Essential Grilling Accessories for a Year of Delectable BBQs

December 12, 2017

Have you taken stock of your BBQ tools? In this day of outdoor living spaces, outdoor kitchens are getting a great deal of use year round, with people grilling everything from ribs and corn-on-the-cob in the summer to turkeys and roasts in the winter. The right grilling accessories will make the difference in a successful grilling experience!

Statistics show that in recent years, over 80% of American households own a grill. 45% of those households grill at least once per week during the summer, and 56% report cooking on the grill during the winter. And we're cooking entire menus on the grill, with everything from the meats, to the veggies and potatoes, to the fruits for salads and desserts. Even pizzas are getting cooked on the grill!

With all of those delectable foods getting fired up on the grill, it's time to take stock of your outdoor kitchen and get smart on essential grilling accessories which are must-haves for a great BBQ menu! Whether you're in the market for stocking your own outdoor kitchen or in search of a great grillers' gift, you'll want to include these essential BBQ tools:

Grill basket - Wrapping veggies and fish in foil on the grill provides heat insulation but does not allow that enticing smoky grill flavor to come through. A grill basket will hold small and fragile foods intact while letting the smokiness permeate through the basket for that great BBQ flavor.
Meat and fish spice rub - Keeping a seasoning rub on hand at all times makes for easy preparation of your favorite meats and fish when you're looking for a quick meal. A good seasoning rub will combine various herbs and seasonings for a savory flavor that absorbs into the meat as it cooks. There are many good rubs on the market or you can make your own. Your local gourmet store or organic food market will have some of the best.
BBQ sauce - Choose your favorite BBQ flavor - spicy, hickory, or sweet - and keep a couple of bottles of sauce on hand at all times. As an alternative to the rub, a sauce is great for adding during cooking and dipping during your meal.
A good flipping tool - The most common BBQ tools for flipping foods on the grill are a spatula or a pair of tongs. You may want to include both and experiment with each tool for different types of foods. Tongs tend to work best on most foods, but with either tool, you'll need to be careful with flipping fragile foods like a light fish. A third tool option is a fork, but this has the danger of piercing the meat which will then release moisture during cooking.
Griller's Cookbook - With a good sauce and a good rub, you won't always need recipes, but a good griller's cookbook will enlighten you to some new and interesting foods to grill, like various fruits for salads and dessert! It will also have side dish recipes to help with completing your meal menus.

As an added bonus for the chef, a drink chiller certainly adds to the overall grilling experience! A good grill chef will usually have a drink in hand and need to keep it chilled while standing over the hot grill. This could definitely be considered an essential grilling accessory during the hot summer season!

Whether you're just starting out or have been grilling for years, consider the BBQ tools and products you're using with your grill and keep the fire burning! Be adventurous with new flavors and new recipes all year round. Your stomach and your dinner guests will be glad you did!