Is grilling your passion? If so, you probably enjoy shopping for grill accessories and tools that eliminate the pain points of cooking grilled food.
Beginner grillers face many challenges, such as guessing whether the grill is hot enough or if the chicken is cooked properly. Spatulas, tongs, brushes, meat thermometers, mitts, and baskets are only some of the best grilling tools.
These are the essentials.
Spatula
A grilling spatula is a useful tool for flipping food while cooking, especially for ingredients that arent tong-friendly, such as delicate fish. Spatulas should have an offset handle that enables grillers to slip them under the food without any problem. The handle must be long to keep the heat away from your hands.
Moreover, metal and silicone spatulas are the best for grilling, as these materials are well suited for high heat. Plastic isnt a recommended material, as it might end up melting. When grilling fish fillets or other delicate foods, a spatula is what you need to flip them.
Long-handled tongs
Another indispensable grill accessory is long-handled tongs. These can be used for manipulating different kinds of foods, like steaks, asparagus spears, etc. Long-handled tongs allow grillers to rotate food in order for all surfaces to be cooked evenly. Click here, https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/7-ingenious-uses-for-your-kitchen-tongs-other-than-flipping-food/, to see seven clever ways of using your kitchen tongs other than flipping food.
Furthermore, using thongs instead of a large fork is helpful for maintaining the juiciness and shape of foods, as the fork pierces them and allows the juices to escape. Also, tongs allow grillers to position the ingredients on the grill wherever they want to acquire perfect marks.
Grill brush
An important accessory for every grilling enthusiast is the grill brush. Grillers should keep the rack clean to enable healthy cooking. Prior to using your barbeque, you are advised to preheat the rack for ten to fifteen minutes for the residue left on the rack to clean off easily. The grates should then be brushed with a grill brush until they are free from any ingredients.
Brass-bristle brushes are preferred over steel brushes, as the latter is damaging for the enamel finish of certain grates. Keeping the grates clean will not only extend the lifespan of your BBQ unit but also prevent the meat from sticking to the surface. Grillers should use such a brush to remove debris from the grates before and after grilling.
Meat thermometer
Another handy grill accessory is the meat thermometer, which is useful for gauging temperature. Check out more options for outdoor grill accessories. Instant-read meat thermometers are the best friends of grillers. If you worry about undercooking or overcooking the meat, such a thermometer will help you cook it perfectly. You should insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, right in the center, not close to the bone.
For instance, beef and lamb are supposed to be cooked at 145?, pork at 160?, and poultry at 165?. Meat should be checked near the end of the cooking time to avoid overcooking. Always leave the pieces to rest for several minutes after taking them off the grill to be juicier.
Grill mitts
Oven mitts are useful in the kitchen, but they wont suffice when dealing with barbeque heat. Grillers would mostly benefit from using large mitts whose length reaches the elbow. There are plenty of mitts to choose from, available in various high-tech materials like silicone, leather, heavy-duty cotton, and other fire-retardant fabrics. The main purpose of wearing such mitts is to protect your hands from flames and heat while moving food, flipping steaks, or handling coals.
Basting brush
Apart from the cleaning brush mentioned previously, grillers would benefit from a basting brush too. Basting is the process of adding extra flavor to grilled food by keeping it moist. It refers to brushing or pouring sauces and marinades over food. The classic model of basting brush is made of plastic bristles or boar, which are likely to trap bacteria, as it cannot be washed in a dishwasher.
Individuals can clean their basting brushes by dipping them in bleach from time to time to kill potential bacteria. The most recent basting brush models are produced from dishwater-safe silicone. Nevertheless, they hold much less liquid than natural bristles. Hence, you should dip them more often into your basting liquid.
Grill basket
Last but not least, such a basket is of great assistance to grillers, particularly when grilling vegetables. It prevents veggies and small meat pieces from falling through the rack. Getting an all-purpose basket is a simple but smart decision, unlike the baskets specially designed for meatballs or fish.
Wrap up
Every grill accessory has a specific purpose that facilitates the grilling process.
Investing in such gadgets and tools is recommended to grillers, both beginners and experienced!