Cooking Tips

Nothing beats a Holland Grill for preparing fantastic tasting food. Click on any of the following links to access our collection of tips and hints for cooking and maintenance tips to get the most out of your Holland Grill.

Cold weather cooking

The Holland Grill is designed to cook at approximately 400 degrees F, which is considered to be a "medium" heat. This temperature can vary, however, depending on the weather conditions.

WARNING
Under no circumstances should you block the smoke stacks with foil, coffee cans, etc in an attempt to keep heat inside the grill during cold weather. If you do this, you're asking for big trouble. It will void any and all warranties but more importantly, you risk damage to yourself or your property. DON'T DO IT!

Additional Information
The Holland Grill is designed to cook at approximately 400 degrees F, which is considered to be a "medium" heat. This temperature can vary, however, depending on the weather conditions. Because of its unique cooking system, you can enjoy your Holland grill year-round in any kind of weather. Whether it is snowing, raining, or just plain cold, you can place your food on the Holland Grill and go back inside—no need to worry about flare-ups. The following tips should help you when it's cold outside:
  • Allow plenty of time for preheating
    • When it is cold or windy outside, be sure to let your grill preheat longer than you do in the summer. Allow at least 30 minutes--more if it's really cold and windy. Remember, because of the nature of the steel, stainless grills take longer to preheat than do steel or aluminum grills.
  • Allow for longer cooking times
    • Give yourself plenty of time to cook when it's cold. If you're cooking a large item such as a turkey or ham, plan so that it will get done an hour or so before you eat. A rule of thumb is to allow 30-40% more cooking time in cold, windy weather. For example, in warm weather, a 3-lb chicken normally takes an hour to cook. Add 20-30 minutes when the temperature is below 40 degrees. Experiment a few times and you'll get your times down. When the meat is done, wrap it in foil. When dinner's ready, unwrap the meat and pour the juices back over it. It will still be nice and hot.
  • Keep the lid closed
    • Every time you open the lid, you let heat out. Use a digital meat thermometer/probe so you won't have to open the grill to check the temperature of the meat.
  • Block the wind
    • A strong wind blowing into the front side of the grill will also affect your cooking times. If possible, move the grill so a gusty wind hits it from behind or the side rather than in the front. Or if you can, move the grill to an area that blocks the wind. Some grillers use a homemade shield to put up in front of the grill to block the wind.
    If you feel that your grill is not getting hot enough after utilizing all the tips above, you may have something blocking the gas flow. CLICK HERE to find out what to do. A NOTE ABOUT STAINLESS STEEL GRILLS Stainless steel grills, because of the nature of the metal and how it conducts heat, will always take longer to preheat than Holland's aluminized-steel or aluminum grills. The recovery time—the time it takes for the grill to build the temperature back up after the lid is opened—will also be longer on stainless steel grills. Just remember, if you allow plenty of time for preheating and cooking, you can enjoy the same great Holland Grill flavor year-round!