The Outdoor Lifestyle Blog

Independence Day cookouts are a time-honored American tradition and often the high point of the summer. But unfortunately for some people, another part of the holiday tradition is burnt-to-a-crisp burgers.

Don’t let that be you this summer—follow these tips for keeping your burgers juicy and evenly cooked:

Now that you have a beautiful new fire pit, you can look forward to many happy evenings relaxing with friends and family. And with a little proactive care, you can extend the life and looks of your fire pit for many years.

Here are a few easy maintenance tips that will keep your fire pit in top shape:

Clean up ash regularly

Clearing away old ashes is important for two reasons:

Wireless meat thermometer

It seems like everything runs on wireless these days, so why not your kitchen tools, too? A wireless digital thermometer allows you to get precise readings on the temperature of your meat, without having to open the grill and let the heat out. Some versions even send push notifications to your phone when it’s reached the right temperature. 

In our opinion, nothing beats tender pork barbecue fresh from your own outdoor smoker (well, except maybe a quality steak grilled to perfection). There’s something about slow-cooked pork slathered with your favorite sauce or a savory dry rub that makes it a perennial favorite.

Dreaming of a custom outdoor kitchen for entertaining friends and family? As you’re collecting ideas for what elements you’d like to include, be sure to consider the countertop.

Not only is it the surface where you’ll be doing a lot of practical prep work, it’s also one of the features your guests will first notice when they step into your outdoor living space.

Here’s a quick overview of outdoor kitchen countertop options:

Taking your dinner prep into the great outdoors and cooking out on the grill is just more fun than being stuck in a summer kitchen indoors all sumer!

Sometimes it’s easy to fall into that same old hamburgers-and-hot-dogs routine. Your grill is capable of far more than that!

Whether you’re gearing up for a special Memorial Day cookout or just want fresh ideas for a weeknight dinner, here are a few ideas for how to shake things up:

There’s something deeply satisfying about cooking over an open flame. It’s one of the most foundational ways humans have prepared food over the years, and mastering this primal technique is highly rewarding (not to mention delicious!).

However, while fire is one of the greatest tools for bringing people together, it’s also one of nature’s most destructive forces. Give fire the healthy respect it deserves with these vital grilling safety tips.

Once you’ve gotten your own backyard barbecue smoker, you’ll want to put it to the best use possible. And when your family and friends get a taste of the fresh and tender ribs, brisket, and pulled pork you can now make at home, your BBQ skills are sure to be in high demand!

You probably already have your favorite barbecue sauce to slather over your finished product. But you can also enhance the flavor with a custom dry rub.

In this post we’ve curated a list of dry rubs to cut your teeth on:

There’s a lot to consider when designing your dream outdoor kitchen, from choosing the right appliances to setting up plumbing to making sure your kitchen is the right size.

If you’ve got a sunny exposure in your backyard, one thing you don’t want to forget is to be sure to provide some shade! After grilling the perfect hamburger, it’s a shame for guests to have to risk sunburn (or run indoors) to enjoy it.

If you don’t have a lot of trees in your backyard, you have several options to consider when it comes to providing some shade for keeping cool during sunny days.

It’s a beautiful day and you decide to make the most of it with an impromptu cookout. You get the grill heated up, make the burger patties, and get the buns and fixings ready to go—but just as you’re ready to get those burgers sizzling, you discover your grill grates are coated in grime from the last cookout!