Summer is quickly approaching and we all know what that means: Swimming pools, road trips, ice cream sundaes, and of course cookouts. Indeed no summer can be truly perfect without a cookout, and every great cookout needs the perfect grill. Some can get by cooking half-heated shish kebabs and bone dry burgers on their department store ranges, but the ultimate summer cookout calls for ultimate summer grill. Here’s what to keep in mind when you’re picking out your new, quality cooker:

1. Go Pro - The best painters use the best brushes, the best mechanics use the best tools, and the best grill-masters (that’s you) need to use the best outdoor range available. The same grills used by top professional chefs are available to any grill enthusiast. Look no further than the Viking Outdoor series . This line of professional-grade cookers have more than what it takes to better your barbecue, including 29,000 BTU burners and built-in rotisserie rods.

2. Stick with steel - For serious grilling, no material handles high grill heat better than stainless steel. It seems unbelievable that the same metal used to make your butter knives can withstand grill heat, but stainless steel is as versatile as it is durable. When you’re shopping for your next outdoor power oven remember that the most important part of a grill is the cooking grid. Some high-end grill manufacturers offer limited lifetime warranties on this important item. DCS offers a lifetime warranty on the stainless steel parts in all their premium grills.

3. The Heat is on - The novice outdoor cook might think grilling is as simple as turning up the heat and flipping patties, but true grill-masters pay precise attention to how their grills are heating. Burners need to heat food evenly. No one wants a hot dog that’s cold on one side. When purchasing a new grill, the rule of thumb is simple: The more heat the better. Grills that can rise to high temperatures always have precision temperature setting knobs, so if you’re not looking to scorch your chicken breasts you can tone it down to your choosing. Lynx offers high-performance grills that heat up to 50,000 BTUs, with varying temperatures for warming and rotisserie cooking. That’s more than enough heat to handle any summer cookout.