Summertime, the time for barbecues and outdoor living. Here are twenty tips to help you really enjoy to the full cooking outdoors

1. You have to chose will it be gas or charcoal that you’re going to cook with? Chose charcoal if you like the smokey flavor; chose gas if like cleanliness, control and convenience. But do, do remember if its charcoal always light the fire naturally, never with fuel as it taints the flavor regardless of the time that you wait to start cooking!

2. Consider carefully whether your outdoor cooking equipment purchase is going to be an investment Don’t go cheap! Go for quality, it pays every time in both the short and long term.

3. Stoves and outdoor burners are measured in terms of their output or BTU. Make sure the one you buy is well suited to what you’ll be cooking; too small a burner and you’ll never be able to heat up those large stockpots; too large a burner and you’ll be wasting your money when smaller would have done just as well.

4. Think ‘practicality’ when choosing your outdoor cooking equipment. Portable grills are great but not for a large family gathering! Often when buying its far better value to select a kit, such as turkey fryer kit, rather than buying the individual components separately.

5. Think about ‘where’ you’re going to be cooking outdoors and buy your kit accordingly. Ask yourself, will we be cooking on the patio, or taking it outback, or wherever; this makes a big difference to your choice; indeed usually folk decide that they need quite separate cooking equipment for different situations.

5. Buy you outdoor cooking equipment with close regard for ‘where’ you’re going to be cooking outdoors most often; the patio, outback or beach each come with very different demands. If outdoor cooking is your passion then its far better to buy kit that suits where you’ll be cooking so that you’re not mixing and matching.

6. Think about what type of cooking you and the family prefer when deciding on your outdoor cooking equipment; don’t try and mix and match, you need kit that meets your needs. If Jambalaya is for you then get a Jambalaya pot; if your passion is turkey frying then it has to be a turkey fryer kit.

8. Don’t forget basic safety & hygiene advice when cooking outdoors. Keep fresh meat and your cooking utensils away from plates you’ll be eating off; don’t use large stockpots on a stove with extended legs; keep large stock pots on burners near to the ground or table top; and, plan things in advance; its when you’re rushing that accidents happen;

8. Keep in mind at all times basic safety & hygiene advice when cooking outdoors. Fresh meat and cooking utensils should be kept away from plates & cutlery you’ll be eating off; never use large stockpots on stoves with extended legs; make sure that your large stock pots are kept on burners that are near to the ground or table top; and try to plan things in advance; its when you’re rushed you’re going to make mistakes;

10. When using a grill with a lid, keep it closed as much as possible so as to retain heat and sustain a consistent cooking ambiance.

10. If you have a grill with a lid open it as little as possible or the ideal cooking conditions within will be lost.