Weekends are for get-togethers and there’s simply no better way to do it than with a barbecue grilling party at your backyard. The conversations and stories shared over a barbecue cookout are priceless. It’s a go-to activity when you want a feel-good day with your family and friends.
Grilling is a task best enjoyed with the right accessories. Whether you’re a barbecue enthusiast or simply preparing for a day of food and beer, finding the right tools is as important as the next meal you will serve.
Here’s a list of accessories you can get for your barbecue grills and why they make a smart investment.
Barbecue Grill Light
We all know that backyard parties rarely end before sunset. Without the light of day, cooking is a tricky task. Having to walk back and forth to your home for good lighting takes the fun out of grilling.
If you ever find yourself in a dim-lit cooking situation, barbecue grill lights are a useful tool to illuminate your grill station. These are slender lamps that you can clamp on to a section of the grill. It helps you see your station clearly as you cook, without the need for flashlights. You should get one if you often have late-night cookouts.
Grill Basket
Grilling meat is relatively easier than grilling smaller food such as veggies. Apart from the tendency to fall through the grates and burn, cooking bits of food makes cleaning your station a more difficult task.
Much like a wok, grills baskets are stainless baskets that can be placed atop the grill to hold your small ingredients in place. With this accessory, you can cook onions, peppers, mushrooms, and shrimp without worrying about crusted bits. It keeps your station cleaner and makes it easier to cook because it allows smoke and heat to pass through.
BBQ Multi-Tool
You rarely serve one kind of meat at a cookout. Most of the time, you give your guests the option to choose between burgers, steaks, and chops. However, more variety means switching back and forth between a spatula, grill fork, and thongs.
If you’re looking for a way to make cooking more efficient, try investing in a barbecue multi-tool. It holds all the functions of the cooking utensils you need for tossing, flipping, and cutting. Instead of holding three things, you can cook much easier and faster with one tool that functions as many.
Meat Thermometer
Making sure the meat is not undercooked or overcooked is one of the challenging parts of grilling. Aside from the need to satisfy taste, serving meals that aren’t well-prepared exposes you to food-borne illnesses. Even those who have been grilling for years aren’t immune to making this mistake.
Cooking perfect meals seems like a task, but it’s more attainable with a meat thermometer. Available to use anytime during the grilling process, you can preset heating targets and actively monitor your cooking. Additionally, you can set alarms for grilling intervals, for more precision and convenience. Some thermometers also feature smartphone technology, giving you the option to adjust heat preferences from your mobile phone.
Propane Tank Gauge Level Indicator
One of the worst things to deal with when grilling is running out of gas. You either have to choose to pause and head to the store or to stop cooking altogether. Some choose to keep a spare tank nearby, but you can avoid a completely empty tank with a propane tank gauge level indicator.
By placing a remote magnetic sensor underneath your grill’s tank, you’ll be alerted if gas levels are below workable level. For now, it may seem unnecessary, but it’s a great helping hand for long cookouts and big barbecue parties. Similar to the meat thermometer, some gas tank indicators connect to your smartphone that can let you check your gas levels and set an alarm once you go below a certain amount.
Insulated Pit Gloves
Grilling means getting your hands dirty while cooking. However, as much as you’d like to cook with much enthusiasm, the heat from the burner is hard to endure. Accidental burns are a tough part of grilling, which makes investing in durable heat-resistant gloves a wise decision.
Another great accessory that can help you are insulated pit gloves. These are coated with neoprene rubber and are cotton-lined for handling hot meat on the smoker. Apart from that, most gloves on the market today are waterproof, stain-proof, and greaseproof.
Vertical Chicken Roaster
Barbecue grilling isn’t only made for burgers, steaks, or hotdogs. If you’re looking to roast chicken on your next cookout, you might need this accessory.
Vertical chicken roasters are grill-top roasters that place chicken in an upright position while cooking, making room for increased air circulation. It comes with a built-in cup that you can choose to fill it with wine, bourbon, herbs, or other spices to help flavor your meat. Additionally, it features a drip tray which helps avoid flare-ups and burnt meals.
Grill Brush
Clean grates are one of the most important factors for successful grilling, but these are also one of the hardest tasks. An unclean grilling station will not only make your food stick and leave a residue, but it can also compromise the quality of the food you cook.
To keep your grates free from grease, invest in a grill brush. This is a cleaning tool with hard-wired stainless steel bristles that works well with removing rust, grease, or food residue without scratching your grill.
Grilling Comb Barbecue Skewers
Side dishes are just as important as main dishes, and the same is true for grilling. Sometimes, stubborn food can fall or move around, which makes it difficult to cook evenly.
Grilling Comb Barbecue Skewers are grilling combs with multiple teeth that are great for cooking and serving kebabs. With an easy handle and combs that hold food in place, this tool makes marinating and grilling a much easier task. Additionally, you can use it as a stylish and reusable substitute for bamboo skewers when they’re ready to be served to your guests.