How do you get a feel for the heat (direct heat)?

Question

On my stove, it appears that low heat is 1 - 3 on the nob, mid is 4 - 6 and high is 7 - 9. It works for me.

But, I'd like to know if there are indicators to determine the heat without the convenient numbers. Suppose I want to cook on a camp-fire...

What visual indicators are there. A smoking oil is too hot, anybody knows that. But I've no idea what to look for. Do you 'just' eyeball it?

Answer

I'm with KatieK. That said, this 'how hot' can be mysterious for Professionals as well.

In "Seven Fires, the Argentine way of Grilling," a book about cooking on open flame heat (outside mostly), the author mentions traveling around to a bunch of Argentine steak places to time and measure what the chefs did mostly by touch and feel.

So, even for a pro, getting it just right takes a lot of time and experience. If you're persnickety, maybe you should get an infra-red thermometer.

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