With the good weather looking like it’s here to stay for the weekend, it would only be right to crack out the barbecue to enjoy the sunshine to its fullest. Barbecues are a staple for spring and summer dining, but making sure your food is cooked to its best is key.

If you’re cooking on a barbecue, trying to stay in control of the temperatures can be a tricky task, leading to either undercooked or overdone food - especially meat. Which? shared some of the most common mistakes people make when using barbecues to make sure your al fresco cooking is top notch. To avoid any unwanted dry meats, Which? urged Brits to never press down on their food, including burgers.

In a TikTok video, they explained: “This just forces all the juices out of the patties. Not only will it make the cleaning process difficult. It’ll also mean you’ll lose loads of moisture and flavour.”

Bedfordshire BBQ Centre agreed, explaining that the same idea can be applied to steaks and sausages. By forcing out the juices, the meat can lose a lot of tenderness, making for a tough chew when eating.

Stabbing the meat with a fork should also be avoided when cooking, as the juices will escape. The experts advised only using a fork to ‘stab’ meat for serving and eating only.

To make sure your barbecued foods are cooked to their best, they recommend only turning or flipping the meat once, unless continuous flipping is required.

You should also take a look at the marinades and sauces used, as ones with a high sugar content can lead to the meat burning quickly. Consider leaving them until 10 or 15 minutes away from the final cooking stages.

When it comes to controlling the barbecue’s temperature, always cook with the lid of the appliance down or on. This will reduce the chances of flare ups and it will cook your food faster with even cooking.