The Best Grilling Accessories To Put You at the Top of Your Open-Flame Game

Meater Plus

$100 $80 at Amazon $14 at Walmart View on Meater.com

Many grills have a lid-mounted thermometer, but these vary widely in accuracy. This can be especially frustrating when cooking low and slow, making a standalone meat thermometer that takes temperature readings inside the grill and food well worth its cost. The Meater Plus even sends these readings to your smartphone so that you don’t feel shackled to the grill. If you’re looking to level up even more, the Fireboard 2 Drive is another great choice. My pitmaster friends swear by it, programming the blower accessory (sold separately) to adjust heat based on internal temperature and sleeping soundly until their phone buzzes at 4 a.m. when their brisket is done.

OXO Good Grips Grilling Turner and Tongs Set

$23 at Amazon $23 at Macys $23 at Oxo

The high heat that comes off a grill makes it worth having a dedicated utensil set with ultralong handles. I find long-handled tongs and turners the most useful utensils when grilling. OXO’s set lets me reach across my charcoal grill and flip onions or eggplant at the center without needing to first pull on grill gloves. Even though I’ve owned the tongs for so long that I’d be guessing as to when I bought them, they continue to open evenly and grip even small items like asparagus firmly.

Yoshi Copper Grill and Bake Mats

$15 at Amazon $15 at Walmart View on Publiclands.com

I first started using these copper grill mats on a community grill so that I could flop them down and cook veggie burgers without first meticulously scraping away the prior user’s beef drippings. I’ve grown to love them so much that I own several sets and gift them often. I keep a couple handy for grilling and smoking at home but stash the others in a picnic basket and on our sailboat for adventure grilling. They excel at sea scallops, pizza, and even scrambled eggs and potatoes.

ThermoWorks Classic Super-Fast Thermapen

View on Thermoworks.com View on Kingarthurbaking.com

Grilling success hinges on temperature and time. The ability to know what’s happening inside a cut of meat sizzling away over hot coals is invaluable, especially for grilling beginners. An instant-read digital thermometer gives a spot-on reading with one quick poke into the thickest part of a steak or fillet. I’ve been using this ThermoWorks Classic Thermapen for almost four years and never questioned its accuracy—or needed to change its battery. I also it for other measurements in the kitchen, from making buttercream and cheese to proofing yeast and canning jelly.

Grillart Grill Brush and Scraper Cleaning Kit

$23 $17 at Amazon $17 at Walmart View on Grillartus.com

I mostly barbecue on a charcoal kettle grill with a round grill grate made up of fairly thin rods. I long used a Weber 18 In. Grill Brush with a single loop of tightly packed bristles, which cleans the small grate effectively but lacks a scraper. I clean the grill even faster with this Grillart kit, thanks to a third row of securely woven bristles that covers more area with each pass. Its smart scraper design includes a universal add-on that fits round, V-shaped, or square grill rods of varying thicknesses, making it one of the best grill brushes I’ve ever used.

BK Black Steel Preseasoned Carbon Steel BBQ Grill Tray

$37 $34 at Amazon

Before I discovered copper grill mats, these perforated trays were my favorite grill pans. I own two and still grab them when I’m grilling or smoking small items, like chilies or cherries, because I can double-deck them even in a round charcoal grill. They offer a more stable base than grill mats, keeping blocks of cheese upright while cold-smoking. This is another grilling tool I’ve owned longer than I can remember, and they’re as easy to use and clean as on day one.

Outset Stainless Steel Jumbo Grill Basket

$39 at Amazon $39 at Walmart $41 at Wayfair

I long made due with grill trays and skewers because a grill basket seemed so bulky to use and store. This basket combo needs just as much storage space but gives me three setups: a shallow mesh skillet, a deep basket, and when paired together, an enclosed ball that I can shake and flip without losing a single onion slice. Its long handles are detachable, so I can fully close the grill lid without interference. When lightly oiled, a basket of mixed vegetables chars nicely and releases cleanly from the stainless mesh. Any bits that stick come off with a brief hot-water soak.

Williams Sonoma Grill Prep Trays

$25 at Williams Sonoma

Keeping raw and cooked meat separate seems straightforward until that moment when you’ve grilled burgers to precision, yet the nearest tray still shines with uncooked juices. Williams Sonoma’s color-coded set stacks, with the raw meat in the bottom tray and the cooked meat tray acting as a lid. This makes it easy to carry everything to the grill in a single container and set aside until needed. The top tray keeps bees from hovering around the meat juices and will be right there to catch a perfectly grilled patty.

Lodge 10-Inch Carbon Steel Skillet

$50 $40 at Amazon View on Webstaurantstore.com View on Webstaurantstore.com

I plunk my full collection of inherited cast iron skillets as readily on my outdoor grill as on my gas stovetop, but I wouldn’t call them perfect grilling tools. Each heavy pan has a short handle that heats quickly, especially above a direct flame. If I didn’t have a fondness for pans that have been used by my family for three generations, I would choose a lighter-weight Lodge carbon steel skillet. The handle will still get hot enough that I recommend grill gloves or a silicone handle sleeve, but it heats more slowly and cools down faster.

Grill Heat Aid Extreme Heat Resistant Grill Gloves

$38 at Amazon View on Grillheataid.com

I spent years dumping chimneys of hot briquettes, reaching beneath the grill grate to perk up coals, and rotating endless rounds of grilled vegetables before I smartened up and bought grill gloves. I initially bought them for oven use, but I now own multiple pairs so that there’s always a set handy by the grill and indoors. The Grill Heat Aid BBQ Gloves earn top marks for their protectiveness and flexibility. For a versatile waterproof pair, I also added long, neoprene-coated Rapicca BBQ Gloves to my collection.

Helt Studio Hardwood Briquette Crossback Apron

View on Heltstudio.com

I grew up with handsewn aprons that, while attractive, were rarely durable. When I started teaching workshops and cooking at events, I transitioned to sturdy canvas aprons that would hold up to long-term use and still look good. Helt Studio’s Crossback Apron remains my favorite. The crisscross straps adjust easily before or after I’ve put on the apron and keep the bib from gaping out. This apron is comfortable to wear for hours yet so heavy-duty that I feel protected when barbecuing mushrooms for a 300-person cookout.

Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter

$28 $26 at Amazon $26 at Target $40 at Walmart

If you own a charcoal grill, a chimney for starting briquettes or lump charcoal needs to be part of your setup—period. Instead of painstakingly stacking a charcoal pyramid, I fill the chimney in seconds, start it with the strike of a match, and never have to worry about a breeze blowing out the flame. I’ve used all kinds of flammable material to get it going: crumpled newspaper, kindling, and even dryer lint. My latest trick for fuss-free lighting pairs the chimney with a fire starter, like Superior Trading Co. All-Natural Fire Starters.

LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches

$16 $13 at Amazon

Smoker tubes completely changed how I smoke cheese, vegetables, fish, and more. I’ve used round, square, short, and long models and find this 12-inch hexagon the most versatile and easiest to use. This affordable little tube converts any charcoal or gas grill into a highly effective smoker (which is helpful if you don't have either, or something like a Kamado grill.) I fill the tube partway with pellets to cold-smoke cheese or to the top so that fragrant hardwood smoke wafts over black cod collars. Once lit, it smolders untouched for up to five hours until it reaches the last pellets within its stainless walls.

Bear Paws Meat Shredder Claws

$15 $12 at Amazon $15 at Walmart View on Acmetools.com

If you’ve ever tried to pull pork with dinner forks, you know that a specialized shredder tool is well worth adding to your grilling arsenal. The original Bear Paws were released in 1993, and the creators have been tweaking the design over the last 30 years to make it as efficient as possible. My meat-loving friends favor this tool when shredding tender pork, beef, or chicken hot off the grill, especially since it is heat resistant up to 475°F. They’re dishwasher safe, too, making cleanup a snap.

Lipper International Acacia Wood Cutting Board

$60 at Amazon $54 at Wayfair

A large wooden cutting board with a wide rim effectively cuts down on the mess that can develop around a grilling station, especially when lifting juicy cuts of meat or marinated fish or vegetables on and off the grill. The thickness of this carving board not only makes it sturdy but also allows room for handles cut into the side, keeping fingers out of the liquid-coated lip. With a 20- by 15-inch surface, it’s large enough to hold a spatchcock chicken or prime rib roast.

reCAP Mason Jars Pour Lid 4-Pack

View on Amazon

When I make marinades and barbecue sauces, I pour them into glass Mason jars and screw on these reusable lids. The lids stay put as I pour, shake, transport, and store the sauces. The large pour openings make these caps more versatile than narrow oil spouts, yet I have no problem controlling the pour speed of thin marinades. You can order individual lids for each jar style, regular mouth or wide mouth, directly from reCAP, but I find endless uses for the four-pack sets: fruit syrups, salad dressings, margarita mix, caramel sauce, and more.

Victorinox Swiss Classic BBQ Set

$276 at Amazon View on Victorinox.com

A full block of kitchen knives might not cut it when deboning raw meat, chopping through sinew, and thinly slicing carne asada. This knife set, designed for barbecuing, has all of the blades required for a meaty grill night: a chef’s knife, boning knife, carving knife, Granton Edge slicer, and paring knife, along with a honing steel and bag to keep everything organized and within reach. As a fish lover, I added a wicked-sharp fillet knife to my collection: the Rapala 7.5-Inch Fish 'n Fillet Knife.

OXO Grilling Basting Brush

$15 at Amazon $15 $13 at Walmart $15 at Macys

A silicone basting brush withstands the high heat radiating off a grill without the risk of shedding that comes with nylon or boar bristles. OXO attaches silicone bristles to a handle long enough to keep fingers away from direct heat but not so long that spreading sauce becomes an uncontrolled splatter fest. The thoughtful design continues to the angled brush head; set the brush down, and all the bristles stay raised above the tray instead of resting in a pool of sauce.

Neil Edley BBQ Blends Rub and Sauce Kit

$34 at Uncommon Goods

The options for grilling-focused spice blends range widely and bear creative names, making it a challenge to decide which one I will like without a taste test. I’m drawn to the straightforward approach of this collection, which offers four classic regional barbecue styles that can be applied as rubs or turned into sauce. An accompanying recipe book gives specific ideas for using the blends. Best of all, each spice packet comes in small-enough portions that I stand a chance of using it all before the flavor fades.

What's Gaby Cooking: Grilling All the Things

$35 $16 at Amazon

Chef and cookbook author Gaby Dalkin takes to the grill with her latest What's Gaby Cooking book. She offers a set of tasty and unexpected dishes cooked over open flame, including veggie frittata, grilled nachos, and sausage and shrimp paella. The book also includes delicious twists on barbecue favorites like Korean short ribs, chicken thighs, and cedar plank salmon, all with mouthwatering photographs. Unlike a lot of grilling cookbooks that relegate sides and desserts to an indoor oven, many recipes in this book excel on the grill, like balsamic grilled endive and smoked strawberry rhubarb biscuit cobbler.