Barbara "Babs" Costello

Barbara "Babs" Costello Shares Some Do's And Don'ts of Grilling Ahead Of Summer BBQ Season

Home / TikTok / Barbara "Babs" Costello Shares Some Do's And Don'ts of Grilling Ahead Of Summer BBQ Season

By Melanie VanDerveer on May 21, 2023 at 1:15 PM EDT

"Everyone's grandmother," Barbara "Babs" Costello, has tips for days.

She recently shared some helpful do's and don'ts of grilling ahead of Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff to the summer season.

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Babs Knows Grilling, And She's Sharing Her Tips!

Barbara "Babs" Costello
Brunch with Babs - TikTok

Since summer is just around the corner, many people will enjoy BBQs, and Babs wants to ensure everyone is fully prepared in the best way possible. She shared her top tips for grilling in a video on social media.

"Don't go into grilling season with a dirty grill. And don't use a wire brush. The bristles can shed and get into your food," she began her tips.

"Do use an onion. Just heat your grill, then take your onion and scrub away. Instead of leaving loose metal bristles, an onion will add a little flavor to your food."

Babs' next tip concerns food sticking to the grill, which can frustrate even the best BBQ chef.

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Barbara "Babs" Costello TikTok
Brunch with Babs - TikTok
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"Don't let food stick to your grill. It could ruin your meal," she continued.

"Do use a potato. Right before grilling, rub those hot grates with the cut end of the potato. The starch in the potato creates a non-stick surface. Who would have thought? The potato saves the meal."

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The next tip Babs shared was about checking the propane tank quickly and accurately. Her "don't" for the propane tank is not letting it run out.

"Do check your propane level the accurate way," she continued.

"Use hot water and pour it over the side of your tank. Take your hand and feel the side of the tank. If it's hot, keep going. When it gets cool, that's where your propane level is. Those propane gauges never seem to work for me."

Barbara "Babs" Costello Has Many Grateful Followers!

Barbara "Babs" Costello
Brunch with Babs - TikTok

Babs loyal TikTok followers were happy to get the grilling tips from "everyone's grandmother" and took to the comments to leave their thoughts.

"Babs is the reason I am a functioning adult," one person wrote.

"Have I ever grilled? No, Am I planning to? No, Did I watch this all the way through? Yes," another hilariously added.

One follower thinks a book is in order because Babs always shares excellent tips. "Babs needs to write a book and list all her fabulous tips for us to have forever."

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Barbara "Babs" Costello
Brunch with Babs - TikTok

A few people talked about cleaning the grill with bristle brushes.

"I still remember the monsters inside me show, where a guy had his intestines pinned together and almost died from a wire from a grill brush," one person said.

Another added, "Anyone else seen the video recently where the doctor talks about the boy who ate the bristle in his food and had massive pain?😫 scares me ever since."

Another person also commented on the brushes. "Why do we even have the metal brushes 😭😭😭 I'm so paranoid now."

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Barbara "Babs" Costello
Brunch With Babs - Instagram

Babs' Instagram followers were also happy to get tips to help their BBQ season go smoothly. And just like on TikTok, many talked about the bristle brush issues.

"I agree with not using the wire brush! My ENT specialist said the same thing," one person wrote in the video's comment section.

"My mom had to get one of those broken-off grill brush bristles surgically removed from her throat in the er. Please throw them away," wrote another.

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