The Best BBQ Tools & Accessories

Once you’ve made the big decision between buying a charcoal or gas grill, you’ll need to outfit your new BBQ with all the essential gadgets designed to make cooking outdoors easy and effective. From brushes and baskets to cooking stones and prep carts, make sure you have all the best grilling tools and accessories.

Grilling Tool Sets

One of the most basic and necessary accessories for your grill is a complete grilling tool set. While you can purchase BBQ tools separately, you’ll likely need most of these tools each time you grill, making a set the easiest way to be prepared. Select a set made of a material that will withstand high heat and is a style that you enjoy. Stainless steel is a common choice for grilling tools, since it can withstand heavy use and exposure to flame. Some grilling tongs now include silicone tips, which firmly grip your food when picked up. If you do buy silicone tools, always make sure they are heat resistant, as softer materials will quickly melt when exposed to the heat of the grill. Make sure your tool kit includes the following:

• A slotted BBQ spatula for lifting and flipping food
• An elongated BBQ fork and knife to safety lift, cut and test food
• Tongs to lift and turn food that may fall off a spatula
• A basting brush to keep food moist and seasoned
• BBQ skewers for kabobs
• A grill brush to clean the grate after each time you cook

Shop for BBQ tools sets at Avalon Garden, Home Depot and Chefs.

Mesh Grilling Cookware

While the grill is perfect for large food items like steaks, burgers and fish, smaller foods like shrimp and vegetables can often slip through the grate. Rather than skipping your favorite side dishes during barbeque dinners, use mesh grilling cookware to combine the benefits of kitchen pans with the fun of outdoor grilling. Mesh cookware allows the heat of the grill to penetrate the pan, giving the food distinct barbeque flavor while holding the food like a regular pan so it can’t slip through the grate. Shop for mesh roasting and frying pans at Front Gate.

BBQ Cooking Stone

If you’re looking for a way to regulate the heat, moisture and nutrient retention of your barbequed foods, then a cooking stone is the perfect solution for you. Natural lava rock formed into a flat stone is placed on the grill, giving you a smooth surface to barbeque pizza, seafood, vegetables and more. The stone protects food against damaging flames, and helps it retain moisture throughout the cooking process. Shop for BBQ cooking stones at Front Gate.

Grill Cart

While you’re cooking on your new grill, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of space to set down plates, drinks and tools. If you don’t have ample counter or table space next to your BBQ, then a grill cart is the perfect solution. These small, rolling carts provide a flat surface to place trays, plates, food and drinks, and hanging storage hooks for your grilling tools. You can also store charcoal and lighter fluid, keeping all your necessary tools and accessories in one spot. Shop for grill carts at Front Gate.

Grill Thermometer

While grilling is a pretty relaxed way to cook your food, you’ll still need to be meticulous about one thing. Cooking individual foods to their proper temperature is essential to preventing disease and sickness. Make sure you’ve thoroughly cooked away any bacteria by using a BBQ thermometer. Choose between a basic thermometer that is placed directly into the meat, or a remote digital model. These use a small probe inserted into the meat, which transmits a signal to a small handheld device. Keep the device with you, and it will beep when your food is done. Shop for grill thermometers at Williams Sonoma and Chefs.

Floor Mat

Since you’ll be spending plenty of time standing at your grill, you’ll want to have a comfortable, non-slip surface to step on. Help fight fatigue and prevent slips with a thick comfortable mat. Shop for barbeque floor mats at Front Gate.

Poultry Sitter

You might not have considered cooking your chicken by standing it up inside your grill, but you’d be surprised at how popular this cooking method has become. Fill a small cylinder called a poultry sitter with your favorite spices and marinades, then set the poultry (under 8 lbs) onto the sitter, through the bird’s cavity. Place the sitter on your grill, and soon you’ll be enjoying a moist, seasoned dinner. Some models even include small attachments allowing potatoes to be cooked simultaneously. Shop for poultry sitters at BBQ Pro Shop and Front Gate.  

Meat Handlers

Sometimes you just can’t find the right tool to pick up a whole chicken, large roast, or other awkward-to-carry grilling food. Rather than resorting to burning your hands, try out these Bear Paws meat handlers. Acting as two large claws, they firmly dig into your food, preventing it from slipping during transport. Check out the Bear Paws meat handlers at BBQ Pro Shop.

Grilling Baskets

If you enjoy cooking kabobs, fish and vegetables on your grill, then you’ll love these specially designed baskets. Keep your kabobs and fish intact and your veggies safely on the grill grate with small metal baskets made just for them. The basket’s handle makes it easy to flip, allowing you to rotate many vegetables at once without losing any of them to the fire or coals. Fish held snug between the metal wire won’t crumble when turned, and kabobs can be safely grilled without falling apart. Shop for grilling baskets at Chefs.

Buying a grill is only half the fun of entertaining and dining outdoors. Once you’ve picked up your new BBQ, make sure you have all the best grilling tools and accessories to cook your favorite foods the right way.