8 Useful and Popular Grilling Essentials You Can Buy on Amazon Right Now
Not only will these make outdoor cooking more enjoyable, but they can also help you produce more consistently delicious food.
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Depending on who you ask, grilling is either a means of cooking your food or a zen art form, or something in between. It’s frighteningly easy to fall down the grill gadget rabbit hole, throwing down way too much money in pursuit of the perfect setup, but the best grillers will tell you that you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to get started.
That said, we’ve found some of the best grilling accessories on Amazon that you should absolutely consider adding to your arsenal; not only will they make the process more enjoyable, but they can also help you produce more consistently delicious food. You’ll look like you know what you’re doing, even if you don’t—and really, isn’t that what grilling is all about?
Sure, we’d all like to be meat whisperers with a preternatural sense of doneness... but why not get a little scientific with it? This digital meat thermometer has two probes that can provide constant temperature readings on whatever you’re cooking, and the backlit screen makes it clearly visible for grill sessions after dark. To make things even more foolproof, it’s programmed to show you levels of doneness for eight different preset meats, including beef, lamb, veal, fish, chicken, and pork.
“Wait,” I hear you asking, “why do I need another thermometer?” It’s important to keep an eye on the temperature of what you’re cooking, yes, but it’s also important to know the temperature of your grill before you start cooking. An infrared thermometer can let you monitor the grill’s temperature accurately as it heats up, letting you know when it’s ready for your precious meat. Sure, some veteran grillmasters can judge this by holding their hands over the flame, but how often do you have a veteran grillmaster’s hand available?
In the quest for perfectly melted burger cheese, a melting dome is your secret weapon. The dome shape concentrates heat from the grill to help melt your cheese quickly, which means you won’t end up overcooking your burger just because you waited too long to put the cheese on.
Ever felt the urge to just smash your burgers down onto the grill? Firstly, consider anger management, but secondly, that’s what this grill press is for. Whether you’re trying to make the perfect smashburgers or simply ensure even browning across your meat, there’s no substitute for a solid hunk of cast iron. Plus, it’ll take your grilled cheese game to a whole other level.
One easy way to ensure your grilled food tastes its best is to actually clean the grill before you put said food on it, and a reliable grill brush is the only tool you need to get the job done. This 3-sided brush from Weber was actually the top pick over at America’s Test Kitchen, where testers preferred its triangular head for getting in and cleaning every inch of their grill.
A BBQ chimney is the easiest way to light a bunch of coals quickly, without resorting to flavor-killing lighter fluids. It’s also dead simple: just stick some newspaper in the bottom, pour your coals in the top, and light the paper. In about 15 minutes, you’ll have a raging inferno that’s ready to be dumped into your grill, or over the fence into your neighbor’s backyard if you’re some kind of psychopath.
Made from pine wood shavings and food-grade wax, firestarter sticks are a safe way to make lighting your coals in a chimney even easier. Just place one under the chimney where you’d normally put your newspaper, light it up, and you’ll have 8-10 minutes of burning time to ensure your entire batch of coals turns red hot.
There are a few unimpeachable truths in this world, and chief among them is this: a buttered bun will always beat a non-buttered bun. Rather than mess around with a brush and a bowl of hot melted butter, though, you can pick up this Cuisinart butter wheel and make your life a whole lot easier. Just throw some butter in it, place it on a hot grill to melt, and then roll your bread of choice along the perforated wheel for an effortless, even coating.