Upgrade Your Grill: 7 Tools I Use Every Single Cook
The Gear I Reach For On Nearly Every Cook
Introduction
Seven Tools I Reach For On Nearly Every Cook
What’s up BBQ fans! Some of this gear I’ve used for years. Some of it took me a while to spend the money on, and then I kicked myself for not doing it sooner. Here are the seven things I reach for on nearly every cook, and one of them isn’t even a gadget.
1. Insulated Grill Gloves
I thought these were silly, until I got tired of lifting hot grill grates barehanded and washing my disgustingly dirty hands over and over. They run about $20 on Amazon [AMAZON LINK], they’re good up to around 900°, and they’re the best $20 I’ve ever spent. They also helped me pull the spit out of the chicken in my rotisserie versus spatchcock video, and they let me add clarified butter or tallow to a flare-up on a steak sear without pouring from a distance. I’m even thinking about a branded pair, so drop your ideas in the comments.
2. GrillBlazer GrillGun
I dragged my feet on this one. With my Kamado Joe and the Kamado Joe fire starter cubes, getting up to temperature took an extra 30 to 45 minutes, so weekday grilling on the kamado wasn’t happening. The Looftlighter didn’t win me over either. Finally I bought the GrillGun (use code: RUMANDCOOK to save 10%) and I’ve found uses for it everywhere: my offset, my wood-fired oven, my fireplace, and lighting a smoke tube or the wood cage on my pellet grill. I bought the combo with the sous vide torch, which doesn’t put out as wide or hot a flame, so I use it to add char to something like a smoked prime rib. [CHECK: confirm the combo and torch description] The 1-pound propane bottles last surprisingly long.
3. Two Thermometers (Yes, You Need Two)
I run the Typhur Sync Quad (use code: RUMANDCOOK to save 10%). The Dual is identical with two probes instead of four. The app works on your phone or watch from anywhere with internet, so I can check pit and meat temps while I’m out running errands. After six years of wireless thermometers and three other brands, I haven’t had a single drop in about 75 cooks, even with my stucco house and wire cage.
You also need an instant-read. If the wireless probe is the saw, this is the scalpel. On a brisket or pork butt, I go around the entire piece of meat to find any tough spots. It should feel like warm peanut butter, and that’s the true way to know it’s done. I use the Typhur InstaProbe (use code: RUMANDCOOK to save 10%). Wireless probes are also great on a rotisserie, since there are no wires to worry about.
4. A Good Pepper Grinder
Mine is the Pepper Cannon (use code: RUMANDCOOK to save 10%). I know the price makes people flinch, but it’s a single piece of aluminum with dual ball bearings, and it grinds about 10 times faster than anything else on the market. I can do 3 tablespoons in under a minute, which matters when you’re peppering a brisket. Fresh cracked pepper on eggs, bacon, potatoes, and steaks is hard to beat. My Peugeot mill broke after a year and a half and I never got a response on the warranty, which is how I ended up here. It also grinds fennel seed for homemade sausage, and even coffee.
5. A Smoke Tube
Another cheap one, around $20. A smoke tube takes pellets, wood chips, or a mix. Chips give a better flavor but burn quickly, so mixing is a good way to go. On any pellet grill it adds extra smoke and improves your smoke flavor. It also works in a kamado for secondary smoke or cold smoking. Years ago I made a smoked mousse dessert by lighting the tube in my kamado and letting chocolate chips soak up smoke without melting. Cheese works the same way.
6. Nitrile Gloves
I held off on these for a long time, but as I got into larger volumes and entertaining, they became a big help. Wear cotton gloves underneath to insulate and you can pull pork or chicken without burning your hands. They also prevent cross-contamination with raw meat, and I use them for car cleaning and weeding the garden. Mine are the thick 5.5 mil ones, and I have a discount link for these nitrile gloves. A case of 10 boxes of 100 runs under $100, and you’ll see the discount at checkout.
7. Good Fuel
Not a gadget, but a lot of people overlook it. On a kamado, use a high-quality lump, not briquettes. It lasts longer, gets super hot for pizzas and searing and holds it, and it’s dense enough to avoid big temperature swings. On a pellet grill, pellets are your fuel and your flavor. I’ve tried nine brands and I’ve used Bear Mountain for 3 or 4 years. Full disclosure, they’re a partner, but I reached out after my comparison, where they tied for number one. Bear Mountain just announced a lump that I’ve been using for a few months, and it’s pretty good. Fogo is probably the best premium lump, Jealous Devil and B&B are good, and I used to like Kamado Joe Big Block until my last bag wasn’t the same quality. That’s not a comprehensive list, just what’s worked for me.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you got some value out of this one. Which tool would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments, and get outdoors and do some cooking.
Thanks For Watching
Whether you’re a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more step-by-step videos, and let’s together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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