Grilling Accessories

With tantalizing flavors like hickory, mesquite, apple, or cherry, wood chips are an easy way to enhance the smokiness of your meat. Whether you have a smoker, a gas grill, or a charcoal grill, you can use these to elevate your outdoor cooking experience. If you're smoking your food, remember to soak the wood for about two hours before you plan on using it. Then, place the chips in a smoker box attachment (if you're using a gas grill) or directly on top of the charcoal in your charcoal grill. (Flavored charcoal is also an option, if you want to go that route.) Different foods may react differently to different flavors of wood. Experiment with a variety of meats and wood to create your signature flavor.

If you're excited about grilling salmon over charcoal this summer, make sure you have a cedar plank near your outdoor cooking area. Cedar imparts a wonderful hint of smokiness to fish and it's pretty simple to use. Like the wood chips, soak the cedar plank for 3-4 hours before you pop it on the grill. Grill using indirect heat (that is, don't place the plank directly over the heat source) until done. Remember, these plank accessories are single-use, so you'll need a new one each time you BBQ.

For a subtle, salty flavor, Himalayan salt blocks are popular grill accessories with barbecue aficionados. The salt block will likely come with a porcelain holder so that you can easily carry your food to and from your BBQ. You can use the block (or salt plate) directly on the grill if you want a light sear on scallops or shrimp. Bonus: nothing beats going outdoors and presenting your cookout guests with a gorgeous piece of meat on a pink Himalayan salt block.

A high-quality, stainless steel thermometer might be the most crucial BBQ tool you can own. It ensures that your meat is safely cooked for your guests' consumption, but never overcooked or dry. Meat thermometers have a wide range of features, so it's up to you do decide what price you're comfortable with and what features you absolutely have to have. A regular stainless steel cooking thermometer will likely have a digital or dial temperature display. If you want to amp up your barbecue game, look for a wireless thermometer or a Bluetooth thermometer; these models can alert your phone when your meat reaches its optimal temperature, giving you the flexibility to mingle with your guests without neglecting the smoker.

A rib rack allows you to maximize your cooking surface area on your BBQ and easily brush your ribs with a homemade sauce for maximum flavor. Look for a stainless steel model that will be easy to clean at the end of the day, and remember to occasionally switch the position of your ribs around so they cook evenly on the grill.

If you're a big fan of the BBQ shish kebabs, upgrade from wooden skewers to stainless steel skewers or flexible metal skewers. Flexible metal skewers are a great choice if you want to curl your skewer up in a marinade or saucepan; once on the grill, they take up less space and are easier to turn over. Stainless steel non-stick skewers may come with an insertion dish that makes flipping a cinch, and they're dishwasher safe for the ultimate convenience.

Do you dream of slowly roasting a whole chicken over your bar-b-q? Look for a stainless steel rotisserie kit for your particular grill model. A slowly rotating spit cooks your meat thoroughly without drying it out since the meat will baste itself during the cooking time. You also need a lot less heat for this low and slow roasting method, so keep an eye on your charcoal. Make good use of your meat thermometer here to ensure that your bird is thoroughly cooked.

Everyone loves a good pizza party — especially when it's an outdoor pizza party. Grilling your pie on a pizza stone gives it that traditional Italian pizzeria taste from the comfort of your own patio. A cast iron stone gives you the ultimate crispy crust, while a ceramic stone is better for crusts that have added thickness. Plus, a pizza stone makes it easy to reheat last night's leftovers without getting a soggy crust or mushy toppings — you can even use it to bake frozen pizza! Our stomachs are growling just thinking about all of the possibilities...

Make the most of your delicious marinade when you use a stainless steel injector. This nifty device lets you deliver a literal "shot" of flavor into a larger cut of meat, and some models include multiple holes in the needle to ensure the flavor saturates every part. Want to get creative? Add beer, wine, or even salad dressing for a truly special barbecue marinade.

Finally, a simple grill basket is the oldie-but-goodie of all barbecue accessories. Of course, you can get a generic stainless steel grill basket that will fit many types of food, but you can also get specialized baskets for the items you eat frequently. Examples include corn-on-the-cob, quesadillas, fish, and even meatballs. Many of these baskets are non-stick stainless steel for the easiest cleanup ever (which is good news, because we bet you're going to be too full to even throw on your grill cover).