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Memorial Day marks the unofficial kickoff to the outdoor hosting season, but only because Grilling Just because a holiday is tradition doesn’t mean it has to be ordinary. To help you up your game, we’ve put together a list of 11 BBQ upgrades, with everything from adding wood-fired flavor to a standard gas grill to keeping biting bugs at bay. When it comes to adding fun for you and your guests, the following tools will make a major difference.
Achieving a restaurant-quality sear on burgers or preventing bacon from curling is a breeze, with a 2.64-pound American-made press from Lodge, an heirloom-quality brand that’s been making cast iron cookware since 1896. The heavy-duty press has a handle secured by Cool-Grip, 5-6-6. A 4.5-inch rectangular surface is pre-selected for immediate use.
Thanks to this simple 12-inch hexagon tube from LizzQ, adding wood-fired flavor to standard gas-grill fare doesn’t have to be a big deal. Simply fill the durable 304 stainless steel tube with wood pellets, light it using a propane torch, and set the tube on your grill grate for up to 5 hours of continuous smoke.
Handling high-heat tasks—like positioning your pellet smoker tube or adjusting hot and heavy grill grates—requires more protection than standard kitchen mitts provide. Made from a flexible aramid and cotton blend with a silicone lining, these one-size-fits-all Blackstone gloves are designed to withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Their textured nonslip grip helps you keep your grip on heavy cast iron or sticky tools, and the extended sleeves provide a barrier against wayward splatters.
Nothing upsets your grilling game like creating a dedicated cooking zone, especially when doing so extends the party past sundown. This 8 feet by 5 feet Mesh Gazebo ABCCanopy features a double-tiered ventilated roof that promotes airflow to prevent smoke entrapment, plus a powder-coated steel frame that offers year-round resistance to rust and chipping. Integrated LED lights make grilling easy virtually any time of day, and two side shelves with hooks and a built-in bottle opener keep both grilling tools and refreshments within close reach.
Dull knives are more than frustrating; They can also be insecure. To keep all your kitchen cutlery sharp, Norton’s multi-oilstone sharpening system is designed with a rotating axis that has three different surfaces: coarse and medium for repair and sharpening, and fine for honing. The self-contained unit includes a built-in reservoir that keeps each stone saturated in oil, along with a special angle guide to ensure smooth slicing of everything from smoked brisket to grilled vegetables.
Nothing says you have to work up a sweat just because you’re manning the grill, and this top pick from our tests Best outdoor misting fans Provides an easy way to cool down while still allowing you to bring heat. With a powerful 1,500 CFM airflow, Geek Aire’s portable misting fan features built-in wheels and a 2.9-gallon water tank—or, you can connect it directly to your garden hose for ongoing operation. The unit’s two rechargeable batteries provide up to 46 hours of runtime, and its IPX4 water-resistant construction ensures it can handle everything from sudden changes in weather to splashes with kids’ water balloons.
No matter how high quality your ingredients are, you won’t get maximum flavor if the surface you’re cooking on is covered in old grit and grime. For its powerful natural degreaser (d-limonene) and easy spray application, CitrusSafe BBQ Grill Cleaner earned the Best Overall award in our lineup. Tested grill cleaners. The biodegradable formula easily cuts through stubborn buildup and grease on cold grates without harsh chemical fumes, and is safe for use on grills, griddles and smokers.
You want to get really fancy? Put down that squeeze bottle of store-bought sauce and stop making a sticky mess of surfaces with Oxo’s basting pot and brush. The stainless steel pot holds up to 18 ounces, as well as a brush between the bristles, while the nonslip handles of both tools keep your grip secure even if your hands get sweaty. The pot’s silicone lid protects your marinade from outside debris, and the entire set is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
With this wireless meat thermometer from TempPro, leaving the grill for a drink will never result in an overcooked steak. Thanks to its 500-foot range and four color-coded probes, you can monitor multiple cuts of meat simultaneously, and the TempPro will flash and vibrate on both the receiver and transmitter to let you know when each probe reaches your programmed setting. The receiver screen is easy to read even in full sun, and the transmitter hangs, props on its stand, or attaches via its magnet so it’s out of the way.
Upgrading your grilling game is as much about the atmosphere as it is about the cooking, which makes the DynaTrap 1-Acre LED Mosquito and Insect Trap a must. Instead of giving yourself and your guests a smelly spray (and tasting it every time you lick the sauce off your fingers), this UV-LED trap gives you a quiet, chemical-free way to avoid getting bitten. The unit’s long-lasting light attracts moths, wasps and yellow jackets, while its powerful fan sucks in weak-flying mosquitoes, gnats and no-see-ums. The large collection basket means there’s no need to empty it until the cookout is over, and the one-touch release basket makes the process easy when the time comes.
If you’re looking for a gift for a new griller or know it’s time to replace your crusty old accessories with a new set, this 34-piece kit from Taimasi includes every tool you could want or need. Accessories such as spatulas, tongs, skewers and meat forks are made from food-grade, rust-proof stainless steel. Extras like grill mats for cooking fish or vegetables, holders for corn on the cob, and kitchen shears for chopping herbs come in handy when you suddenly realize you need them. the whole Grill Tool Set Fits into a waterproof carry bag for organized storage, and the whole thing costs less than you’d pay for a handful of included accessories alone.
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