You're BBQing wrong – home cooks make same mistake with burgers

This weekend is set to be a sizzler, with temperatures soaring up to 30C in some parts of the UK. With the kitchen becoming a hotbed, many Brits will opt for an al fresco dining experience, inviting mates over andfiring up the barbecue.

While the outdoor grill can provide a fun way to sizzle up burgers, bangers and chicken skewers, cooking over hot coals can often prove trickier than expected, with food quickly burning and turning to ash. Fortunately, there are a few common blunders that home cooks can easily avoid, ensuring your grub remains tender, juicy and perfectly cooked.

Consumer experts at Which? have shared five simple tips to enhance the taste of your food and save you from spending ages scrubbing ash off your grill.

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Avoid squashing your food

Their first piece of advice is something we've all been guilty of – especially when it comes to burgers. When grilling any item, resist the urge to press it down onto the hot wire rack.

While it may seem like the right move to press down a burger patty onto the heat, doing so actually squeezes out all its flavour-filled juices, resulting in a tough and dry patty – not to mention the tricky charred bits you'll have to scrub off later.

Don't spread the coals

In terms of managing the barbecue heat, refrain from spreading hot coals evenly across. By creating varying temperatures on the grill, you can allocate a section for warming food or a cooler zone perfect for cooking delicate items that need moderate heat.

Clean away old ash

Barbecue cleaning might be the last thing anyone wants to tackle the day after a feast but removing old ash from previous coal use is essential. Which? experts warn: "Never light a barbecue with ash at the bottom or without using the vents.

"A buildup of ash disrupts the airflow to the coals and makes it harder for them to stay lit."

Never put off cleaning the grill

It's tempting to postpone cleaning after an evening enjoying Pimms and juicy grilled burgers, but procrastination only makes the task tougher.

Your best approach is to don rubber gloves and grab some wire wool once the grill has cooled to tackle the mess promptly.

Always dry your grill

Their final piece of advice is to simply dry the grill after cleaning. Despite the temptation to let it air dry, grills can rust rapidly, so a swift wipe down with a lint-free cloth or some kitchen roll can make a significant difference in the long run.