When it comes to BBQ, most people often forget about the importance of the right smoker accessories (the best grill accessories). Compared to purchasing a smoker, they do not want to spend either time or money on them. Thus, we have highlighted some of the uses of 10 useful smoker grill accessories in the following article. Just like how a good smoker is important for a BBQ, tools make all the work much easier.
What’s The Best Pellet Grill For You?
It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about pellet grills, pop songs, or pizza, everyone always wants to know which is the best. While that might seem like a fairly straight forward question, there is no simple one-word answer. Is the best pellet grill the most popular one made by the best-known brand? Is it the most expensive one with the most advanced features and high-end bells and whistles? Is it the one that offers the best combination of price and performance? Really, the answer depends on you, your means, and your needs. Or, put another way, maybe the question shouldn’t be what’s the best pellet grill? but what’s the best pellet grill for you?
Our Pick: Camp Chef SmokePro Stainless DLX Pellet Grill
10 Best and Essential Grill and Smoker Accessories
1) A Best Wireless Meat Thermometer
A high-quality meat thermometer is one of the essential BBQ smoker accessories, which is why we have bumped it to the top of the list. If you have ever barbecued without one, you must surely know how frustrating it is to constantly check the meat. And believe me, the built-in ones in your smoker lid are often not good enough.
There is where a dual probe thermometer comes in. It simultaneously reads the temperature of the meat and the cooker to give you an accurate result on its digital display.
Best for Budget: ThermoPro TP-08S Wireless Meat Thermometer
If you are looking for a thermometer that is not only durable but also budget-friendly, you have come to the right place. ThermoPro includes an 8.5 inches long food probe and a 3 inches long BBQ probe to give an accurate temperature from a range of 32˚F to 572˚F. With a 300-feet wireless remote range, you can keep an eye on the meat while preparing your backyard for the party.
Moreover, the thermometer allows you to set up the desired temperature easily. Such that, the receiver beeps and flashes if the temperature goes even slightly out of the range. Apart from this, you can use ThermoPro as a timer too.
Coming to its durability, the whole device has a rubber covering to protect it from falls.
Our pick: ThermoWorks Smoke Thermometer
This dual probe thermometer has been designed for professional chefs and competitive BBQ teams. Such that, Smoke’s rugged covering and durable seals provide splash-proof protection, and its commercial-grade probes give you accurate and faster results every time.
Apart from this, it has a wireless range of 300-feet, allowing you to roam around and work on other things while your meat is cooking. You can read the temperatures on Smoke’s dashboard-like display, which even has a backlight for further clarity.
Besides this, the receiver comes pre-paired and beeps at alarms. You can control the alarm settings directly on the Smoke receiver. If all this was not enough, this thermometer has a very high probe range of -58 to 572°F.
2) A Good Heat Resistant BBQ Gloves
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could cook delicious smoky meat without burning your hands even once? Believe me, getting minor burns is quite common during BBQ. Thus, you must only invest in a pair of high-quality heat-resistant gloves. Only then, can you move the smoker, light a grill, turn a brisket, or handle the charcoal safely.
Our Pick: GRILL HEAT AID Extreme Heat Resistant Grill/BBQ Gloves
These pair of EN4O7 certified gloves can help you work in heat up to 932°F. They have been designed with synthetic Para and Meta Aramid fibers, which are known for their heat resistant, high performance, and heavy-duty use.
Apart from this, they fit snugly over your hands and include silicone strips to give you the perfect grip. Thus, you can focus on handling the grill or using the fryer without worrying over hurting yourself.
Even though they are quite heat-resistant, as per recommendation, you should not let cooking oil get on the gloves.
3) A Right Charcoal Chimney Fire Starter
Want to know about a quick and safe way to start your grill? If yes, then we have got the perfect solution for you. Instead of using lighter fluids, invest in a chimney fire starter to make your life easier. You only have to pour some charcoals in the chimney, scrunch up a few pieces of paper at the bottom, and light it up.
Compared to using other methods, chimney fire starters will start your grill in just 15-20 minutes. Moreover, it should be noted that using lighter fluids for your BBQ does not impart an authentic smoky flavor.
Our pick: Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter
This classic chimney starter packs all the best features which have earned it its top spot. To begin with, it has an Aluminum steel body with a cone-shaped bottom. This design helps to increase its heat conduction, start fires faster and spread the heat evenly. Besides this, it measures about 7.5 x 7.5 x 12 inches, making it large enough to hold charcoals for a 22.5-inch kettle grill.
If this was not enough, Weber’s thermoplastic handle allows you to handle the fire starter safely when the coals are burning. Its two-handle design stabilizes the unit while emptying the charcoals too. Additionally, a heat shield minimizes the transmission of heat to the handle.
If you want to grill your food without the flavor of lighter fluids, the Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter is the answer for you. You can get a batch of hot burnt charcoals in just 20 minutes.
4) Keep Your Cooking Area Clean With A BBQ Grill Brush
I am sure no one wants their expensive grill to start looking old after just a few sessions of BBQ. If you are one of those people who do not mind cleaning up, keep reading to learn more about one of the best smoker accessories, a BBQ Grill Brush.
The easiest way to clean is to heat the grill for around 10 minutes after each cook. This will loosen up all the built-up gunk on the grill while it is still fresh. Then, use your high-quality grill brush to clean out the whole grate. Next, simply wash out the inner grate with water and replace it before the next round of BBQ.
Our pick: Kona Bristle-Free Barbecue Brush
Since this barbecue brush is bristle-free, you do not have to worry over it wearing down or metal bristles falling into your food. Moreover, it has no sharp edges, and unlike nylon brushes, it will not melt in hot temperatures. As per recommendations, it has been declared safe for porcelain, infrared, ceramic, Weber, and even Char-broil.
The high-quality stainless steel brush is 100% rust-resistant and lasts more than five times longer, making it one of the most durable brushes in the market. In addition to this, it is much more rigid than other brushes and does not bend easily.
If all this was not enough, the brush has an ideal length of 18 inches, ensuring that you are safe from the heat while cleaning up the grill. Along with this, the scrubbing surface is 6 inches wide, which lets you clean off the gunk quickly.
5) BBQ Grill Tongs
BBQ tongs are one of the most used smoker accessories. If you want to avoid any burns, you must invest in a pair of high-quality tongs. Most of the tongs in the market are constructed cheaply with low-quality materials that heat up fast, are lightweight, and bend too much.
Hence, you want to purchase a pair which are ideally made from stainless steel and include a spring-loaded hinge. Most importantly, the handles must have some sort of insulation to protect your hands from heat. Your tongs will help you turn over the meat on your grill like an expert.
Our pick: GRILLHOGS Barbecue Grill Tongs
Designed for BBQ experts, these pair of tongs are made from high-quality stainless steel, ensuring that they are durable and last for a long time. Apart from this, the handles have damage-resistant oak wood insulation to protect your hands from burning. With a length of 16 inches, the long handles give you control and keep you away from the heat. Such that, they can bear temperatures up to 600 degrees.
Besides this, the tongs have a locking feature for compact storage and maximizing your accessory space. Its sturdy oak wood handles, however, can sometimes become slick. To counter this, you can simply use heat-resistant BBQ gloves for a better grip.
Moreover, the tongs have scalloped tips to offer a firm hold on your food. Unfortunately, these ends only worked best on certain foods and not everything.
6) A Good Quality Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
Yes, we know that we have already discussed dual probe thermometers before. But an instant-read thermometer is quite different from the previous one. These can prove to be quite important when you are barbecuing scrumptious steaks. Such that, this thermometer is useful for foods where even a little change in temperature can make a huge difference or when you are cooking slow and low.
This type of thermometer reads off the temperature of the inside of the meat very accurately and in the shortest time possible. After purchasing one of these, you will never overcook or undercook your meat again.
Our pick: ThermoWorks Thermapen MK4 Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
Even though they are quite expensive, this thermometer packs all the best features in a durable covering. You will find yourself using this over and over again without damaging or wearing it out.
To start with, it can read off the temperature in just two to three seconds with an accuracy of ±0.7°F. It even has a certificate for NIS T-Traceable calibration along with test data to show its accuracy. Besides this, it has a large temperature range from -58.0 to 572.0°F.
Apart from this, this accurate and innovative thermometer includes an auto-rotating display. Thus, it will show the reading in whatever direction you may be holding the device. Another feature to highlight is its easy storage. Its 4.3 inches long probe is foldable, making it compact enough to store it in your kitchen drawers.
If all this was not enough, it even has an automatic motion-sensing wake and sleep mode, a backlight to increase visibility in low lights, and can display temperatures in both °C and °F. Moreover, it has a waterproof design and can be used in either hand. Its convenient, lightweight body makes using the thermometer a breeze.
7) A Basting Mop
The longer you grill or smoke the meat, the drier it tends to get. Such that, you need to baste the meat with oil or marinade regularly to keep it succulent. This is where another smoker grill accessory comes into play. Have you ever heard of a basting mop? If not, we are surely going to introduce you to its usefulness.
A basting mop is quite different from any regular brushes that you might have in the kitchen. Not only do they have a longer handle, but they also have a much durable head. A kitchen brush would simply burn and ruin the flavor of your food.
Our pick: GRILLHOGS Grill Basting Brush
This basting brush has an absorbent and soft head to help spread the sauce, glaze, marinade, or butter evenly on your meat. It is perfect for spreading thinner sauces, like vinegar-based ones and Texas-Style BBQ sauces, on your meat. The soft brush soaks up all the liquid and is quite adept at transferring it on the meat.
On the other hand, it does not work that well with thicker sauces. The sauce remained soaked in the mop and only transferred it minimally on the meat.
Coming to its handle, it is 18 inches long and made from high-quality wood. Thus, it keeps your hands safely at a distance from the heat while giving precise control as well. For further safety, the wooden handle will not heat up quickly.
The best part about this basting mop is that it comes with two mop heads, which can be detached easily. You can simply pop it in the washing machine for a quick hands-free wash.
8) Butcher’s Block
A regular-sized kitchen cutting board will not be sufficient for your BBQ needs. First of all, you must never purchase glass ones. They not only blunt your knife, but they are also quite hard to work with. For a butcher’s block, you need to look for a sturdy, high-quality, durable wooden board. These will keep your knives sharp and make cutting your meat much easier.
Our pick: SoulFino Bamboo Butcher Block
This butcher block measures about 17 x 13 inches, making it large enough to even hold a full brisket. Thus, you will not even have to worry about food falling off from the edges. Apart from this, it contains deep grooves on the edges to catch any juice leaking from your food. This will prevent all sorts of mess and make clean-up easier.
Besides this, the cutting board has been constructed with only the best bamboo. Since bamboo is anti-bacterial, your food will remain hygienic for your healthy family. Along with this, SoulFino has added convenient handles on the side, making it portable and easier to move around.
If all this was not enough, this stylish board does not stain and has a scratch-resistant finish. Therefore, it is quite easy to clean and will show only minimum knife scars over time. The board comes pre-treated so that you can start using it right off its box.
9) Boning Knife
I think we might have been boring you with this huge list of smoker accessories. But honestly, you will find a use for each one of these at a BBQ party. For example, when you are preparing meat for a large crowd, your regular kitchen knife will not do the trick. You need the sharpest boning knife to trim the fat or clean-up a rack of ribs.
Dexter-Russell Boning Knife
This boning knife is almost six inches and extremely sharp to help you cut the toughest of meats. Made from high-carbon steel, it is durable enough to last for a long time without blunting the edge. Apart from this, it has a curved yet flexible blade, which helps you reach all the corners with ease.
When it comes to the handle, Dexter-Russell has used grip-tex for maximum comfort and safety, and made it long enough to work with it easily. Besides this, the handle has been sealed around the end of the knife to make it easier for clean-up.
10) Rib Racks
Racks tend to take up a lot of space in your smoker or grill. If you are planning to cook a large number of ribs, it better to invest in a rib rack instead of purchasing a larger smoker. This smart invention can maximize your grilling space by cutting it down to almost two-thirds.
Sorbus Non-Stick Rib Rack
This rib rack is large enough to hold four ribs upright for cooking in your smoker or griller. Along with this, the racks are wide apart for good heat and airflow. Coming to its durability, the stainless steel rack has been porcelain-coated to keep it safe from the extremely high temperatures.
Moreover, the rack measures 11.4 x 9.75 x 3.25 inches and can fit perfectly inside a Charbroil, Forge, Kenmore, Brinkmann, Weber, and other grills. However, you will find that full-length ribs do not fit on the racks. You will have to cut them in half to prevent them from flopping outside.
Conclusion
Even though the most important equipment for a BBQ is a grill or smoker, having all the right accessories can make a huge difference. Not only will you save a lot of time, but these BBQ smoker accessories will also make your life much easier.
Hopefully, this article has been informative enough about all the right accessories and their uses in a BBQ. Before purchasing an item, make sure to give its section a thorough need to know about all the important factors to look for.
Last Updated on August 17, 2020 by Judith Fertig
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