The temperature is rising, the birds are chirping, and the snow has melted—at least, it’s melted enough to make you dream of that delicious smoky scent wafting from your grill.
Spring has returned, and with it comes grilling season.
After a long winter, it can be tempting to uncover your barbecue and fire it up as soon as you can—an impulse the grill experts here at Grill Spot completely understand. But before you dig out your best grilling gadgets and light up a flame, it’s important to take a moment to inspect your grill after its chilly hibernation.
Proper cleaning and preventive maintenance is the key to extending the life of your grill, so even if you gave your grill a thorough clean before storing it, it’s always a good idea to give it another once-over before firing it up in the new season, just in case parts rusted over the winter or a pest took up residence in your grill body or in the fuel lines. Check out our spring maintenance guide to make sure your grill is good to go.
GRILL SPOT TIP: If you didn’t properly clean and winterize your grill before storing it or it’s still not firing up after performing some basic spring maintenance, chances are it’ll need a little extra TLC after its long rest. Check out our guide to post-winter grilling problems and how to fix them.
Most preventive maintenance focuses on your grill itself, but what about your bbq grill accessories?
The right outdoor grilling accessories can improve your grilling experience, the quality of your food, and even help to extend the life of your grill. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the best outdoor grilling accessories to invest in—or replace—this spring to help you make the most of your grill. Let’s get cooking.
8 Essential BBQ Grill Accessories
These BBQ grill accessories are key to easy grilling and will help keep your grill functioning its best all year long.
1. Grill cover
A high-quality grill cover is your first line of defense against winter rust, as well as summertime hazards like rain, UV rays, bird bombs, and other potentially damaging debris.
Winter weather can be hard on a grill cover, so if you leave your grill outdoors and covered all winter, it may be worth investing in a new cover at the start of the season to protect your grill from rain and other elements throughout the grilling season. It may be harder to find the right size when the grilling season is reaching its end.
Read our guide to finding the right grill cover.
Shop for grill covers by brand:
2. Tongs (or a turner-and-tong combo)
Grill tongs are specifically designed to have a longer handle than kitchen tongs in order to help grillers keep their hands away from the flame. In addition to making outdoor cooking safer, proper grill tongs will also make it easier to flip and turn food without the risk of dropping it.
If you find yourself dropping things when using a standard set of tongs, consider a 2-in-1 turner-and-tong set. A turner-and-tong combo features one tong and one turner (a flat, spatula-like metal paddle) to make flipping heavily sauced, larger, or oddly-shaped items even easier.
Shop for tongs:
3. Spatula
Also known as a turner or flipper, a spatula is a classic cooking tool indoors or out.
Most kitchens have a spatula or five at the ready at any given moment. Reserving a dedicated spatula for grilling can prevent the need to make a last-minute dash into the house to grab the flipper you need to turn or remove something from the grill.
4. Grilling gloves
You might think your usual oven mitts will get the job done just fine outdoors, but proper grilling gloves can make a huge difference to your grilling experience (and you can use them indoors, too). Grill gloves will keep your hands safe by protecting you from burns, and they also offer better grip so you can maximize your dexterity while you flip and turn items. Plus, your oven mitts won’t get covered in ash and grease from your grill.
Shop for grilling gloves:
5. Basting brush (or sauce mop)
A new grilling season is the best time to replace an old basting brush or sauce mop, especially if your old one is all gummed up or stained from previous use.
Basting brushes or sauce mops make it as easy as possible to coat your food in tasty sauces or marinades during food prep and as you grill, and they’re key to a flavorful grilling experience.
- Basting brushes are ideal for smaller cuts of meat, such as chicken cutlets, or thicker sauces and glazes.
- Sauce mops, on the other hand, are ideal for large cuts of meat, such as pork butts, or thin sauces, or marinades.
6. Grill cleaning brushes or scrapers
Springtime is the best time to replace your old grill cleaning brush as well, especially if it’s been sitting inside your grill all winter, resting in its own grime.
A fresh grill cleaning brush or scraper sets you up for success throughout the grilling season. This spring, trade your old cleaning brush in for a FoodAid safe grilling brush—they’re built to last and they’re made with FDA-approved food safe materials. That means no wayward wire bristles in your best friend’s burger.
If a brush doesn’t always get the job done, complement it with a scrubber or wood scraper. A scrubber will give you more leverage to clean off really stuck on messes, while a wood scraper will gradually conform to the shape of your grill grates so you can get right into the crevices between grates.
7. Grilling tool set
If you’re ready to replace all of your grilling tools—or you don’t have any to begin with—a grilling tool set is a great place to start. Tool sets typically contain everything you need to get started—tongs, an offset spatula, and a silicone basting brush.
8. Drip pan
A drip pan will catch grease and other drippings and keep your grill cleaner longer. You can even use them to make a DIY smoker box, or to hold prepped food that has yet to be grilled.
8 Best Grilling Gadgets
You’ve got everything you need to keep your grill clean and running smoothly, so what about grilling gadgets that add extra utility and make grilling a more enjoyable experience? Here are 8 of the best grilling gadgets to invest in this spring:
9. A smoker box
That classic smoky barbecue flavor isn’t just for charcoal grillers and folks with dedicated smokers. You can easily achieve smoky flavor on a gas grill by using a smoker box—all you have to do is add wood chips to the box and place it on your grill.
10. Upright chicken roaster
Popularized in the 90s, upright roasters are a great tool for slow-cooking a whole chicken on the grill. And because they stand upright, they’ll take up less space on your grill surface, making them ideal for small barbecues or for grilling sides at the same time (or a second chicken).
Shop for upright chicken roasters:
11. Smart grilling thermometer
Smart grilling thermometers work in conjunction with a smartphone app to help you keep tabs on the temperature of your food, as well as the internal temperature of your barbecue. You’ll receive alerts right to your phone when you’ve reached the correct level of doneness so you won’t have to open your grill lid as frequently.
For a simpler alternative, a probe meat thermometer will also help you monitor the doneness of your food without the bells and whistles of a smart grilling hub.
Shop for grilling thermometers:
12. Rotisserie kits
We all know the irresistible allure of a juicy, crispy chicken rotating slowly on a spit. Say goodbye to store-bought rotisserie chickens! Invest in your very own grill rotisserie kit and say hello to juicy, slow-basted meat right from your own barbecue instead.
Rotisserie kits are available at a number of price points to suit your needs and budget, and they’ll contain all the important parts you’ll need to set up a gas grill rotisserie. Different kits are suited to different grilling styles, with options designed for cooking meat around 10 lbs all the way up to 55 lbs.
If you only plan to rotisserie smaller cuts like a whole chicken or smaller roasts, a rotisserie designed to handle about 10-20 lbs should work just fine. If you plan to rotisserie larger cuts or whole animals over an open fire or BBQ pit, look for something rated for up to 55 lbs or more.
Shop for grill and rotisserie baskets:
13. Grill toppers
Grill toppers, baskets, and griddles can transform your grilling experience—literally—by creating a new surface upon which you can cook.
- Grill baskets prevent food from falling apart or falling between the cooking grates. They are ideal for cooking delicate items like fish, or small food items like asparagus or shrimp.
- Griddles are typically made of metal or cast iron and are placed directly on your grill grates to create a flat surface on which you can cook everything from burgers and hot dogs to bacon, pancakes, and eggs, and even grilled cheese.
14. Charcoal rake
If you’re a charcoal griller, this gadget can help you safely arrange and maintain your coals throughout your cookout.
Shop for charcoal rakes:
15. Lid prop
This handy grilling gadget is designed to hold your grill lid open to help modulate air flow and improve temperature control, especially when you’re searing meat at high temperatures.
Shop for lid props:
16. Metal skewers
Say goodbye to disposable wooden skewers. It’s time to upgrade to reusable metal skewers—with no risk of splitting and no need to soak them before you cook, metal skewers are a more practical and sustainable choice if you love anything on a stick.
Shop for food skewers:
Wrapping Up
Using the right bbq grill accessories can simplify your grilling experience, improve the quality of your food, and even help to extend the life of your grill. Whether you’re replacing a worn out model or you’re investing in new outdoor grilling accessories or some of the best grilling gadgets for the first time, the start of a new season is the perfect time to take stock of your bbq grill accessories.
