Grill School: How to Start a Gas Grill for Beginners (Video)

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Before you can fulfill any daydreams of being a grilling aficionado, you need to be able to master a crucial early step: starting your grill.

For most, that will mean learning how to start a gas grill, which can be a little intimidating for a new griller even though it’s relatively straight forward.

At Grill School, we make sure we cover the bases so you will be ready to roll for that upcoming cookout. Let’s get that gas grill fired up!

Test the tank

Starting a gas grill, especially at the beginning of the season, should begin with a simple test of the gas tank and the valves. What you’re looking for is to ensure there are no leaks.

In Grill Safety Essentials, you can find more details about how to use a basic soapy mixture to check for any leaks that can be dangerous and costly.

Next, you need to actually make sure there is gas in the tank. Seems like common sense, right? Unfortunately, grillers all over forget this essential step and don’t find out until mid-barbecue that they’re out.

For someone just getting started on a gas grill, nothing will scream “amateur hour” quite like having to make an emergency trip to exchange your tank in the middle of your cookout.

Luckily for you, many grills today have gauges to tell you how much gas you have left in the tank. If yours doesn’t, you can easily pick up a gas gauge for about $15 (or less) on Amazon.

Firing up your gas grill

Once you’ve checked for leaks and made sure you have enough gas, starting your gas grill is typically a piece of cake. First, just look for the little lightning symbol on each of the knobs. When you turn the knob into position, you should be able to hear the hiss of the gas telling you that the grill is ready for action.

Now you’re onto the ignition phase. If you have an igniter button in working order, you should just push the button and the grill will fire right up. Once this is accomplished, turn the knobs to the desired heating position and you’re all set!

If you don’t have an igniter that’s functioning (it happens quite a bit), don’t despair. All you need is a long-reach lighter and you’ll be back on track. Just lift up the grates and light the grill with the lighter.

In fact, even if you’re confident in your grill igniter, having an inexpensive lighter on hand for a cookout is a must.

Important note: If you need to go get a lighter, make sure that you turn your gas knobs off and start over when you actually have it in hand. Leaving the knobs in the lightning position will just collect gas, not only wasting gas you’ll need for cooking but also creating a potentially dangerous situation.

That’s it!

Once you’ve started a gas grill a couple of times, you’ll seem like a pro. Just make sure you take the time to inspect the equipment beforehand, have a plan B in case your igniter doesn’t work, and get ready to turn those mouthwatering grilling recipes into reality.