Must-Have Tools and Gadgets for Grilling

Grill? Check. Thermometers? Check. Charcoal chimney? Check. What else?

Unless you’re a pit master or blessed to live where you can barbecue year-round without risking frostbite, chances are your equipment has lain dormant all winter, bundled and boxed up in the shed or scattered about wherever you grilled the last steak of the season.

If so, now’s the time for barbecue inventory: confirm the grill hasn’t rusted through; make sure you can find your special spatula; plan to finally buy whatever essentials you’ve been putting off, like that super-accurate digital meat thermometer. In other words, you don’t want to find your charcoal chimney broken on the morning of the big smoke or that the expensive roast is cooking at the mercy of an inaccurate grill thermometer.

To help out with your inventory, and to offer some suggestions for new gear, we’ve compiled a list of tried-and-true gadgets and tools that should serve you well for years to come. The beauty of barbecuing is that the basics are pretty much all you need to cover most any situation, from grilling a few backyard burgers to smoking a sublime holiday turkey or several racks of juicy baby-back ribs.

With Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and graduation season right around the corner, barbecue gear also makes fantastic gifts. Your dad may not think he needs that smoker, but once the neighbors start gushing over his ribs he’ll be glad he has it.

Charcoal Grills and Smokers

We stick with charcoal kettle styles on this list. They’re relatively inexpensive, portable (depending on the size), come in a bunch of sizes, and provide the flavor, sear, and texture that’s tough to replicate on gas grills.

For info on 50 of this year’s “best value” charcoal and gas grills and smokers, check out Amazingrib.com’s latest reviews. Meathead Goldwyn and his team, a highly regarded bunch in the world of outdoor cooking, put the grills, and lots of other gadgets, through rigorous tests to come up with the best on the market.

Weber kettle grills and smokers continuously top Amazingribs’ best-of lists, as well as ours. They’re all built to last, easy to use, have the right features, and can cook just about anything perfectly. Over time, you can easily find most of the replacement parts you’ll need at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and online. My collection includes versions of the three listed below. They’re nearly 20 years old, constantly used, and left outside uncovered year-round. All three are still going strong. 

Photo: Weber