12 Tips and Tricks to Unlock the Grill Master in You

Thanks to the MAXX Air Fryer Oven Grill, you can now enjoy the smoky outdoor flavor of fresh-grilled food without the smoke or odors — made in the comfort of your home. Looking to optimize your results and grill meats, fish, and veggies to BBQ-style perfection? We've compiled some of the most helpful tips and tricks for getting flawless results from your MAXX Air Fryer Oven Grill. We'll also tell you how to properly use the GRILL setting and command full control of your grill grate temperature.

#1: Avoid putting cold, just out of the fridge, food on the grill.
When grilling, it is best to let your meat temper, or come up to room temperature for approximately 30 minutes. Tempering makes a big difference. It allows for more thorough, even cooking all the way through your proteins. It also helps meat to better retain moisture, for juicy, succulent results.

#2: Preheat your grill.
Preheating your grill until it reaches the desired cooking temperature delivers the best results. A perfect sear starts with a HOT grill and room temperature meat. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel to encourage a delicious crunchy crust and get that restaurant-style caramelized exterior — more accurately known as Maillard browning.

#3: Utilize the GRILL function.

To get the most out of your Kalorik MAXX Air Fryer Oven Grill, make sure you take advantage of the machine's GRILL function. This function is specially engineered to grill food to perfection, delivering outstanding results every time. Use it for steak, sausage, burgers, chicken, fish, shrimp, lamb, and more, for evenly cooked, absolutely flavorful proteins.

#4: Try to cook with uniform-sized pieces of food.

To achieve uniform, evenly-cooked results, it is ideal to portion or cut your meats and veggies to be around the same size. This way all your food can cook consistently, making your job as grillmaster less complex. When all food items are of similar size, cook times will remain uniform across what you are grilling and items will likely be ready at the same time.

#5: Use a flavorful dry rub.

One easy way to ensure your meat comes out extra flavorful is to use a dry rub. You'll have to plan your meal in advance and use the rub 12 to 24 hours beforehand. Make sure to add salt to your rub. This will help penetrate the meat and allow the rub to season the meat all the way through.

#6: Marinate your foods.

Adding your favorite vinaigrette or oil & vinegar-based salad dressing, like balsamic or Italian, will add an extra touch of zest to your grilled creations. Avoid cream-based dressing. Cream-based dressings may curdle or separate during the cooking process. Using a dry mix like ranch seasoning is a great way to get those popular flavors without using cream or mayo based sauced.

#7: Turn food only once.

One of the biggest appeals that draws people to grilled food is the delicious caramelized taste. Caramelizing foods adds deep rich flavor. Once you’ve experienced caramelized onions for example, you may not want a regularly cooked onion again. For maximum caramelizing effect use the right level of heat and resist the temptation to turn food too often.

#8: Take advantage of the upper cabinet.

The MAXX'S heavy-duty die-cast aluminum grill grate reaches 500°F as it interlocks with the bottom heating elements to quickly grill steak, burgers, fish, veggies, and more. The upper cabinet, on the other hand, maintains a temperature of 300°F, perfect for toasting buns, melting cheese, or warming sauce. Be sure to utilize the whole cabinet when cooking for MAXXimum efficiency!

#9: Avoid overcooking your food.

Unless you are a very experienced cook, it's hard to tell your food's temperature by touch. A quick temperature check using a thermometer is more accurate. You'll want to probe your proteins in the thickest spots while avoiding the bones. The internal temperature for beef should be between 135°F to 165°F depending on how well done you prefer your meat. For poultry and pork, it is important to make sure your meat is above 155°F to avoid any possible food-born illness. Cook vegetables to your liking as many are safe to eat raw.

#10: Add sauce to meat at the end of the grilling process.

Adding a glaze or barbecue sauce, especially one with sugar, too early in the cooking process can cause your meat to burn and stick to the grill. If you plan to baste meat with a sauce or glaze, do it in the last 5 minutes of cook time. Doing so will pack your food with a flavorful punch.

#11: Always let the meat rest after removing it from the grill.

Depending on the meat you're using, you'll want to allow it to rest for at least 5-15 minutes before slicing into it. Larger, thicker cuts will need more rest time. Resting the meat allows the flavors to develop and juices to redistribute for a tastier, juicier, more tender piece of meat. Tent the meat with foil while it rests to keep the meat warm.

#12: Clean between uses.

It is essential to always keep your grill grate clean and wash it after each use. Thanks to its premium non-stick coating and dishwasher-safe design, cleaning your grate is incredibly easy. First, allow to cool before cleaning. To remove buildup or stuck-on pieces of cooked food, soak the grill grate with warm soapy water and scrub with a soft bristle brush after soaking. Use the brush to remove debris that may be stuck to the grate. You can also pop your grill grate in the dishwasher and enjoy hassle-free cleanup.