Sorry, you're grilling your food wrong

In our opinion, one of the best parts of warm weather is taking advantage of more time spent outside—especially sharing meals with loved ones outdoors.

If you plan on hosting a cookout this summer, you'll want to ensure you have the right grill and grilling accessories to get the job done. Another tip to hosting a successful barbecue? Avoiding these common grilling mistakes, so you can make some of the most flavorful food you've ever tasted.

1. Cleaning your grill improperly

Though this is especially true if your grill has been in storage, you need to properly clean your grill every time you use it. Those charred bits from last week's cookout aren't "flavor"—they're just gross.

Need a great grill brush? This 18-inch brush from Alpha Grillers is one of our favorites.

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2. Forgetting to pre-heat your grill

Look, we get it: You've got a hot grill, a rumble in your tummy, and some uncooked food. Not so fast.

Putting food on the grill before it's hot enough just means you're likely to burn the outside and/or undercook the inside. Grill it right, grill it once.

3. Using lighter fluid to start charcoal

Nothing makes starting fire easier than lighter fluid—or as one of our dads troublingly refers to it, "boy scout water." But lighter fluid can give your food an acrid taste.

If you're cooking with charcoal, do it the right way by using a chimney starter (we recommend this basic Weber one.

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4. Failing to re-position your food

Though grills seem simple enough, most grills give you a few different temperature zones based on where the heat source (burners or charcoal) is located. Moving food around at the right time—especially from a high-heat to a low-heat area—ensures food doesn't burn or dry out.

5. Flipping meat using a barbecue fork

Most grilled items needs to be flipped at some point while cooking, but there are better ways to do it than putting holes in an otherwise perfect piece of meat.

In most cases, a spatula or tongs are better choices for the job, ensuring your meat gets evenly cooked without getting punctured. Luckily, this OXO set includes both—which happen to be our winning grill tongs and spatula. So you can save money on a bundle and be confident in using tested-and-approved products.

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6. Using low-quality cuts of meat

Even if you're able to cook your meats to perfection, if the cuts you're using aren't up to par, the end result won't taste very good. A foolproof method to making sure your steaks and proteins are high-quality? Ordering from our favorite meat delivery service, Crowd Cow.

In testing, we found each cut of meat to be as deliciously juicy and succulent as the next. Plus, we loved the brand's mission to work exclusively with farms that raise their livestock in a sustainable and ethical manner, without added hormones or unnecessary antibiotics.

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7. Overlooking the grill's vents to control heat

The vents on a charcoal grill are there for a season: Oxygen needs to come in the bottom to fuel the charcoal, but the smoke need to escape so the fire won't smother. This process also helps draw in more oxygen.

If you never touch your vents, it's likely your grill isn't working as well as it should. If the vents seem like a complete mystery to you, then leave the exhaust at least halfway open and just adjust the bottom until you get a feel for your grill.

8. Opening the lid way too much

"Is it done yet?" ... "How about now?" We get it. You're hungry. Unfortunately, meat doesn't cook faster when you stare at it.

In fact, it'll cook a lot slower because the grill can't retain enough heat without its lid. Leave the lid on. Trust the process.

9. Grilling without using indirect heat

One of the most common mistakes people make while grilling: Thinking that only the open flames are cooking the meat.

In reality, flame-licked food can taste bad, and most things need at least some time away from the direct heat in order to cook through evenly. If you're only cooking food with direct heat you're more likely to burn it, undercook it on the inside, or just dry it out.

10. Avoiding vegetables

Grilled vegetables are amazing. If you only think about meat when it comes to grilling you're not thinking big enough.

Even if you are planning on cooking cut-up vegetables, wrapping them in tin foil or using a grill pan can let you get even more utility out of your grill.

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Here's our go-to grilled veggie tip: Chop up an onion, a bell pepper, and maybe some asparagus. Toss it in oil, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. (If you're feeling crazy, toss in some baby tomatoes.) Use tin foil or a grill pan and roast everything over direct heat until it's just soft. It's a delicious side to any meat dish.

11. Cooking kebabs with vegetables and meat on the same skewer

Kebabs are frequently advertised (and sometimes sold) as having big chunks of chicken, beef, and vegetables on them, but these items simply don't cook well like that.

Cook your meat and vegetables properly and then put them on skewers—you'll be way happier with the result. Oh, and invest in some metal skewers so you're not eating charred wood with your meal.

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12. Sticking to burgers and dogs

Everyone loves the classics: burgers, dogs, sausages, and steaks. But there is a world of other kinds of meat out there. Don't be afraid to try something new—it could become a new favorite.

For starters? Don't just grill wings or thighs. Whole or spatchcocked chicken on the grill, cooked with indirect heat, is incredibly juicy and delicious. (This recipe by Sandra Lee is our favorite.) Just don't forget poultry shears if you decide to spatchcock your bird.

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13. Overcooking your meat

This is the big no-no of any grill. Overcooked meat can still be good, but it often lacks the depth of flavor you get with properly cooked meat.

Worse, it can be dried out, chewy, and difficult to eat. Get a proper meat thermometer—our top pick for best meat thermometer is the ThermoWorks ThermoPop—and ensure your food is cooked to perfection.

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Also, if you haven't had lamb cooked over a charcoal fire then you've really never had the best version of lamb. You don't need to get fancy. Just add some oil, salt and pepper, and chopped rosemary and garlic, and you're off to the races.

14. Saucing too early

Sauce should be the last thing you put on meat before it finishes cooking, which may seem counterintuitive when we've just finished saying how bad dried-out meat is.

Sauces burn very easily, and in doing so, completely change the flavor of your meal. So, add it last (use a silicone brush) and you'll be much happier.

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15. Not letting your meat rest

While the phrase "hot off the grill" evokes all kinds of memories of tasty summer cookouts, in practice you need to let meat rest after it's been cooked. According to Chef J. Kenji López-Alt at The Food Lab, this is because the muscle fibers in meat tense up while they're being cooked.

The hottest outside fibers tense up so much they push moisture to the middle of the food. Cut the meat too early and that moisture just dribbles out onto the plate. Let the meat rest in a warm place, and the fibers relax and more evenly distribute that moisture in your food—rather than on your plate.

Proper resting can take 10 minute or more depending on what you're cooking, so plan ahead!