You may have succumbed to the griddle craze that’s taking over the wish lists of backyard chefs, or maybe you’re old school and are sticking to the propane or charcoal grill. Either way, there are some tools you’ll need to impress anyone that will be eating your creations.
Grill Accessories: Long-Handle Spatula
There are two variations and which one you choose will depend on your choice of cooking method. For a grill, a long-handled version is a must have. Grills can have flames and flames can singe the hair off your arm. A longer spatula will help you avoid looking like you’re preparing to swim in the Olympics. You can reach the cooking meat without exposing your flesh to the same heat the meat is getting. A wooden handle is highly recommended.
Grill Accessories: Grill Brush and Scraper
Food that cooks over high heat makes a mess. The best way to clean it is with a good metal brush. The metal bristles will remove the crud in a hurry and the scraper on the other side will ensure you have a nice smooth surface for your next entrée. The scraper is great for your griddle too! If you see them at the end of summer on clearance, buy a couple. You’ll likely wear the first one out and need another.
Grill Accessories: Tongs
Sometimes you don’t want to scrape whatever your cooking with a spatula and tongs can make more sense. They’re handy if you’re cooking a fat New York strip that needs some grip to get it turned over. Great for hot dogs and sausages too!
Grill Accessories: BBQ Fork
If you’re trying to turn a brisket or a whole chicken, a spatula or tongs won’t do. Get your big fork, stab the hunk of meat, and maneuver it wherever you need to.
Grill Accessories: Meat Thermometer Fork
Great for the aspiring chef that isn’t comfortable cooking without knowing the internal temperatures of the meat. The long-handled version is recommended because you wouldn’t want to lose any more arm hair! Quick results from the digital thermometer will let you know if your steak is done or needs some more time.
Griddle Accessories: Short-Handle Spatula
If you’ve made the switch to a griddle, a shorter spatula is a must-have. The shorter handle gives you more control whether you’re flipping eggs or burgers and the long flat sides make it easy to quickly scrape the griddle clean before you cook the next course.
Griddle Accessories: Melting Dome
You’re going to need to melt some cheese eventually and the process goes a lot faster if you have a melting dome. It’ll help keep you from over-cooking that burger simply because you waited too long to add the cheese and the burger keeps cooking while the cheese does its thing. The dome will work on a grill or a griddle.
Griddle Accessories: Plastic Squeeze Bottles
If you’re buying the melting dome, you have to buy squeeze bottles. You can put whatever liquid you want in them, but filling them with beer and aiming them towards your mouth could get messy. We’d suggest water in one, oil in the other. Want to melt the cheese on your burger really fast? Put the dome over it, lift the edge and squeeze some water under it. The cheese will be melted in seconds. Cooking veggies or eggs or hash browns? You’ll probably need some more oil. Quick and easy with a squeeze bottle and you can target the oil exactly where you want it.
Griddle Accessories: Egg Rings
Cooking eggs on your griddle is great, but sometimes the whites of the egg may go places you don’t want them to. Solve the problem with some egg rings. They’ll keep egg nice and tidy and your guests will wonder how you got them so perfectly round. The rings will also work in a pan on the stove, but who uses a pan? Or a stove?
Griddle Accessories: Pancake Batter Dispenser
For the true griddle chef! Great for those that add pancakes to their breakfast griddle and cuts down on the mess. Pull the trigger until your pancake is the size you want, then move to the next one. You can even get the pancakes close to your eggs if you have the egg rings!
BONUS Griddle Accessory: Multi-Purpose Scraper
This tool is a must for a griddle for clean-up after you’ve cooked a weeks worth of groceries in an afternoon. The griddle will have all sorts of grease and residue on the cooktop and a scraper will make quick work of the clean up. Don’t griddle without it!
