It's simple. If the food you're grilling is ¾ inch thick or less, don't put the lid down. If it's over ¾ inch—you guessed it—cover that sucker up.
Closing the lid will increase the temp of the meat quicker since it will make the grill more like an oven. So if you only want to sear then leaving the lid open is perfectly fine. If you want to bring the temp of the meat up then closing the lid would be it.
Should my grill lid be open or closed when grilling hamburgers? Closing the lid is best. This helps the smoke to adhere to the meat which will add to the flavor and helps the hamburger to cook throughout.
With the lid open, you get precise control over the heat hitting one surface of your food; with the lid closed, you still have the heat acting on the bottom of the food, but it also picks up heat from the air surrounding it, which can lead to mixed results.
It is best to leave the lid open when you are starting your charcoal kettle BBQ grill. This ensures that you have the best airflow to provide fuel for your fire and get you grilling as fast as possible.
For thicker cuts, you want to close the lid to keep the temperature high and even. Large steaks, chicken, and roasts have much more depth for the heat to penetrate, and closing the lid will give the heat time to sink in and cook the meat through in much the same way an oven does.
It helps to steady the temperature inside the barbecue: as heat rises up from the bottom to the top of the barbecue the lid reflects it back down, circulating it around the food. This evenly cooks your food, helps it retain moisture for longer and locks in flavour.
Charcoal burns hot and fast with oxygen but you lose more heat with the lid off. Close the lid and open the vents and you'll have plenty of oxygen and then the power of indirect heat.
Regardless of which vent you're messing with, remember that open vents mean hotter and faster-burning charcoal. Closed vents mean less oxygen, which in turn means less heat and slower-burning charcoal. Now that you know about vents, the world—or at least your grill and the small area surrounding it—is yours.
When grilling thin steaks, hot dogs, or quick-cooking foods like sliced vegetables, using the lid open can be more appropriate. The direct heat from the open flames sears the exterior quickly, giving you that coveted char while preserving the juicy center of the meat.
Pre-heat grill to about 375 to 400 degrees. Season burger patty evenly and place on pre-heated grill. Allow to cook to 1 to 3 minutes on one side depending on doneness and desired temperature. Flip burger over and allow to cook for 1 to 3 minutes.
Blackstone says not to keep it down while cooking for more than 5-10 min as it can cause damage to the lid.
Chef Alfredo Nogueira told me that 'You you should grill with the lid open when you are cooking directly over the fire. Think high heat and fast cooking that requires a watchful eye on whatever it is you are cooking, like thin burgers, shrimp, or blanched vegetables that you just want to get a little char on.
Keep the appliance door closed when using the grill. Never grill with the appliance door open as leaving the door open causes excessive heat to the fascia which may melt the appliance knobs. Place the food to be grilled on the wire rack.
A closed lid traps hot air and creates convection within the grill body, allowing you to cook at lower temperatures, take advantage of indirect grilling, and even use wood chips on your gas grill.
Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill. Place the grill well away from the home, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches. Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it.
Indirect Heat Grilling. Direct heat (when the fire is directly below the food) is best for relatively small, tender pieces of food that cook in 20 minutes or less. Indirect heat (when the fire is on either side of the food) is best for larger, tougher cuts of meat that require more than 20 minutes of cooking.
When grilling at high temperatures, such as searing steaks or charring vegetables, it's advisable to keep the vents open. Open vents allow a greater flow of oxygen, feeding the fire and promoting hotter temperatures. The increased airflow helps the coals burn more vigorously, generating intense heat.
Although it's recommended to have a cover for your grill, it is not necessary to keep your grill covered 24/7. Just remember to give your grill a good wipe down about once a month, and cover it when necessary. The more you take care of your grill, the longer it can make great meals with you.
Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F).
Remember this basic rule of thumb: If you're cooking on a gas grill, opening the lid will make it cooler. If you're cooking on a charcoal grill, opening the lid will make it hotter.
A useful guideline for resting a steak is to let it rest for approximately as long as you cooked it. Another guideline is to let it rest for 5 minutes for every inch of thickness. (The perfect steak is 1 1/2 inches thick.) Some cooks talk about resting meats 10 minutes for each pound of meat.
In general, you should have the lid closed for almost everything. Lid open is when you have thin things that you want one side to cook without cooking through. But I even close lid for burgers. In charcoal cooking, you can leave the lid open more as more air = hotter fire.