Memorial Day has come and gone and we are on the cusp of summer. That means one thing, and one thing only…barbeque season is here. Ok, it means a bunch of other things too, but mainly it means it’s barbeque season. Are your BBQ tools up to the challenge?
Everyone has their own style of grill or barbeque and their own techniques passed down to them from the generations of grillers before them. That being said, there are some tools anyone who considers themselves serious about the ‘que needs to invest in.
I’ve compiled a list of the 10 BBQ tools every griller needs here:
10. An apron
Ok, bear with me as I walk you through this. Aprons aren’t just for the cooks in the kitchen. If you’re hoping for the Instagram-worthy action shot slamming the shuttlecock in a badminton tournament at the neighborhood barbeque, you don’t want your nice shirt covered in raw chicken juice, BBQ sauce, or grease. Grab yourself a nice apron and keep your clothes nice and clean. I suggest Hudson’s Apron for all your grilling needs. Whether you are butchering, saucing, grilling, smoking, or roasting weenies, this apron has you covered. It’s got plenty of storage with oversized pockets, is highly adjustable to the size and shape of the person wearing it, and is incredibly durable.
9. Sharp knives
Knives are important for anyone who intends to cook on a grill or smoker. From chopping vegetables for kebabs to trimming fat caps off of briskets, a sharp knife is your best friend. There are, also, different knives for different jobs. That’s why I’m suggesting you add Henckels 14 piece knife set with knife block to your BBQ tools. It comes with 6 different knives, 6 steak knives, and a set of kitchen shears. If you need anything more than what this set gives you, then you’re already a professional chef.
8. Knife sharpening set
You can buy the sharpest knife in the world, but if you use it regularly it’s going to get dull. A dull knife can be your worst enemy, as most of the time when people cut themselves in the kitchen, it’s because they were using a knife that wasn’t going where they were directing it. Caring for your tools is an important part of barbequing, and that’s why I suggest using this whetstone knife sharpening set to keep your blades at peak performance.
7. Cutting board
You need somewhere to do all your cutting, chopping, and carving, don’t you? Sure, you could use one of those dishwasher-safe, BPA-free, plastic cutting boards, but this is barbeque, not the real housewives of the Willamette Valley. Get yourself a real butcher block cutting board. Try this John Boos maple cutting board complete with a juice moat. It sounds totally medieval and honestly kind of gross, but those meat juices coming out of the prime rib you’re carving make a pretty bomber gravy.
6. Grilling pan
Perfect for mixed veggies or smaller proteins like shrimp, a grilling pan makes sure what you’re cooking won’t fall through the grates and be sacrificed into the fiery hell where the barbeque devil collects his bounty. So, get yourself a grilling pan and savor every morsel of food you worked so hard to get that smoke flavor into. I suggest using the Loge Carbon Steel Grilling Pan, you can even cover it with foil to make cleanup that much faster.
5. Grill brush
One of the most important things you can do as a barbequer is to take care of your equipment. I mean, barbeques cost money, and if you’re like me that’s something you don’t have a lot of. Maintaining a clean grill is important in maintaining the longevity of your grilling surface, but it’s also important in staying true to the flavor of what you’re cooking. You don’t want the $100 brisket you’re spending 15 hours smoking to taste like the teriyaki chicken thighs you cooked 3 weeks ago. Get yourself the Heat Boss grill brush and keep that cooking surface clean. You want the wire bristles to stand up to the heat of a 400-500 degree grill and the long handle to keep as much of your arm hair as possible.
4. Reusable food bag
Wait, what the heck? I thought this was a post about essential barbeque tools, not what to put your trail mix in! Hear me out. If you marinate things like pork tenderloins, chicken thighs or breasts, or vegetables before cooking, a silicone reusable bag is perfect. They can replace all the gallon-size Ziplock bags used for the same purpose! Get yourself the Stasher Bundle and up your marinade game while reducing your plastic waste!
3. WiFi thermometer
Perfect for your really long smokes like brisket, turkeys, or pork shoulders, these thermometers are placed in different areas of your meat and left throughout the course of the cook. You can then monitor the temperatures through a wireless screen or through a smartphone app. Check out the InkBird WiFi Grill Thermometer and stop opening your smoker while the brisket is on to see if you’ve made it over the stall.
2. Instant read thermometer
Alternative to the WiFi thermometer, sometimes you need to pop open the grill and check temps while flipping over your chicken thighs. For those situations, you want something quick and accurate. For that, I recommend the Kizen Digital Cooking Thermometer, it even has a handy cheat sheet for meat doneness right on it, because I know you’ve said to yourself “wait what temperature does pork need to come to?” I definitely have had to ask myself that.
1. BBQ tools
Of everything on this list, these BBQ tools are possibly the only ones you literally can’t leave out if you are grilling. I mean, really, are you going to flip your burgers bare-handed? I don’t think so. Much like the grill brush, find a set with long handles to preserve your arm hair. I suggest the Alpha Grillers toolset, as it only includes the necessities. Spatula, tongs, grill fork, and silicone brush…that’s all you need.
There it is, the 10 BBQ tools every griller needs. Did I leave something out? Comment below to let me know what essential BBQ tools you think need to be added to the list. If reading this list got you in the mood for some delicious BBQ, try some of the recipes below.
Main Course
- Smoked Whole Chicken – perfect for that winner winner chicken dinner
- Smoky Cheeseburger – hold the pickles hold the lettuce
- Smokey Lime and Cilantro Pork Tenderloin – for your South of the border cravings
Side dishes
- BBQ Asparagus – simple, sweet, and tangy side dish perfect for that late spring and early summer BBQ
- Spicy Smoked Veggies – they are hot, you’ve been warned!
- 5 Ingredient Smoked Carrots – the easiest BBQ side dish around!
Disclaimer: Some links in my posts may be affiliate links. I’m not being paid to advertise them to my readers, however, I may make a small commission if you purchase them. This blogging thing ain’t free, ya know? I wouldn’t share anything I don’t already own myself, or have on my wish list of items to buy.
