Gauging Grill Temperature
When you don't have a reliable temperature gauge on your grill, there is an easy old-school way to judge how hot it is - the hand count. Grillers have used it for generations, and it works on any grill, charcoal or gas.
The Hand-Count Method
Hold your hand, palm down, just above grate level. Count out loud - "one thousand-one, one thousand-two" - for each second you can comfortably hold it there. The number of seconds before you must pull your hand away tells you the temperature:
| Seconds | Grill Heat | Approximate Range |
|---|---|---|
| 2 seconds | High | 450-550°F |
| 3 seconds | Medium-High | 400-450°F |
| 4 seconds | Medium | 350-400°F |
| 5 seconds | Medium-Low | 300-350°F |
| 6 seconds | Low | 250-300°F |
(The original chart gave the seconds-to-heat conversion; the approximate Fahrenheit ranges are our modern addition for cooks who think in numbers.)
Using It Well
- Measure where you'll cook. On a three-zone fire, the count differs over each zone - that's the point. Check the searing zone and the moderate zone separately.
- Be honest. The method only works if you pull away when the heat genuinely insists, not when you decide it should. Err on the side of calling fires hotter.
- Re-check as you cook. Charcoal fades; the four-second fire that started your chicken is a six-second fire forty minutes later. Count again before adding the second batch.
The Modern Companions
The hand count judges the fire; nothing but a probe thermometer can judge the food. An instant-read thermometer settles doneness in three seconds and is the only reliable test for poultry and ground meats - the USDA kitchen thermometer guide explains placement and calibration. Many grillers eventually add a cheap grate-level dial thermometer too; when they do, the hand count becomes the cross-check that catches a lying gauge.
Fire gauged? Match it to a method on the 3 Cooking Methods page and a schedule on the cooking times charts.