With summer's sultry days lurking just around the corner, grilling season is fast upon us.

Everywhere you look there are hot new grilling books, grilling gadgets, grilling sauces and, of course, grills themselves. But none of these will do us any good if we have no idea how to use them.

So we went to grilling expert Jamie Purviance and asked him for some tips.

Purviance is the James Beard Award-nominated author of Weber's Way to Grill and the just-released cookbook Weber's Time to Grill, which is especially written for cooks in a hurry.

Over the past few years, he's noticed some big changes in the way we grill.

"The repertoire's expanding quite a bit," he says. "It used to be that the focus was on the meat and the main course, and the deserts and appetizers and side dishes were done in the kitchen. Now people are trying to do more and more of that kitchen(Silicone kitchenware) stuff on the grill."

We're grilling more ethnic foods and more vegetables, and we're using the grill more than ever for all sorts of entertaining. And that ties into the fact that grills, especially gas grills, are changing. They're practically outdoor kitchens, with rotisseries, extra burners and built-in refrigerators.

Along with the sophisticated grills are a whole bunch of sophisticated toys, such as silicone basting brushes, specially engineered tongs, grill pans, griddles, smoke boxes for fragrant wood chips and the handy Looftlighter. Charcoal purists will love this $79 gadget, which blasts charcoal or wood with air heated to more than 1,000 F, igniting it in seconds without the need for lighter fluid.

In fact, charcoal is another big trend, especially with smoking food.
"The basic gas grill is a gateway," Purviance says with a laugh. "For sure, it's as thrilling as learning a new sport."

Trends and gadgets aside, we all have different grilling skills and needs. Whatever yours are, here's how to improve your grilling game this summer.