to burn red hot.When reverse searing, you always cook at a lower temperature with the lid down.Īnother layer of complexity is introduced when we compare cooking with gas to cooking with coals. This ensures that they are cooked properly all the way through. Cuts of meat that are 1” or thicker are best cooked with the lid on.For cuts that are ¾” or thinner, leave off the lid to avoid overcooking the middle of the meat.Generally, the thickness of the meat you are cooking determines whether you are best leaving the lid on or off.It is a case of knowing when to leave the lid on, and when to go without it. But we don’t think this is necessarily the case. Some would lead you to believe that cooking without a lid is a cardinal sin, and no self-respecting home griller would dream of it. With the lid on, heat is distributed throughout the cooking chamber and all sides of the meat will cook. None of the heat is trapped in the cooker, so only the surface facing the heat gets cooked. Remove the lid, and your grilling 100% directly. Charcoal Grills – grilling with the lid downĪs unassuming as the lid may seem, it’s actually one of the most important features of your grill.Charcoal Grills – grilling with the lid up.

Webber gas grill gets too hot