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Memorial Day marks the unofficial kickoff to the outdoor hosting season, but just because grilling is a holiday tradition doesn’t mean it has to be ordinary. To help you elevate your game, we put together a list of 11 BBQ upgrades for everything from adding wood-fired flavor to a standard gas grill to keeping biting bugs at bay. When it comes to adding enjoyment for you and your guests, the following tools will make a major difference.
Best Grill Press
Photo: Amazon
Achieving a restaurant-quality sear on burgers or preventing bacon from curling is much easier with a heavy-duty weight like this 2.64-pound American-made press from Lodge, an heirloom-quality brand that’s been making cast iron cookware since 1896. The heavy-duty press features a cool-grip handle for safe positioning, and the 6.75-inch by 4.5-inch rectangular surface is pre-seasoned for immediate use.
Best Smoker Tube
LizzQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube
Buy at AmazonThanks to this simple 12-inch hexagonal tube from LizzQ, adding wood-fired flavor to standard gas-grill fare doesn’t have to be a huge to-do. Simply fill the durable 304 stainless steel tube with wood pellets, light them using a propane torch, and set the tube on your grill grates for up to 5 hours of consistent smoke.
Best Grill Gloves
Photo: Amazon
Handling high-heat tasks—like positioning your pellet smoker tube or adjusting hot and heavy grill grates—requires more protection than standard kitchen mitts provide. Made from flexible aramid and cotton blend with a silicone lining, these one-size-fits-all Blackstone gloves are designed to withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Their textured nonslip grip helps you keep your hold on heavy cast iron or greasy tools, and the extended sleeves offer a barrier against wayward splatters.
Best Grill Gazebo
Photo: Amazon
Nothing ups your grilling game like creating a dedicated cooking zone, especially when doing so involves popping up a structure that extends the party past sunset. This 8-foot by 5-foot grill gazebo from ABCCanopy features a double-tiered ventilated roof that promotes airflow to prevent smoke from becoming trapped, plus a powder-coated steel frame that offers year-round resistance to rust and chipping. Integrated LED lights make it easy to grill virtually any time of day, and the two side shelves with hooks and a built-in bottle opener keep both grilling tools and refreshments within close reach.
Best Sharpening Stone
Norton IM313 Multi-Oilstone Sharpening System
Buy at AmazonDull knives are more than frustrating; they can also be unsafe. To keep a sharp edge on all your kitchen cutlery, Norton’s multi-oilstone sharpening system is designed with a rotating axis that has three distinct surfaces: coarse and medium for repairing and sharpening, and fine for honing. The self-contained unit includes a built-in reservoir that keeps each stone saturated in oil, alongside a specialized angle guide to ensure smooth slicing through everything from smoked brisket to grilled veggies.
Best Outdoor Misting Fan
Geek Aire Battery-Operated Outdoor Misting Fan
Buy at AmazonNothing says you have to get all sweaty just because you’re managing the grill, and this top pick from our tests of the best outdoor misting fans provides an easy way to cool off while still allowing you to bring the heat. With a powerful 1,500 CFM airflow, Geek Aire’s portable misting fan features built-in wheels and a 2.9-gallon water tank—or, you can connect it right to your garden hose for ongoing operation. The unit’s two rechargeable batteries provide up to 46 hours of runtime, and its IPX4 water-resistant construction ensures it can handle everything from sudden changes in weather to splashes from kids with water balloons.
Best Grill Cleaner
Photo: Walmart
No matter how high quality your ingredients are, you won’t get maximum flavor if the surface you’re cooking on is full of old char and grime. For its powerful natural degreaser (d-Limonene) and easy spray application, the CitrusSafe BBQ grill cleaner earned the Best Overall award in our lineup of tested grill cleaners. The biodegradable formula cuts easily through stubborn buildup and grease on cold grates without harsh chemical fumes, and it’s safe for use on grills, griddles, and smokers.
Best Basting Pot
Photo: Amazon
You really want to get fancy? Put down that squeeze bottle of store-bought sauce and quit making a sticky mess of surfaces with Oxo’s basting pot and brush. The stainless steel pot holds up to 18 ounces, as well as the brush between bastes, while both tools’ nonslip handles keep your grip secure even as your hands get sweaty. The pot’s silicone lid protects your marinade from outdoor debris, and the entire set is dishwasher safe for simple cleanup.
Best Meat Thermometer
TempPro Wireless Meat Thermometer
Buy at AmazonWith this wireless meat thermometer from TempPro, leaving the grill to grab a drink never results in an overcooked steak. Thanks to its 500-foot range and four color-coded probes, you can monitor multiple cuts of meat at once, and the TempPro will flash and vibrate on both the receiver and transmitter to let you know when each probe reaches your programmed setting. The receiver screen is easy to read even in full sun, and the transmitter hangs, props up on its stand, or attaches via its magnet to keep it close yet out of the way.
Best Mosquito Trap
Photo: Amazon
Upgrading your grilling game is as much about atmosphere as it is about cooking, which makes the Dynatrap 1-acre LED mosquito and insect trap essential. Rather than slathering yourself and your guests in stinky spray (and tasting it each time you slurp sauce from your fingers), this UV-LED trap gives you a quiet, chemical-free way to ward off biting bugs. The unit’s long-lasting light attracts moths, wasps, and yellow jackets, while its powerful fan sucks in weak-flying mosquitoes, gnats, and no-see-ums. The large collection basket means there’s no need to empty it until well after the cookout is over, and the one-touch release basket makes the process simple when the time comes.
Best Grill Set
Taimasi Grill Tool Set
Buy at AmazonIf you’re looking for a gift for a new griller or know it’s time to replace your crusty old accessories with a new set, this 34-piece kit from Taimasi contains every instrument you could want or need. Inclusions like spatulas, tongs, skewers, and meat forks are made from food-grade, rust-proof stainless steel. Extras like grill mats for cooking fish or vegetables, holders for corn on the cob, and kitchen shears for cutting herbs come in handy when you suddenly realize you need them. The entire grill tool set fits into a waterproof carry bag for organized storage, and the whole thing costs less than you’d likely pay for a handful of the included accessories alone.
