2. Grilled red meats need to rest for at least five minutes after cooking. Food covers will protect the meat—as well as your entire barbecue—from bugs, pets and other uninvited guests.

3. Never use a fork to flip your food. You want to preserve those juices and a fork pierces the outside. I recommend tongs for your everyday fare but for ribs, porterhouses, pizzas and big cuts of meat, try Mr. Bar-B-Q Stainless Steel Oversized Spatula from QVC. There’ll be practically nothing you can’t move.

4. While you can cook your entire meal on your grill—everything from steak and mushrooms to broccoli and fries—smaller foods tend to disappear down the grates unless you have skewers or, better yet, a grill basket. I like the Technique Stainless Steel BBQ Chef’s Pan with Grill Basket Lid that’s made of tightly woven mesh, so you can roast seeds or even pop popcorn.

• QVC Program Host David Venable is the author of the cookbook “In the Kitchen with David: Comfort Foods That Take You Home.” He gives 3.5 million weekly viewers an inside look at his “kitchen” as the host of QVC’s most popular cooking show, “In the Kitchen with David.”

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