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One of the most significant advantages of using a cooling rack is the preservation of quality in the final product. For example, a cake that cools improperly may become dense or gummy. By immediately transferring the cake to a cooling rack, you allow it to cool at a uniform rate, which is essential for maintaining its light and fluffy texture. Similarly, cookies benefit from this method as it prevents their bottoms from becoming overly soft, which can happen if they sit on a flat surface while cooling.
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For foods that require a hot sear, like a steak, or that take a long time to cook through, like a bone-in chicken breast, you'll want to build a two-zone fire. Arrange all the lit coals on one half of the grill's lower grate. That creates a searing surface over the side with coals, and an indirect cooking area on the side without. With either method, add coals continuously every 30 to 60 minutes to roughly maintain the quantity that you started with.
When to close the lid. There's no hard and fast rule about when to use the lid, so you'll need to take clues from what you're cooking. Generally, most foods that cook quickly, over a single-zone fire, can be cooked without the lid in place. You'll want the lid for foods that take longer to cook because it helps trap hot air, producing indirect convection heat, which cooks foods through without scorching the surface from direct contact with flames.