Tools of the Trade are Important for Outdoor Grilling Too

I find many folks end up thinking they are grilling failures, because they do not invest in the right equipment. Even if your barbecue "base" is a standard grill and not a fully equiped outdoor kitchen (which includes most of us), it's still important to have the correct grill gear. You don't try to paint your house without drop clothes and rollers and line tape (or I hope not), so dedicate some time and a little money to ensure much better barbecue grilling fun.

You may think, "Well, I have a grate, so I don't need any pots and pans."

Hum, WRONG. Good grillers use cookware sets and cast iron skillets and grill woks. Some foods just don't work on the grates. Then, there's that side burner on the gas grills. Sadly, few people take full advantage of that feature which allows for full meal cooking outdoors and no heat or mess in the kitchen. Get good pots and pans that conduct heat well, and you expand your grilling horizons tremendously.

On charcoal, I stick with old style cast iron which is black anyway and will withstand flares. Over gas grill heat, I use most any of my good cookware pots and pans - depending on what I'm grilling. The side burner is fine for basically any good quality pot or pan. I like the Le Creuset, because it's sturdy and holds the heat well (and side burners tend to be lacking a bit on the heat output).

I also keep grill gloves on hand. I like Lodge and Oxo Grill gloves. Kitchen mits are not made for the high grill heat, and they get scorched and nasty. If you're a guy, you will not make your lady happy if you mess up her nice kitchen mits. Invest in grill gloves which protect your hands and hold up much longer.

There are loads of accessories and grill gear on the market, and most items aren't too expensive. Look around and put the extras on your birthday or Christmas list. Just a few nice pots/pans, skillets, gloves, really good barbecue sauce like Wild n Mild and an excellent grate cleaner like Grill Floss.

Yes you can grill (as I say at my grill web site by the same name), but it's much easier and the results are much better if you're armed for the job. Start building your barbecue grill gear collection and see the difference.