Now that I’ve been barbecuing religiously for a while, I’ve experimented with a variety of tools and accessories to make this craft more enjoyable and the end product more gooder better. There are always the variety of rubs and various cuts of meat, but this list is focused on the non-edible items (hence, the “tools and accessories” reference in my last sentence).
Without further ado, I present to you this list of BBQ Essentials that, in my opinion, are must have’s for barbecuing.
Nitrile Gloves
If you’ve been following me on social media (namely Instagram) at @learningtosmoke you will notice me handling food while wearing thin, black gloves. The first on this BBQ Essentials list, these nitrile gloves are powder free and have three times the puncture resistance of latex. They are also ambidextrous and disposable. I like using them when prepping meat (especially poultry) to keep raw meat juices from getting on my hands, rub and other items from getting under my fingernails, and I don’t have to wash my hands as much. I typically go through two or three pairs with each smoke I do.
You can find these nitrile gloves HERE (NOTE: they offer other colors besides black)
Thermoworks Smoke
If you don’t already have a digital thermometer, I highly advise you buy one. Like, right now. A must-have of these BBQ Essentials! While I swear by the suite of Thermoworks products, the one I want to highlight for this list is the Smoke. I actually did a product review on this at the beginning of 2017. The Smoke is made specifically for BBQers like us (that’s you and me). It has a dual probe thermometer for BBQ that monitors both the temperature of the food and the pit. You can also set alarms to go off when temps either exceed or fall below your specifications. The Smoke comes with a wireless receiver that has Bluetooth and, as of recently, now offers a Smoke Gateway (aka Wi-Fi adapter) to improve the range to wherever you go (sold separately). I’ve had mine for a year now and still use it often!
Check it out by clicking here. You can also click on my banner ad at the top of the page.
Wireless Grill Brush
Keeping a clean grill is important so flakes of burnt crust from previous cooks don’t stick to your food. While it is quite common to use the traditional wired brushes, I’ve been hearing stories of the metal wires coming off, sticking to the grill, getting into someone’s food, and causing intestinal pain because the metal wire is poking their insides. Don’t believe me? Here is a CBS News article speaking to it. With that said, I prefer wireless brushes. They don’t scrape as powerful, but the cleaning is much easier on a warm grill. These wireless grill brushes can also be used on porcelain grates for those using pellet grills.
Find yourself a wireless grill brush HERE
Large Cut Meat & Fish Spatula
I saw someone else using this on social media and knew I had to have one. I have not been disappointed. This spatula is efficient in size and strong enough to hold the weight of meats such as whole chickens, large steaks, pork shoulder, and filets of fish.
Buy this spatula by clicking HERE
Well-insulated Cooler
If you spend way too much time following barbecue enthusiasts on social media like I do, you will begin to see folks using some heavy duty coolers. They do this because they keep drinks (and other items) cold for days, and can also double as a place to keep food warm for hours. I mainly use my coolers for keeping barbecue warm and have kept it that way for hours, so I don’t have to worry about being finished to soon before I need to serve it. I use Pelican coolers because they do an excellent job at the previously stated activities, but are built tough, made in the USA, and come with a lifetime warranty.
Get the best deals on that Pelican cooler HERE
Boning Knife
As you become more familiar with prepping the various meats you smoke, you’ll learn more about the importance of trimming them. In my experience, a boning knife works best. A more narrow blade that curves at the tip to help get more precise slicing done. They also tend to be quite sharp, which is helpful when trimming off that annoying silverskin. I picked one up at my local BBQ shop for about $20 and have considered it a great investment.
You can pick one up HERE
Pink Butcher Paper
Explaining why I prefer pink butcher paper over foil 95% of the time is worthy of it’s own blog post. But to summarize, wrapping meats in butcher paper while still in the smoking process allows the air to flow through while still holding in heat. This way, you develop a better bark on the meat and it doesn’t turn out soggy like with foil, which creates steam inside. It also is great for food presentation. I like to use it as a liner on a tray when serving up the sliced/shredded product. Try it once and you’ll be hooked!
Get a roll of your own HERE
Headlamp
Why on Earth would I choose a headlamp as something essential to BBQ? Because when you do longer smokes for brisket or pulled pork, for example, you are likely tending the smoker early in the morning and even late at night (and sometimes through the night). Using a headlamp, like the Pelican 2740 that I use, makes seeing things a whole lot easier. And with it being darker sooner (and longer) in the wintertime, I see the headlamp as a must.
Check out the headlamps HERE
High-temp Gloves
Being around the grill means you are dealing with coals, hot grill surfaces, and large pieces of meat at temps of upward to 203F. Unless you are the Terminator, then I recommend getting yourself some high-temperature gloves. I have been using Dragon Knuckle gloves for this past year and they have saved me many times! Using a ceramic grill with a deflector plate underneath the grill for low and slow cooking, I remove the plates so I can get the grill up to searing temps to finish off my cook, known as the reverse sear. I don’t feel a thing with these gloves on when I remove the plates. I’ve handled burning coals in them and have been protected, too. These things protect your hands from heat past 500F! Although don’t hold on for too long, for you will begin to feel the heat eventually. (NOTE: I don’t recommend pouring hot liquid on these things for they are not water/liquid resistant)
Get yourself some Dragon Knuckle gloves HERE
There you have it! Stay tuned for other products I have tested and recommend!
