Top 10 Grilling Accessories No Backyard Chef Should Be Without

Lighter fluid is a war crime against flavor. The Weber chimney starter lights a full load of charcoal in 15 minutes using nothing but newspaper and physics. Pour the coals, and you have an even, chemical-free heat bed ready for cooking. It costs twelve dollars and eliminates the single worst habit in backyard grilling.

These interlocking aluminum panels replace your stock grill grates and transform heat distribution from chaotic to surgical. The raised-rail design eliminates flare-ups, creates restaurant-quality sear marks, and amplifies infrared heat by up to 200 degrees. They fit any grill and turn a $300 cooker into something that performs like a $3,000 one.

A heavy slab of cast iron that presses burgers flat, smashes chicken thighs into the grate, and creates the kind of crust that only full-surface contact can deliver. The grill press is the simplest, most underused tool in outdoor cooking. It weighs five pounds, costs twenty dollars, and gives you diner-quality smash burgers on a backyard grill.

Henry Ford invented the charcoal briquette using sawdust and wood scraps from his Model T factory, and Kingsford has been making it the same way since 1920. It lights reliably, burns consistently, and provides a predictable heat bed that lets you focus on cooking instead of fire management. It is not glamorous. It is essential.

Two fistfuls of sharp, heat-resistant claws that turn a pork shoulder into pulled pork in under 60 seconds. Before Bear Paws, people used forks and spent twenty minutes shredding a single butt. These things are violent, effective, and oddly satisfying. They also work on rotisserie chicken, pot roast, and anything else that needs to be torn apart with purpose.

Leave-in probes that transmit temperature to your phone so you never have to open the lid to check doneness. The wireless meat probe turns a 6-hour smoke into a spectator sport — sit in a lawn chair, watch the graph climb, and only get up when the alert fires. Modern versions handle four probes simultaneously for multi-zone cooking.

Cheap tongs bend, slip, and turn a ribeye flip into a rescue operation. OXO's 16-inch stainless steel tongs have a locking mechanism, non-slip grip, and enough spring tension to handle a two-pound tomahawk without breaking a sweat. They are an extension of your hand over a 600-degree fire. Do not cheap out on the one tool you use every single cook.

Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest have been cooking salmon on cedar planks for centuries. The wood smolders on the grill, infusing fish with a sweet, smoky perfume while keeping it moist and preventing it from sticking. A pack of planks costs eight dollars, soaks in water for an hour, and turns any backyard grill into a seafood restaurant.

A completely wireless probe — no wires running out of the grill, no dongle clipped to the lid. The MEATER+ sits inside the meat and sends dual-sensor readings (internal and ambient temperature) to your phone via Bluetooth, with a cloud-connected range of 165 feet. The guided cook system estimates finish time based on real-time temperature curves. It is the future of fire and meat.

Lighter fluid is a war crime against flavor. The Weber chimney starter lights a full load of charcoal in 15 minutes using nothing but newspaper and physics. Pour the coals, and you have an even, chemical-free heat bed ready for cooking. It costs twelve dollars and eliminates the single worst habit in backyard grilling.

These interlocking aluminum panels replace your stock grill grates and transform heat distribution from chaotic to surgical. The raised-rail design eliminates flare-ups, creates restaurant-quality sear marks, and amplifies infrared heat by up to 200 degrees. They fit any grill and turn a $300 cooker into something that performs like a $3,000 one.

A heavy slab of cast iron that presses burgers flat, smashes chicken thighs into the grate, and creates the kind of crust that only full-surface contact can deliver. The grill press is the simplest, most underused tool in outdoor cooking. It weighs five pounds, costs twenty dollars, and gives you diner-quality smash burgers on a backyard grill.

Henry Ford invented the charcoal briquette using sawdust and wood scraps from his Model T factory, and Kingsford has been making it the same way since 1920. It lights reliably, burns consistently, and provides a predictable heat bed that lets you focus on cooking instead of fire management. It is not glamorous. It is essential.

Two fistfuls of sharp, heat-resistant claws that turn a pork shoulder into pulled pork in under 60 seconds. Before Bear Paws, people used forks and spent twenty minutes shredding a single butt. These things are violent, effective, and oddly satisfying. They also work on rotisserie chicken, pot roast, and anything else that needs to be torn apart with purpose.

Leave-in probes that transmit temperature to your phone so you never have to open the lid to check doneness. The wireless meat probe turns a 6-hour smoke into a spectator sport — sit in a lawn chair, watch the graph climb, and only get up when the alert fires. Modern versions handle four probes simultaneously for multi-zone cooking.

Cheap tongs bend, slip, and turn a ribeye flip into a rescue operation. OXO's 16-inch stainless steel tongs have a locking mechanism, non-slip grip, and enough spring tension to handle a two-pound tomahawk without breaking a sweat. They are an extension of your hand over a 600-degree fire. Do not cheap out on the one tool you use every single cook.

Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest have been cooking salmon on cedar planks for centuries. The wood smolders on the grill, infusing fish with a sweet, smoky perfume while keeping it moist and preventing it from sticking. A pack of planks costs eight dollars, soaks in water for an hour, and turns any backyard grill into a seafood restaurant.

A completely wireless probe — no wires running out of the grill, no dongle clipped to the lid. The MEATER+ sits inside the meat and sends dual-sensor readings (internal and ambient temperature) to your phone via Bluetooth, with a cloud-connected range of 165 feet. The guided cook system estimates finish time based on real-time temperature curves. It is the future of fire and meat.