Grilling is one of the easiest and

Grilling is one of the easiest and healthiest ways to cook—it adds a ton of flavor to foods but not much in the way of fat and calories. But it does seem kind of gross to throw food on top of old metal that's been sitting in your garage since last summer—or that tons of people have used in a public park.

Well, we have some good news for you: It’s not actually as bad for you as you might assume. The heat involved in grilling should rapidly destroy any microbes that grow on it between uses, says Steven A. Porcelli, M.D., chair of the department of microbiology and immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, “[thus] essentially sterilizing it before any food comes into contact with the surface.” Phew, good to know.