If You Love to Barbecue, You’ll Want to Stock Up on These Essential Grill Accessories

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The weather’s getting warmer, and you know what that means–It’s grilling season. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family or hosting a backyard barbecue, there’s nothing quite like the smokey flavor and charred crunch of burgers, hot dogs and veggies pulled right off the grill, or a big hunk of brisket cooked in low and slow in a smoker.

It doesn’t matter if you’re pouring charcoal into a classic Weber or cooking with gas, it’s important to come prepared when it’s time to grill. At bare minimum, you need the basics–tongs, a serving platter and a grill brush to clean the grates when you’re done. That’s just scratching the surface, though. There are lots of grill accessories out there that can make cooking outside easier, more efficient and, dare we say, more fun. If you love grilling (or know someone who does), these are the best grill accessories to step up your backyard barbecue game.

The Best Grill Accessories

• The Grill Utensil Starter Kit: Grillart 3-Piece Grill Tools Set

• The Best Thermometer for Grilling: ThermoPro TP19H Digital Instant-Read Meat Thermometer

• C’mon Baby Light My (Charcoal) Fire: Weber Rapidfire Charcoal Chimney Starter

• Take Control of Your Charcoal: Charcoal Vortex (Medium)

• A Grill Grate Upgrade: Weber Gourmet BBQ System Hinged cooking grates

• Eat More Beer Can Chicken! Koohere Beer Can Chicken Holder

What to Consider

There are a lot of grill accessories out there–Far more than we could ever cover. They largely break down into two categories: Tools that are genuinely useful, and “lifestyle accessories” that are related to grilling in some way or another. This guide focuses on the former.

Choosing grill accessories that suit you is largely a personal choice, but your kit will vary quite a bit based on the type of grilling or smoking you do, and what kind of grill you use. A portion of the accessories on this list are geared more toward the charcoal crowd because that’s what I’m most familiar with, but many will compliment all kinds of grills and smokers, including propane grills, offset barrel smokers, outdoor griddles, or any other cooker you have stashed in your backyard.

Before we dive into the wider world of grill accessories, I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite tools:

Dedicated grilling utensils are a must, obviously: Grabbing a hot grate with your bare hands will land you in the emergency room. Utensils for grilling tend to be larger and longer than their kitchen counterparts—that keeps your hands farther from the heat, so you don’t burn yourself. The action end is virtually always made of stainless steel, which won’t melt when coming into contact with direct flame.

Thermometers are important, too: Temperature maintenance is a critical aspect of any cooking, especially when cooking meat at high heat. You won’t really know if your grilled chicken is done until you check its internal temperature. Same with smoking a brisket.

If you plan to use your grill for flakey fish or vegetables, you should pick up a rack or grill basket to ensure your food doesn’t not fall apart and disappear beneath the grill grate.

If you’re feeling adventurous, a pizza stone will allow you to dabble in grilled pizza, (which I highly recommend.)

Charcoal grill owners should consider looking into one of a handful of accessories that take the guesswork out of lighting your coals and starting a fire. There are also some fun extras that allow you to optimize your grill for different kinds of cooking.

For many of us, grilling is a passion. Whether you only grill when it’s warm, or, like me, you celebrate snowstorms by firing up the grill, it always helps to bring the right tools for the job.

How We Selected The Best Grill Accessories

The grill accessories in this guide are some of my personal favorites as a grill-lover. I found many of them by trying new tools year in and year out–cooking, experimenting and figuring out what works for me as a grilling enthusiast. In addition, some of them were recommended by grilling and smoking groups on Facebook.

This guide focuses mostly on practical accessories that make grilling and smoking more convenient, useful, and accessible. I avoided getting into spices and rubs because everyone’s flavor preferences are different and there are too many variables between different brands of these products and their homemade counterparts. Besides, trying new things is half the fun.

3-Piece Grill Tools Set

Every griller needs stainless steel grilling tongs and a spatula, plain and simple. This basic set gives you both, plus a large grill fork and an insulated glove. The spatula features a built-in bottle opener and serrated edge for tenderizing meat. (You can also use it to quickly cut into your meat and check if it’s done.)

I don’t necessarily see the grilling fork as an essential, but I use it occasionally when I need to lift a large cut of meat with two tools. If you’re a first-time grill owner and you need a starter pack, this is perfect and not at all pricey.

TP19H Digital Instant-Read Meat Thermometer

An instant-read thermometer is a vital piece of cooking equipment, both for grilling and cooking in your kitchen. There’s an art to being able to see when your food is fully cooked just by looking at it, but you never really know until you test check its internal temperature. You don’t want to serve raw chicken, do you?

The instant-read thermometer from ThermoPro is efficient and easy to use. The adjustable temperature probe folds out from the handle, making it easy to use at cramped spaces or carry in your pocket.

Charcoal Vortex (Medium)

The Vortex is effectively a fireproof bowl that allows you to further concentrate or distribute the heat from charcoal in your grill. You can use it to intensify the grill’s heat by stacking your charcoal tight in the center, or push the heat to the edges of the grill by stacking the charcoal around it.

It’s ideal for getting crispy wings: If you’ve grilled chicken wings before, then you know that can be tricky. The Vortex also is a great way for a unique, hot-and-fast take on ribs. Simply light your coals and dump them into the chimney once they’re started, and you’ll have a roaring hot grill in no time.

Rapidfire Charcoal Chimney Starter

Fellow charcoal fans: Don’t even think about reaching for lighter fluid this summer. Keeping lighter fluid around an open flame is dangerous and, worse, it can make your food smell and taste gross! (On a more technical level, I also think it’s hard to get all your coals to a consistent place with lighter fluid, so you’re more likely to have unplanned hot and cold zones.)

If you’re used to using lighter fluid, I strongly suggest investing in a charcoal chimney, which makes it much easier to light all of your charcoal quickly and evenly. Simply load your coals into the chimney and some newspaper or a tumbleweed in the gated section at the bottom as a starter, then light it up: You’ll get consistently lit coals in about 15 minutes.

Gourmet BBQ System Hinged cooking grates

If you’re using a Weber kettle, upgrading to a hinged cooking grate allows you to add coals and replenish the fire, which is essential for smoking and comes in handy for all-day barbecues. In addition to opening on either side, this Weber grate has a removable center section, which pairs perfectly with the vortex.

Beer Can Chicken Holder

Beer can chicken is a grilling staple, and a conversation starter to boot. If you’ve never had the pleasure, you stand the bird upright on the grill with the can stuffed into the bird’s cavity. The heat turns the beer to steam, which moisturizes the bird from the inside out, keeping it moist and juicy, even as it gets charred by the grill.

Getting the beer can into the chicken and standing it up straight can be a little tricky, so using a stand like this one takes a lot of the pain out of the setup. It provides a wide, sturdy base to prop up your bird, with a slot to insert the can. Unitask tools can create a lot of clutter, but if this stand empowers you to make beer can chicken even one time this summer, it’s worth it.

TP826 Wireless Meat Thermometer

If you’re planning to do any smoking, it pays to spend a little more and get a digital probe thermometer, which lets you leave the probe in and check the temperature of your meat without opening your smoker door.

The ThermoPro TP826 features two digital probes, so you can track two pieces of meat at once. Set a target temperature for each probe, and you’ll get an alert on the wireless receiver when the probes hit it. The probes plug into a digital transmitter, which transmits your info to a matching wireless receiver so you don’t need to sit next to your grill or smoker to keep an eye on it.

If you’re only cooking one thing, you can also attach one of the probes to a grate to track the ambient temperature inside your grill or smoker, which is far more accurate than the thermometer on the side of your grill.

If you’re a serious smoker cooking for a crowd, you may want to upgrade to the larger ThermoPro TP829, which features four probes for even more control.

Stainless Steel Rib Rack

If you’re cooking for a crowd, this rack lets you stack multiple racks of ribs vertically maximizing the efficiency of your smoker. The rack maintains some space between each rack, allowing air and ambient heat to cook the ribs evenly. While not what it’s designed for, I’ve also draped a brisket flat over my rib rack on the smoker that wouldn’t quite fit laying totally flat. It’s compact enough to fit inside any type of grill or smoker, so it’s a great extra tool for nearly any griller.

Heavy Duty Grill Basket

As I mentioned before, a grill basket is an indispensable tool if you ever plan to grill smaller, softer items, including fish filets, kabobs and most veggies. The stainless steel basket has small slits, so your food stays put, but still lets smoke through and conducts plenty of heat. I like this basket, from Turbo Trusser, because the walls are shorter than other options, which makes it easier for you to adjust its contents with tongs. And when you’re done grilling, you can toss it in the dishwasher.

Grill Brush and Scraper

I just got this grill brush for Christmas last year, after requesting a replacement for my old-school wire grill brush. I felt compelled to switch after reading reports of folks having internal damage after unknowingly swallowing a metal bristle that broke off a conventional grill brush.

This bristle-free scraper-brush does a decent job of cleaning up grates before I light up the grill. It also has a flat scraper on the back end, which lets you work through tougher residue. If your current grill brush has seen better days, it’s a smart idea to update your setup.

Fire Starter Tumbleweeds (50 Pieces)

It’s a lot easier to start a fire with wood or charcoal if you have some starter around. Simply light the tumbleweed with matches or a lighter, and it will burn long enough for your fuel to catch fire. They’re also great for starting fires in a chimney, fire pit or a bonfire.

Depending on how often you grill (or make bonfires) you may want to step up from the 50 pack to the 100- or 200-pack. Just make sure to store your tumbleweeds in a dry air-tight container to keep them from absorbing moisture, which will make them less effective.

Deluxe Pizza Grilling Pack

Grilling pizza is definitely an art, but one that’s worth learning. Imagine your favorite type of pizza imbued with a little smokey flavor, and you don’t have to pick it up or pay for delivery. Sure, you could make pizza in your kitchen, but most food just tastes better when it’s made outside.

To do it right, you’re going to need a few tools, including a heat-conducting pizza stone or steele to bake the dough, and a peel to “launch” your pizza onto the grill and take it off. This pizza grilling set from Cuisinart has both, plus a 15-inch pizza cutter to slice up your pies at the table.

Making pizza, whether you’re grilling or using an outdoor pizza oven, takes some practice. Getting a very high, consistent temperature is crucial, and that can take some work if you’re cooking with wood or charcoal. Our sister site, Popular Mechanics, offers some great tips for grilling your own pizza.

5-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven

You haven’t lived until you’ve made chili (or soup) on the grill. The smoke from the fire adds a unique flavor that you just can’t get in a kitchen. To do it, you need a thick, fireproof pot, like this cast iron dutch oven from Lodge.

You can also use it just like a cast iron pan, sauteeing veggies for fajitas or grilling your breakfast bacon. Even after the weather gets cold, having an extra dutch oven in the kitchen is never a bad thing.

Smoker Wood Chips Bundle (3 Pack)

Barbecue purists will tell you that it’s important to smoke with hardwood, and that the type of wood you use imparts a specific variety of smoky flavor. If you’re new to smoking, this starter bundle of wood chips gives three different types to try–Applewood, Hickory and Mesquite.

To enhance the smoky flavor from your wood chips, soak them in water before adding them to the fire to generate more smoke. If you leave them dry, the chips will burn up quickly before they can add depth to your smoke.

48-Quart Chiller Series Portable Cooler

You don’t need a fancy, expensive cooler to keep by the grill, but it comes in handy more often than you might think. A cooler is just an insulated box and is good at retaining heat: Home smokers often use them as a vessel for resting large cuts of meat after a long cook, allowing it to rest and the internal juices to redistribute.

When I smoke a brisket, it almost always spends time in a cooler once it reaches the target temperature. I wrap it in foil or butcher paper (or both), then wrap the whole thing in an old towel and drop it in the cooler for about an hour. Not only does it taste better because it’s had adequate time to rest, it stays hot for longer. I’d rather have my smoked food finished sooner and resting rather than having guests waiting and getting hangry because I started my 9-hour smoke too late in the day.

And you if you aren’t smoking meat? Well, now you have a perfect place to store all your cold drinks as you cook.

Prep and Serving Trays (2-Pack)

Having a couple serving trays is very helpful at a barbecue. You can use them to bring food from the kitchen to the grill, then from the grill to the table, and finally bring the dishes back to the kitchen again.

These trays are made from sturdy, dishwasher-safe plastic, so they’re also perfect for moving and prepping raw meat. Since the kit comes with two, and they’re color-coded, it’s easy to keep track of the “meat” tray and serving tray. If you’re making ribs, or example, you can get them laid out, trimmed, and seasoned on the red board. Once they’re done, they’ll go on the black board. With a system in place, getting food from the kitchen to the table just got a lot easier.

Silicone Basting brushes

The basting brush is another cooking essential that you can use in the kitchen and out at the grill. While grilling you may use them to prime ribs with barbecue sauce or coat a tray of vegetables in olive oil.

This set features two brushes with stainless steel handles for easy cleaning, and multiple sets of removable silicone bristle heads. They look like grill tools, but you’ll find yourself using them all year long.

Gloves

You can grab, flip, add and remove food from the grill with your grill spatula and tongs, but it’s always good to play it safe and keep a pair of heat- and cut-resistant gloves around. These gloves can handle over 900 degrees, protecting you while you dump hot charcoal from your chimney, moving a grill basket, or adjusting a cast iron pot.

Aluminium Drip pans (10 Pack)

Aluminum drip pans are incredibly useful for grilling. If you’re cooking over charcoal, they can catch drippings from food on the grate above. Fill one up with water and put it in your smoker to help regulate the temperature in the cook chamber. They’re also great for smoking wood chips, shredding a pork shoulder into pulled pork or holding something messy like a meatloaf. Last but not least, you can always use them as disposable serving trays at a big gathering. Having a few drip trays on hand is never a bad idea.

Rechargeable Headlamp

I grill all year, and I live in Pennsylvania. In the fall, winter, and early spring, I have very little daylight to work with if I’m grilling right around dinner time. The cold doesn’t keep me from grilling, so I obviously don’t pack it in just because it’s dark out. When the sun goes down, I just strap on my headlamp and keep cooking.

I use this rechargeable Energizer headlamp, which Popular Mechanics recommended as one of the best headlamps. I like that you can tilt the light down so you don’t have to lean over the grill to see what’s happening. There are definitely fancier headlamps out there, as well as a fair number of dedicated grill lights. I find, though, that a basic, affordable option like this gives you just what you need.

Apron

While grilling and smoking is probably not quite as difficult as unchaining two dragons in captivity, it is nonetheless an endeavor that can get messy. Between grease from burgers and sausages, and barbecue sauce spattering in places it shouldn’t, no amount of experience will keep your clothes from getting stained and ashy.

Given that, wearing an apron around the grill is usually a good idea, especially when you’re entertaining. This one, as it happens, is both practical and a conversation starter. Plus, it has a pair of pockets, which give you the perfect place to stash your tools.

Q+A

What is the best type of grill?

To me, this is a personal question. Each type of grill has benefits and drawbacks, so there’s no real definitive answer.

I grew up around charcoal grills, so that is what I’m most comfortable with. I like the flavor that charcoal adds to food, and the basic Weber Kettle will last a very long time with very little maintenance. Short of getting crushed, there aren’t many parts that can break. (And actually, a tree did fall on my kettle once, and it was fine aside from a dent in the lid.)

Gas grills are convenient, since you don’t have to hook up a new propane tank every time you grill, unlike charcoal, which requires you to bring out new coals for each cook. Pellet grills are a happy medium. You get a little more flavor added than with a propane grill, they can be set up for long smokes with little maintenance, and a full hopper of pellets can last for several cooks.

I just bought a grill. What do I need?

A set of utensils with tongs and a spatula are useful in just about every grilling scenario imaginable. A grill brush is also pretty important for keeping your grill grates clean between cooks, and an instant-read thermometer will let you know that your food is cooked to a safe temperature.

If you are grilling over charcoal, a chimney starter is also essential. I never buy lighter fluid, which can impart an off-taste onto food if it hasn’t totally burned off before the food is put on the grill.

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