By Meathead
Here's a list of tools, equipment, gadgets, and toys that can help make you a better cook. Click the red links for current pricing and more info. Many are available on Amazon.com which pays us a small referral fee if you buy from them. It works on anything from grills to diapers and it has zero impact on the price you pay.
If you like what we give you for free, please use our links when you shop. Clicking our links keeps this site alive. Please also save this link above and use it every time you go to Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/amazingribs
The Smokenator turns a Weber Kettle
into a darn good smoker! Cheap!
 If you have a Weber Kettle grill, you need a Smokenator and Hovergrill.
For less than $70 you can easily convert a standard Weber Kettle into a smoker capable of making restaurant quality smoked ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, turkey, or salmon. If you have a limited budget or limited deck space, there is no need to buy a standalone smoker.
 Here's how it works: The Smokenator is a simple piece of bent 18 gauge stainless steel that inserts into the lower half of the kettle. You can place meat on the lower and the upper rack so it is possible you can get 8-10 slabs on at once. Then you put some hot charcoal in the Smokenator, some wood chunks on top of them, and some water in the water cup.
Put the lid on, adjust the dampers, and go drink a beer. The Smokenator will pump out aromatic smoke and just the right low and slow temp for hours. I had no trouble keeping the temp under 250°F on a 100°F day. The thick steel plate blocks your meat from direct exposure to the flames becoming a large flat radiator providing indirect heat. The water bowl puts moisture in the oven which helps develop the smoke ring. Keep in mind that this is a "hot" smoker so it can't do cold smoking for things like lox or cheese. But it can do just about anything else the fancy-schmancy smokers do. A very clever, inexpensive gadget that actually works as advertised.
One word of caution: The Smokenator manual says to use a $10 bi-metal candy thermometer in the upper vent hole. This is very bad advice unless you plan to eat the vent. The temp in the dome is much different than at the upper grate level which is different from the lower grate level, and bi-metal thermometers can be off by 50°F or more. Cheap thermometers are, well, cheap. 90% of the problems people come to me with would be solved if they just had a decent digital thermometer placed next to the meat. Don't write me if you use a bi-metal thermometer. Read my article on thermometers.
Click below for pricing and direct ordering from Amazon:
Smokenator 1000 for the 22.5" Weber Kettle
Smokenator 2600 for the 26.75" Weber Kettle
Smokenator 180 for the 18.5" Weber Kettle
- Meathead
GrillGrates are the best thing for a gas grill since salt and pepper
Everyone who has a gas grill that does not have a sear burner or infrared burner should get GrillGrates. In 2011, four of the top five major steak cook offs were won by cooks using GrillGrates. At the 2012 World Championship Ribeye Cookoff in Magnolia, AR, 78 teams competed and 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th prize went to cooks using GrillGrates. They may be the best thing to happen to grilling since salt and pepper.
The concept is so very clever on so many levels: GrillGrates are sold in interlocking sections and sit on top of your current grill's grates or they can be used to replace them. The hard anodized aircraft grade aluminum rail tops are flat and wide and make the most beautiful dark crunchy grill marks you've ever seen where they contact the food and cook it by conduction.
Because there is much less space for heat to escape than with wire grates, heat is trapped below and builds. As a result, the base can get very hot and the aluminum alloy distributes the heat evenly across the cooking surface eliminating hot spots. The bottom plate becomes the main heat source which is now only a fraction of an inch below the food further amplifying the radiant heat cooking. This is the same concept behind the new expensive infrared cooking systems on the market. The heat also wraps around the edges creating convection when the lid is closed.
The base blocks flareups and helps prevent burning. As a result you get really crispy chicken skin without scorching. Juices drip into the valleys between the rails where they are vaporized and the vapors penetrate the meat enhancing flavor. The holes in the base allow some juices through where they burn, and smoke and combustion gases travel up through the holes to reach the food adding more flavor. The bottom plate even keeps asparagus and other small foods from falling into the fire.
 I have even thrown wood chips, pellets, and sawdust into the valleys between the rails and then put food on top. The wood begins smoldering almost instantly and imparts a delicate wood smoke flavor even on fish and other quick cooking foods. In this picture you can see a couple of T-bones on GrillGrates sitting on a Weber Kettle. The grates have darkened from use. The handheld thermometer tells us that the GrillGrates are 668F. I have seen them go over 700°F with a single layer of briquets. Them's steakhouse temps. Notice the beautiful crispy grill marks. GGs are a welcome addition to charcoal grills, but they are almost a necessity for gas grills (click here to read more about the differences between gas and charcoal).
The sturdy stainless steel custom designed spatula has fingers that slip between the rails and lift even the most delicate pieces of fish with ease. As an added bonus, GrillGrates can be turned upside down and be used as a griddle! Upside down, they put an incredible sear on burgers.
They are easy to move from your charcoal grill to your gas grill. The manufacturer has several pre-cut sizes, but he will custom cut to fit your grill. But don't sweat it. Get the closest size and just place them on top of your current grates (do not put them on top of the special grates on the Char-Broil Commercial, remove them first).
The surfaces of GrillGrates are unbelievably easy to clean with a wire brush when hot, but the valleys tend to build up carbon which reduces their efficiency. A long bristle wire brush from the hardware store works well, but the standard wire brushes for grills do not. I've had good luck cleaning the valleys with a narrow scraper blade (and heavy glove) when they are hot. I tried superheating them and then hitting them with a hose, and, sure enough, most of the carbon popped right off, but one of the sections warped. After it cooled, I flipped it upside down on my deck and stood on it and it flattened right out!
I cannot recommend GrillGrates more enthusiastically. I have added them to all my gassers. Click here to see the various GrillGrate sizes and their other products and for pricing and direct ordering for their various sizes from Amazon.com. - Meathead
 This is not a grate for the food, and not the normal charcoal grate. Read on.
Half the battle in making great thick steaks is getting the surface seared as dark as possible, but not blackened. Steakhouses have gas broilers that crank out up to 1,000°F heat about 1" from the meat. My fancy Hasty Bake has a crank that lets me raise the charcoal to about 1" below the meat for the searing stage, but it's a bit pricey for a lot of folks.
It would be nice if I could raise the charcoal in my el-cheapo $89 Weber Kettle. So for years I've been telling folks to lift the bottom grate up on bricks. But secretly I've been wasting a small fortune buying grill grates that I hoped would fit just below the food grate on the Kettle. Well, I've finally found one. Old Smokey Grills has a product that uses a 22" wide grate. Well that's 1/2" narrower than the grate on the Weber Kettle, and sure enough, it fits under the Weber grate.
 So here's how I use it. I slide it under the brackets that hold the top grate and angle it slightly. I start the coals in a chimney and pour them on 1 or 2 deep on the lower side. I put thick steaks above the other side where there are no coals, lid on, to slowly roast with indirect convection heat and pick up some smoke, cooking the interior slow and gently using the reverse sear method I preach. Then, when the interior of the meat hits 115 to 120°F, I slide them over the hot coals and scorch the surfaces with the lid off. Click here to read more about the concept of reverse searing. Click here to order the Old Smokey #22 Replacement Top Grill . - Meathead
Much better than the grate that came with your 22.5" Weber Kettle, this hinged grate let's you easily add charcoal for long low and slow cooks. Made from bright nickel-plated steel, you just lift the handle and drop in coals. No fumbling to lift up the whole grate only to have your meat slide off and onto the coals. Yuk. This grate even works with GrillGrates (above), which are cut to leave room for you to lift the hinged section. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here .
Click here for more about your grate options and which we like best. - Meathead
Cook a turkey or prime rib or pork loin properly and you're going to end up with a lot of juice on your cutting board. If yours has only grooves, it's going to overflow and ruin the table cloth. So I built my own by cutting a hole in a board and putting a pan underneath. Then the most famous cutting board company stole my idea (well, maybe they figured it out on their own). This one is 18" on both sides, and it is reversible. The groove is deep enough that it won't overflow. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
Help break our addiction to oil! Reduce air pollution! Or just get your charcoal started faster, cheaper, and without that petrochemical smell. This Weber chimney holds enough briquets to start most cookers, about 5 quarts, or about 80 briquets. Click here to read why we think this is the best way to start a charcoal fire hands down, and see other methods you might consider (but reject). For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
Real heavy duty suede gloves with cotton lining that are 15" long and go almost to my elbow (I have short arms). I use mine to lift hot grates, push coals around, reach into the fire box to place logs, lift food from deep down inside the Weber Smokey Mountain. I have even used it to pick up hot coals.
They beat oven mits because they have fingers making it much easier to manipulate tongs and handle grates. I have two pairs, one for lifting food, and one for all else. When they get dirty I just put them on and wash my hands with a bar of soap. Ranked #1 by Cook's Illustrated.For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
 I had high hopes for this one but I was disappointed.
 I'm always looking for a nice heat resistant glove that is flexible and allows me dexterity and is easy to clean. This one is really easy to clean, but it is not as heat resistant as the leather gloves above, it is stiff, making it hard to fully flex my fingers, and slippery when wet. They are also really small ands will not fit large hands. On the plus side, it is really easy to clean. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
I have designed have a range of aprons with pockets, T-shirts, mugs, and more with scores of humorous sayings from "BBQ God", "Got Ribs?", "Eat Me", "Chef is Prime and Well Aged", "Nice Rack" and many more. Sold through CafePress.com, click here to see the whole line. - Meathead
Silicone brushes are the best thing to happen to barbecue since the charcoal briquet. I long ago relegated my natural and nylon bristle brushes to cleaning computer keyboards. They load up with lots of sauce, deliver it evenly, and are so easy to clean and decontaminate. They are dishwasher safe. We have three: One for barbecue, one my wife uses for egg washes and other baking, and one for whatever. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
Corded mops
 Corded mops are popular for applying sauces and mops, but they are impossible to keep sanitary. I think they're a tummy ache or worse waiting to happen. - Meathead
These handy plastic paws are helpful for lifting large roasts and birds, but they really shine when you need to pull hot pork. They are sharp and not for children to handle. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
Are you a pellethead? I am. Pellets are made of compressed sawdust (here's an article that discusses them). That's all. No glue.
My favorite supplier is BBQr's Delight brand. There is a wide range to experiment with: Jack Daniel's, sugar maple, cherry, pecan, black walnut, oak, orange, sassafras, mulberry, alder, and savory herb. Another advantage is that you can add pellets precisely from a measuring cup, so you can get the right amount for your smoker and no more. There is nothing worse than oversmoked meat. They also have "Smoke Stix" which are logs of compressed sawdust about 8" long for large cookers. To order, click here. - Meathead
This is by far the best design for a rotisserie on the market. First, let's see what's wrong with the standard rotisserie. Most have a long steel poker that goes through the center of the meat. It holds them in place with sharp forks. The problem is that the center rod gets hot, and can cook the inside of a beef roast to well done easily. This is not a problem with chicken. The forks are dangerously sharp and I have gouged myself on them wile mounting a chicken. I is near impossible to get the weight centered and as a result the whole thing wobbles, often tearing the meat and burning out the motor. Some come with counterweights, but they are tricky to set.
The Weber basket, on the other hand, holds the meat in a basket. It's easy to get the meat in there and clamp it in place. It comes with a good strong motor. Alas, this basket is designed to fit Weber Genesis Silver, Gold, and Platinum grills with a 21.5" long spear. That should fit most gas grills, but it may be too short for some. If you are handy you can adapt it to fit longer grills by welding on a longer spear. Also the brackets are designed for the Weber, but again, the handy can make them work. I had to remove the plastic handle to make it fit my Char-Broil Quantum, but it works just fine. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
These are designed for banking coals into two piles on a Weber grill, but I use mine for something else entirely. I have a second bottom grate that I put on top of the rails, and the coals go on top of this elevated grate. That puts them at the perfect height for searing steaks, just below the cooking grates. Yes, if you're cooking red meats, the secret is a very hot fire, and raising the coals just a few inches makes a huge diff. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
Here's how you can fit four slabs of ribs on a small grill like a Weber Kettle or Weber Smokey Mountain. Good rib racks hold the slabs upright with enough airspace between them to allow airflow and smoke penetration. Bad rib racks hold the meat too close together so they don't cook properly (see my article on rib racks). For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here . - Meathead
Keep rain, snow, wasps, birds, and other vermin out. Cheapo covers last only a year or two. A good cover costs about $60. Check out the pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
 The Cold Weather Jacket is silicone coated jacket is designed to insulate your 22.5" Weber Smokey Mountain while cooking and it can easily be adapted for a Weber Kettle. Great for use in cool, rainy, and windy conditions or as as a weather cover while not using your cooker. - Meathead
Have you ever had a delicate piece of expensive Chilean Sea Bass stick to the grates and disintegrate when you try to lift it off, or try to grill small things and have them fall between the openings into the fire? Here's a great cheap solution: Frogmats, a sturdy wire mesh with a non-stick coating capable of resisting high heats, yet easy to clean. I use mine for jalapeno poppers, onion rings, potato slices, mushrooms, bacon, biscuits, and I've even used mine to wrap a meat loaf so I could crisp it on all sides. Frogmats come in a variety of sizes, even large enough for a whole hog. They cannot handle extreme heat or direct flame, however. Click here to order Frogmats. - Meathead
 You need a good cast iron griddle. Especially if you like fish, burgers, grilled sandwiches, home fries, or pancakes. Coat the flat side with oil, and you can sear fish so it is golden and crispy on the outside just like that great pan-seared fish you get in restaurants. Throw some dried herbs onto the flame, and you'll get a whisp of smoke in the meat.
You can even bring it indoors and it will straddle two burners. Use the flat side for pancakes. Flip it over and you get grill marks and conduction cooking from the ridges on steaks, burgers, or asparagus, and the fats and juices drip into the grooves where they vaporize and flavor the meat and cook by radiation.
This is a very handy tool. One word of caution. You may need two. If you use it for fish a lot, the flavor will remain on the surface, even after cleaning, so you won't be able to use it for pancakes.
I have two of them by Lodge, known for quality cast iron, and I use the ridged sides of both, one on top and one on the bottom, for making paninis. And my spatchcocked (butterflied) Cornish game hens pressed between the flat sides are unbelievably crisp and juicy in only 20 minutes. It is 20" x 10 7/16". For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
 Gril-Lit is a new, best in class light that easily attaches to hood handles on most gas grills. Five very bright LEDs affixed to the end of an aluminum tube extend downward far enough to clear the bottom of the hood and deliver more light than one might expect from a compact, battery powered device.
Grill handle lights are a good BBQ accessory and much easier to use than the corded, goose neck utility lights masquerading as "BBQ lights". Many have weak clamping mechanisms and most have weak light. Gril-Lit sent us a unit to test and we compared it, side by side, on the same grill with one of the best: Weber's Grill Out Handle Light. Gril-Lit won hands down.
Both have a manual on and off switch and automatic tilt sensor switch that activates the LEDs when the hood is opened. The difference in illumination is dramatic: Weber's light is soft and fell off toward the sides and back of the grill. Gril-Lit is much more powerful and illuminated the entire cook surface. It can be angled back and forth to adjust the lights focal target, but on our test grill with over 450 square inches of cook surface, that was unnecessary. Weber's handle light comes in different models meant to fit specific Weber grills with round, oval or flat handles. Gril-Lit has an adaptable clamp that can open and close down to accommodate different shaped handles. Both are weather and heat resistant and both are in the same price range.
Gril-Lit was created by a team of BBQ loving, award-winning product designers and engineers called BOLTgroup. By day Gril-Lit has an elegant, aesthetically pleasing design. By night it provides a surprising amount of light and you don't have to plug it in or store it away from the elements when not in use. Gril-Lit is a new product and only available at their website or HSN. - Max Good
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The prize for "Best BBQ Tool" at the 2012 The National Barbecue Association conference did not go to a fancy grilling gadget. It was a simple inexpensive, indispensable, refrigerator magnet by Yours Truly. Hey, I've always known I was a tool, now I'm the best tool!
 The AmazingRibs.com Meat Temperature Magnet is a comprehensive guide to meat temperatures. Click the red link for ordering info and a detailed explanation of meat temps.
It includes the latest USDA recommendations as well as chef recommendations (and they often differ) as well as color photos of the different stages of doneness for red meats. Designed for grillers' quick reference, the temperatures are the same for both indoor and outdoor cooks.
Most cookbooks contain outdated meat temperature info since the USDA has has changed its recommendations several times. Knowing the best temps is essential to cooking safe and great food. The Center for Disease Control estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans gets sick from foodborne illnesses, (often mistakenly called "stomach flu,"), and 3,000 die. And nobody knows how many millions of dollars were wasted on overcooked food.
"Meathead converted me after 30 years of poking my meat with my finger and throwing out a lot of overcooked steaks," laughs Brad Barrett, manufacturer of GrillGrate, an innovative cooking surface for grills. "I was so impressed by the guide on his website that I converted it to a magnet and got exclusive rights to sell it." Barrett offers it for $5.99 on Amazon.
Click this link for a detailed discussion of how the Meat Temperature Guide works.
Thermometers and thermostats, the most important and valuable tools. Period.
This is the digital age folks. If you are still relying on the piece of crap bi-metal dial thermometer that your grill maker tossed into the hood as an afterthought, you have no chance of ever becoming a good cook. And if you are holding your hand over the coals to gauge the heat, you are kidding yourself. And if you are gauging the doneness of your steaks by poking them you are wasting money. And if you are looking for clear juices in your chicken, you are risking the health of your family.
This is the digital age folks. A good digital oven thermometer will shock you when you see how far off the thermometer on your grill is. And a good meat thermometer will guarantee you properly cooked safe food 100% of the time.
Best of all, in the digital age, there are some amazing new thermostats that can be attached to your grill. Set it and forget it, regardless of the weather.
Check out your options on my Buyer's Guide to Thermometers and Thermostats.
Pizza tools
 These are great for pizza because the perforated pan sits on legs on two plates that dissipate the direct heat and deliver even heat and color to the crust. Or you can just use the perforated top part as a grill topper for grilling cubes of meat, veggies, and small shrimp. I only wish it was larger than 12". For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.- Meathead
Pizza stones are good for pizza because they get uniformly hot, erasing hot spots, and then because they are in contact with the dough, transmit the heat well and insure browning and crispiness. But the standard indoor pizza stones I've tried outdoors tend to crack and break over the high heat of the grill. The Grilled Pizza Stone , however is especially formulated for the grill, and the standard model fits the Weber Kettle perfectly. It can also be used on other grills. - Meathead
Next time you order pizza, tell them not to slice it. The liquid running down through the cuts only softens the crust. A good pizza wheel will keep your pizza crispy, and it comes in handy for home made pizza and even for cutting pie dough. You want a big wheel, this Oxo Good Grips 4-Inch Pizza Wheel has a large 4" wheel, a solid riveted axle to keep it from wobbling, a good hand guard, and the company's signature comfy grip. - Meathead
The pizza peel or paddle is the best way to get your pie in and out of the grill. You dust the top with flour or corn meal, which acts like ball bearings and adds nice flavor and texture.
 Then you spread the dough on the peel, top it, and slide it onto the pan or stone on the grill. You then use the peel to remove it. They come in all sorts of sizes and prices, metal and wood. Here are some options: Pizza Peels. - Meathead
 This is another one of those gadgets that got me all excited when I first heard about it, especially since the company bought some ads on this site, but it let me down in practice.
It is a well made stainless steel ring that sits between the lid and base of your Weber Kettle, and a round pizza stone. There is a big opening in the ring so you can slide your pizza in and out, just like a real wood burning pizza oven.
The problem with the 22.5" model (there is also an 18.5" model and a 25.6" model) is that a lot of hot air spills out the opening. The problem with grilling pizzas in general is that the bottoms tend to burn before the tops cook. Well this just makes it worse. With the kettle lid on, a lot of heat is trapped under the lid.
 And pizza is thin, you really don't need to raise the lid with a ring to cook one on a kettle. For a turkey, maybe. To make a pizza on a Kettle, just heat half a chimney fill of coals, not too many, to the rear of the kettle, slide the stone to the front, get the stone really hot with the lid on, slip in the pizza, close the lid, and every minute or two, rotate the pizza so the back side doesn't burn, and within minutes you're done. There's really no need for this accessory. If anything, it made the problem of an undercooked top worse. - Meathead
Don't tell my professional chef friends, but the knife I reach for most often is my cheap Rapala Soft-Grip 7.5". I get a new one every year. This cheapo blade has a thin flexible blade, with a dangerously sharp blade, a wicked sharp tip, and it's only about $16. It's great for slicing tomatoes, removing silverskin on meat, boning, cutting ribs on hot peppers, and, of course, filleting. It is not strong enough for cutting through bone, but there is nothing better for cutting things off bones. When it is dirty, it goes in the dishwasher. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
 Normally I am not interested in gimmicks, and I normally advocate against burger presses because they compress the meat too much. Loosly packed meat has more pockets for the juices to hang out.
So when this piece of plastic arrived, I was pretty skeptical. I am no longer skeptical. It helps make a pretty good stuffed burger, and stuffed burgers can be very juicy and tasty, with the cheese on the inside, not on top. Or bacon, or peppers, or onions, or mushrooms, or or or.
Here's how it works, You take a ball of ground meat and drop it in the Stufz. You set the handle to one position, and it presses the meat into a disk. Then you adjust the handle and it presses a pocket in the center. Add your cheese or whatever, plop another ball of meat on top, adjust the handle again, and press again. You get beautifully formed thick burgers with a stuffing. Occasionally you need to do a little manual touchup to the top and bottom joins to prevent leaks, and for that matter, you could do the whole process by hand easily enough, but the gadget does make it a bit easier, and you get nice uniform pucks, helpful when you are timing a bunch-o-burgers. Having the cheese in the center helps prevent overcooking the patty while you get the exterior nice and dark. Bottom line, they taste great.
One word of caution: The center is molten and hot, so you need to warn everybody to be careful. But molten cheese is better than limp cheese lounging on top.
Working with it was a bit awkward at first, especially when my hands got meat on them, and if you're making a lot, it would be nice to have some help, say one person to make the meat balls, and another to run the press. I'm not sure how long the plastic will hold up, but if you're a cheeseburger burger fan, splurge on this. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click Stufz Gourmet Stuffed Burger Maker . - Meathead
Use a Grill Grabber to lift your hot and dirty grill grates, even if there's the food still on them. Us this gadget when you need to add coals, wood, water. water pans, or to rescue food that has dropped through the grates. This may seem like a frivolity, but it is a thoroughly useful tool. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
So what do you do with the ash from your grill? Wood ash is high pH, highly alkaline, and, in small quantities, can be used as a substitute for lime, to correct acidic soil. But the fine particle size can clog pores in soil causing drainage problems.
 There is a debate over use of charcoal ash, however. Charcoal has additives that some say may be harmful to the garden, lawn, or compost, but it is not clear to me how much, if any remain after combustion. I have heard that if sent to the landfill it actually helps decomposition of trash. I have also heard that putting it around the edges of gardens and patios will keep grass from encroaching. When my fire cools, I dump my ash in a galvanized ash can . This summer I'll try some along the edge of the patio. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
Not much more than a glorified fish scale, but it works just fine. An empty tank weight 20 pounds, and a full one is 40 pounds. Hoist your tank and the gauge gives you a pretty good guesstimate of how much is left. I take mine when I exchange empty tanks for full ones. You'd be surprised how many are underfilled. Of course you do have a backup tank, don't you? And you do backup you computer don't you (one copy on premises and one copy off premises)? Click here to order the Grill Gauge from Amazon.com. - Meathead
 Coleman Cooler
Capacious (67 cans), with can holders in the lid, large wheels, a long tow handle, and a drain plug.
It is sturdy enough to sit on, keeps ice for several days at ambient temperatures up to 90°F.
Most importantly: You can keep your meats and marinades in it when you need a faux cambro (a very important tool). For discount pricing on the 40 quart and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. For discount pricing on the 50 quart and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
If your grill didn't come with a side burner, here's how to make up for the deficiency. Butane burners like this get very hot very fast, and are great for keeping sauces warm or even for frying side dishes. My only complaint is that it does not come with a carrying case. Note that the butane tanks do not come in the box and they are hard to find online or in hardware stores, but they are easy to find in Korean or other "Oriental" groceries where these burners are popular. Make sure you have a source for fuel before you buy one of these. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
 OXO Good Grips Tongs
Rated #1 by Cooks Illustrated and winners of the Tylenol/Arthritis Foundation Design Award. Dishwasher safe stainless steel with OXO's popular nonslip rubber handles. The ends are scalloped for better gripping. There is a loop for hanging and a mechanism that locks them in closed position for storing (which has failed after several years on all three pairs that I have). Regardless, they are still my faves. I just store them with a cardboard toilet paper core over the ends. I use mine for everything from the grill to tossing salads. For discount pricing on the 12" tongs and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
The 18" tongs don't have the locking mechanism, but they are necessary if you have a deep pit. But be warned, the longer the tongs, the less leverage you have and the harder it is to get a grip. For discount pricing on the 18" tongs and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
I also recommend their nylon tipped tongs for use on non-stick cookware. For discount pricing on the 9" tongs and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
 A jumbo hybrid of tongs and spatulas, this is the proper tool for flipping fish, burgers, and other crumbly foods. Rosewood handle protects you against the heat, and there is a leather loop for hanging. They come with a lifetime warranty. I find them to be indispensable. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
 Toolkits
These kits sure look cool, but I've never seen one with all the tools I need, and the ones I've looked at up close came with poor quality tools or unnecessary tools. I buy them a la carte. - Meathead
Here's how to make two perfectly toasted panini style grilled sandwiches at once. Use this old fashioned double pie iron, originally designed for filled pies, for everything from Grilled Cheese to Pulled Pork. Just butter your sandwich on the outside, open up the hinged mold, insert the sandwiches and put it over the coals, campfire, or gas grill. This Old Mountain cast iron double square pie iron is 4 1/2" x 8 1/4" and is pre-seasoned and ready to use. The long handle allows you to grill in comfort away from a camp fire. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here . - Meathead
My wife hasn't noticed the burn hole yet. It's pretty substantial. For the life of me I don't understand why the deck didn't go up in flames and take the house with it. Must be some sort of flame retardant in the wood. But a hunk of charcoal somehow jumped from my grill and tried to escape before I caught it. But not before it burned a serious hole.
My wife hasn't noticed because I covered the burn with a Grill Pad. A little late, but not too late. This lightweight flexible fiber cement pad protects my deck from runaway coals, spills, and grease dropping from the grease pan on my gas grill (have you emptied yours lately?). Grill Pads come in a variety of sizes, shapes and logos. I got mine with a Florida Gator logo, my alma mater. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
These are a rip off of the famous French recliner by Lafuma. I own two of them, and, man, are they comfortable. This model is cheaper. Park it next to the cooler, pour a cold one into your stein, set your Maverick remote temperature monitor on top of the cooler. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
The Park Catalog has some nice lawn furniture and sturdy picnic tables designed for parks and recreation services. Click here to see their offerings. - Meathead
Now here's one of those slap your forehead and mumble "why didn't I think of that" ideas. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here . - Meathead
This heavy stainless steel injector (above) holds 2 ounces of fluid and has a 2 1/4" needle with two staggered holes on the sides. This is a good all purpose injector and the one I use the most. It works for thick meats like turkey breasts as well as thin meats like chops. There is a comfortable three-hole finger grip, and a removable lid to make cleaning easy. The silicon gasket provides a really good seal. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
This Italian job is similar to the stainless steel Butterball above but it has 12 holes on the 6" needle for deep and thorough distribution of payload. You can insert, squeeze, and remove. But beware, with this many holes, it is not good for thin cuts. The liquid will squirt out of the upper holes if they are not in the meat. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.- Meathead
This is a serious tool for competition barbecue. It comes with two 5.5" heavy-duty needles, one with numerous holes in the sides.
It has a 2 ounce capacity and you can adjust the dose of injection with a dail. With this one you can just insert it into thick meat and squeeze, you don't have to pull it out slowly as you squeeze as you do with the others. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.- Meathead
Many competition cooks and caterers use big pumps like this. They are especially useful for injecting whole hogs or injecting lots of food for the concession booth at the state high school soccer championship tournament. - Meathead
Smoke EZ Grill Conversion Kit
 Here's a clever way to turn your inexpensive Weber Kettle into a smoker. The Smoke EZ kit contains a large powder coated 20 gauge steel ring that sits between the lid of your kettle and the bottom. Powder coating is pretty durable and should protect the ring from rust for years. Inside the ring are brackets to hold two standard round Weber grates or if you prefer, their hangar rack that allows you to hang whole fish, ribs, sausage, hams or food up to 22" long.
In the bottom half of the Kettle you place a fire ring and pour the coals around it in a C shape. You light a few coal on one end with a FireStarter Cube and the C shape of coals burns slowly and gently around the ring for long low and slow cooks that last many hours. Then there is a water bowl/drip pan that you can set inside the ring to catch drips and add humidity to the environment.
Add this to a Weber One Touch Gold and you have an easy ash cleanout. The Smoke EZ has handles making removal of the center section easy, and they will come in handy on really long cooks because there is no door in the side to add charcoal or water as there is on the Weber Smokey Mountain. The fire ring configuration allows greater fuel capacity then the WSM.
There are two models, one for the 22.5" standard Weber Kettle, and one for the larger 26.75" Kettle. I have only seen the small one and I have never cooked on one. Order direct from the manufacturer, Smoke EZ. - Meathead
I really really wanted to like this thing. There is clearly a lot of clever thought and engineering in it and the owner of the company is a real sweet guy. And it works in some cases, but not so much in most cases.
There is a rod that connects to your grill's rotisserie motor, if you have a rotisserie. Then there are two brackets that go on the rod, each with four arms. The arms hold slotted shelves that hold your food. Turn on your motor and round and round they go like a food Ferris wheel. Well this is the exact same concept used in large commercial restaurant smokers because the heat and smoke enter them from a small area at the back, and the Ferris wheel allows the food to move around in the cooking chamber in and out of hot spots so all of it cooks evenly.
On most home cookers, there aren't hot rear of front hot spots like this. On a gas grill, if there are hot spots they are usually on one side or another, especially if you turn off burners to keep the temp low. In those cases the Ribolator is worthless because you have a hot and cold side. Not good if the food is on a rotisserie and one side is exposed to heat and the other is not.
On the other hand, if your burners line up front to rear, and few do anymore, it works nicely. And it can increase your capacity slightly on a drum or kettle or bullet smoker, but not as much as rib holders.
I have tried a demo the manufacturer sent me on several cookers and I just don't see that there is any way, theoretically or in practice, that it improves quality.
To set it up you have to remove the cooking grates on most grills, and it is a bit of a pain to assemble and clean. But worst of all, if you are cooking ribs, it can only handle narrow slabs that can be confined within the shelves. Wide spare ribs bang into the other shelves and spill the contents out. And if you are only cooking one slab, you have to counterbalance the opposite shelf with rocks or something. Then the meat drips on them.
Bottom line, if you are looking to increase the capacity of your drum, kettle, or bullet smoker, these may do the trick, otherwise, pass. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. - Meathead
Don't use jaccard blade tenderizers
These nifty devices are designed to tenderize meat by slicing through tough fibers. You place it on top of the meat and press it down plunging thin razor sharp blades into the meat, and in the process plunge microbes on the surface deep into the interior.
A piece of meat often might have contamination on the surface, but not in the interior. When you cook, the flame pasteurizes it by killing everything on the exterior. If it has been innoculated with a blade tenderizer, there is a much higher risk. You should also avoid commercial meats that have been blade tenderized. |
GrillGrates amplify heat, eliminate hot spots, and block flareups. This is the concept behind the expensive new infrared grills. A must add-on for all gas grills. 
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