Grilling Safety: 7 Tips for Safe Table Grilling

What could be better than grilling with friends in the garden on a sunny summer day? The children are playing, the dog is romping on the lawn, and your friends have brought plenty of food and appetite. To make sure the afternoon becomes a celebration and not a fire department call, there are some essential grilling safety tips to follow. Because safety while grilling is the be-all and end-all for a relaxed, successful evening. Below you'll find 7 grilling safety tips that should definitely be followed!

1. Only Grill Outdoors

A charcoal grill should never be used in enclosed spaces! When coal burns and smolders, carbon monoxide is produced — a toxic, odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas that can be deadly. Always grill exclusively outdoors for your safety!

2. Always Keep an Eye on the Grill

Use common sense! Always pay attention to safety and keep an eye on the grill, the fire, and the charcoal. This is important so that the embers and the delicious food from the grill stay under observation, and no flame can form. With the Buqon DINE table with its integrated grill in the center, this is naturally no problem at all. Because during the sociable gathering around the table, both the heat source and the grilled food are always in sight.

3. Watch Your Clothing While Grilling

A flowing summer dress, wide sleeves over the coals — and it can happen in an instant. The fabric may, in the best case, just get a hole; in the worst case, it catches fire. Pay attention to your clothing while grilling for more safety. We'd like to give you two tips: no flowing skirts or shirts and no wide sleeves. Should a burn occur despite precautions, you can find some first aid tips here.

4. Heat the Grill Safely (and Quickly)

Never use liquid fire starters like gasoline, spirits, or similar substances. These pose an enormous fire risk. These types of accelerants can potentially form gases, produce flash flames, or even fire walls, causing uncontrollable damage.

A chimney starter is a much better option for quickly heating charcoal. This usually works quite fast: in about 20-30 minutes, depending on the wind conditions. Please always make sure the surface is fireproof. The briquettes are ready when they develop a white surface. For use in a grill table, it's important to mention that the charcoal briquettes should absolutely be distributed evenly in the fire pan to enable adequate heat across the entire grill grate. If you absolutely want to use fire starters, we recommend those with the DIN 66358 certification mark.

5. A Clean Grill Is a Safe Grill

Keep your grill clean! Fat that flows over the coals and into the grill pan during grilling can also pose dangers. Regular and thorough cleaning of your grill (not just the grill grate) is therefore essential!

Buqon Tip: The Buqon DINE garden table with integrated grill features a drip pan that completely prevents fat from reaching the charcoal.

6. Let Charcoal Cool Down Safely

After grilling, it's important to let the coals cool down completely. Let the grill and the coals rest. Removing oxygen speeds up the process. If your grill has an air supply closure, that's one option; alternatively, you can cover the coals with some sand. The still-warm grill insert should never be brought indoors "for warmth" after grilling. On the one hand, this poses a fire risk; on the other hand, carbon monoxide is still being produced. The completely cooled charcoal makes excellent fertilizer for plants, and whole briquettes can even be saved for the next barbecue evening.

7. How to Properly Extinguish a Grill Fire

It can happen to anyone: a fire ignites from the grill. But how do you best extinguish such a fire? Fat fires cannot be extinguished with water — the fire must be smothered. Ideally, have a fireproof blanket ready. As with letting the coals burn out, the same applies to fire: remove the oxygen. Additionally, always stay calm. The fire will go out on its own when the oxygen is cut off. For fire extinguishers, use one rated for class "F" fires.

Summary

Keep it simple for a great barbecue evening: grill exclusively outdoors and keep an eye on the charcoal. Avoid flowing clothing and wide sleeves. Use a chimney starter for heating, let the coals cool down well, and clean your grill and grate regularly. Nothing stands in the way of your perfect grill fest!

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