Great grilling is only a few tips away.
Here are some quick hints to help grill heavenly hamburgers.

• Clean that grill. Brush grill grates with a stiff wire brush.

• Preheat. With a charcoal grill, build coals up to a point forming a pyramid, which allows the grill to heat faster. With a gas grill, set the temperature at 375. An average gas grill takes 10 to 15 minutes and a charcoal grill takes 40 minutes to an hour.

• Patty Time. Use fresh chuck ground to make patties. If you want the burger a little more moist, go with 25 percent fat. If the label on your ground beef doesn't list the fat content, look at the meat. The greater the fat content, the lighter the color will be. For a moister burger, use ground meat that's coarsely rather than finely ground.

  Form patties so they're about 1/2 inch larger in diameter. If they're too big they'll likely fall apart or cook only on the outside.

• Spice it up. To apply seasonings evenly to your burger, mix salt, pepper and seasonings together in a small bowl, then coat the patty with the blend.

• Almost ready. Now that the meat and heat are both ready, use a spray bottle or brush to apply a light coating of oil to the grill grates. This will prevent meat from sticking to the grates and helps in the searing process to lock in the juices and flavor.

• Let's grill. Once you've laid your patties on the grill, leave them alone. Don't press them, flip them or tap on them. Just let them cook until you see the juices coming up which should take six to eight minutes. (They'll cook more evenly if spaced 3/4" apart.) Now it's time to flip. Let them cook on the other side for 1 1/2 minutes then determine if they're ready. A rare to medium burger should feel soft and spongy to the touch. Well-done meat will feel more firm and dry.

• Add-ons. Before removing the burgers, top with sauces, marinades or cheese. Only apply marinades, bastes or sauces to the side that has been cooked to prevent burning or sticking to the grill.

• Wrap 'em up. To be different this year, why not buy some wheat, kaiser or sourdough buns. Toast them slightly, toss to the outside of the grill just before removing the meat. Enjoy!