GrillJunkie's Top 10 Grilling Tools

You don't need much to be a great griller, but there are a few things that make grilling easier and more successful. There are also a few things you need to take care of your grill. These suggestions are intended to help you put together a few of the basics that work, work well and make you a better griller. Remember that these are just suggestions. To be a great cook you need to find accessories that work best for you.

Tool 1: The Grill - What Fires You Up?

This is the age old question of outdoor grilling and the main inspiration for our tag line, "What Fires You Up?. What kind of grill do you want? Although there are grills that run on wood pellets, electricity, and gel fuel, there are two that truly come to the forefront - Charcoal and Gas Grills.

Charcoal grills will give better flavor, depending upon the type of charcoal used, and provides a more authentic grilling experience, but can be challenging to get started and can prove frustrating to maintain a proper temperature.

Gas is faster to start and much more convenient for those weekday cookouts. Whether you choose to use your gas grill to grill your meals with propane or natural gas, be sure to use the proper equipment and all safety procedures when installing and using these fuel sources.

Deciding between the two main types of grills available, Gas or Charcoal Grills, is all about deciding what kind of cooking you want to do. Be sure to find a good quality gas or charcoal grill. If used and maintained properly, a good quality grill can last a lifetime. Next, let's explore the fuel source possibilities available for the Charcoal and Gas grills.

Tool 2: Fuel Source - Propane, Natural Gas, Charcoal and more

For most gas grill, this is simple; Propane. The small, portable, and re-fillable tanks are convenient and, with an extra one on hand, can last a whole season You don't want an angry mob on your hands because you ran out of fuel during your backyard gathering. Also, some grills can be set up to run on natural gas fed from inside the house.

For the purists, the charcoal grill is the only way to go. There are many fuel choices, shapes and sizes available including coal-based charcoal briquettes, all-natural lump charcoal, hardwood charcoal, as well as pure hardwood. When burned, these fuel sources are all designed to transform into embers radiating the heat necessary to cook food.

There is contention among grilling enthusiasts on what type of charcoal is best for grilling. Users of charcoal briquettes emphasize the uniformity in size, burn rate, heat creation, and quality exemplified by briquettes. Users of all-natural lump charcoal emphasize subtle smoky aromas, high heat production, and lack of binders and fillers often present in briquettes.

There are many methods and gadgets available to help get your briquettes, lump-charcoal, or hardwood fired up besides stinky and unhealthy lighter fluid. These include rolled-up newspaper, kindling, and fat wood fire starters, but we suggest you look into purchasing a Charcoal Fire Starter.

Tool 3: Charcoal Fire Starter or Chimney Cone

An ideal and convenient way to light charcoal is without anything more combustible than a few pieces of rolled-up newspaper. This can be done with a charcoal chimney, available at most any hardware store. These cone-shaped chimneys allow you to get a lot of coals burning completely and quickly while avoiding the introduction of anything to the fire that you wouldn't want to add to your food such as lighter fluid. In addition, charcoal chimney starters allow you to get more coals going while cooking in order to add to the existing fire as needed. This is a great way to help with temperature control on a charcoal grill.

Tool 4: Spatula and/or Tongs

Get your hands on a good spatula and you will be able to tackle even the most challenging of burger recipes. And lets be clear on the meaning of the word "good". A good grilling spatula doesn't need loads of extra gadgets on it. Get a large bladed, bent and long-handled spatula. You want something that you can get under your burgers easily and large enough to flip a fish fillet without it falling apart. Don't skimp on this tool, as you really owe it to yourself to get a good quality spatula that will work well and last. A good spatula should easily slip under foods allowing you to quickly and safely lift, turn and flip. That's all it needs to do, but it needs to do it well.
A good pair of springed tongs will also help you get a solid grip on your food and can also help when you need an extra pairs of hands or need to grip something. An ideal pair of tongs should be easy to squeeze, yet bounce back quickly allowing you to get a grip on small and large items without damaging even the most delicate of foods. Find tongs that fit your hand, are lightweight but sturdy, and have enough length to reach deep into your grill without leaving your arm over the fire.

Tool 5: Grill Grate Scraper/Brush

Cleaning the metal rack or grill grate is a messy task made simple with a wire brush, (or a bristle brush for nonstick coated racks). You will need this important tool for cleaning off the grate before and after you finish grilling. It is most important that you do this after you finish grilling before the foods have had a chance to bake on.

Tool 6: Basting Brushes

It's a good idea to have a couple of food basting brushes on hand. You can buy these as pastry, basting, mops, or a silicon brushes. You decide which is cheaper or better for your particular needs. Don't spend a lot on these because they don't tend to last even if you take good care of them. You should have one brush dedicated to oiling surfaces. Dedicating a brush to put a coat of oil over your cooking grate is good idea. The brush will get the oil over the surface of the grate quickly and easily. You need to keep this brush separate from other brushes, since you don't want to use this one for basting foods. In addition to your oiling brush, you need a brush for basting your burgers when desired. If you grill a lot of different kinds of foods you might want several.

Tool 7: Fuel Gauge

Ever run out of gas because you weren't quite sure how much propane is left in your tank? You need a fuel gauge to tell you how much propane you have left. It's a good idea to get a fuel gauge that also detects gas leaks to give you a little peace of mind and increased safety. Fuel leaks are one of the most common causes of gas grill related fires. So find out how much gas you have left and don't let it leak away.

Tool 8: Meat Thermometer

The difference between the perfect meal and a trip to the emergency room can be only a couple of degrees. Having a good, working thermometer is a must have. There are a whole host of good thermometers on the market, but remember, accuracy is the most important factor, so when buying a thermometer it's better to bypass cool features in favor of reliability.

Tool 9: Fire Extinguisher

Although we provide guidance on preventing and dealing with flare-ups in the Tips section, it is always important to have a small household-type fire extinguisher close by just in case things get out of hand.

Tool 10: Oven Mitt

A fireproof mitt allows you to safely complete many grill jobs. Whether it's a pair of fireproof gloves or a kitchen mitt you should always have something close by that will let you pick up the hot stuff. You can buy fireproof grilling mitts that not only let you pick up flaming hot metal cooking equipment, but they won't catch on fire if or when flames hit them. Having a kitchen mitt catch fire while you have it on your hand is not fun.