Best grill supplies

Amp up outdoor cooking by adding some of the best grill supplies to your toolkit.

grill supplies
(Image credit: Maude Frederique Lavoie via Unsplash)

If you're going to cook outdoors, set yourself up with the best grill supplies to make the process more enjoyable. We've gathered options for protecting your hands, flipping food, and cleaning grates. And we didn't forget about items that make cooking smaller food less stressful (no one wants to lose a shrimp in the coals). Read on to check out our top picks.

Staff pick

grill supplies

(Image credit: GEEKHOM)

GEEKHOM grilling gloves

Heat-resistance to keep your hands safe

Upgrade your grip and your heat protection any time you’re cooking on the grill with this pair.

Pros:

  • Silicone exterior
  • Large hanging loop
  • Cotton lining

Cons:

  • A bit small
  • May shrink after washing

Let's say you want to keep the focus on cooking the food, not burning your skin, right? These grilling gloves will protect your hands while working over the open flame. They have a textured silicone surface so you can maintain a good grip on your tongs to turn the food, and the cotton lining will keep your hands comfortable. Plus, they are heat-resistant up to 446 degrees Fahrenheit and waterproof.

Scrub away

grill supplies

(Image credit: Amazon)

GRILLART grill brush and scraper

Double-helix design for tough cleaning

A flexible option that still delivers cleaning power on the grates.

Pros:

  • Stainless steel
  • Can clean between grates
  • Long handle

Cons:

  • May fray over time
  • Develops oxidation spots

Do you have experience with traditional grill brushes? We’re talking about the kind that fray and send little bristles into the body of the grill as you’re cleaning. Thankfully, with this brush and scraper combo, that won’t happen. It's due to the bristleless design; instead, you get a stainless steel double helix scrubbing area along with metal scrapers on the ends. The tool has a tough build to handle stuck-on food, like the sugars in barbecue sauces or anything that scorched a bit during the cooking process.

Portable basket

grill supplies

(Image credit: Amazon)

AIZOAM portable barbecue grilling basket

Comes with a brush for cleanup time

Secure your smaller items and keep them from falling between the grates.

Pros:

  • Opens 180-degrees
  • Space to cook for three
  • High-quality stainless steel

Cons:

  • Openings could be smaller
  • Clasp needs improvement

If you have an open flame and this basket, then you can start grilling your meat and veggies without issue. It holds on to the smaller items for you, like shrimp, asparagus stalks, and other sliced veggies, so they don’t fall into the flames. There are 50 included skewers, so you can make and cook shishkebabs quite easily—and flipping them will be a breeze! Best of all, the basket opens wide to load food in and can fit three servings at a time. Who’s ready for charred veggies or some smoky shrimp?

Essential tools

grill supplies

(Image credit: Amazon)

Weber stainless steel tool set

Flip, poke, and grab with this collection

Soft-touch handles give you the grip you need over an open flame. 

Pros:

  • Spatula handle angles down
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Tongs lock

Cons:

  • May bend
  • Rubber handles may peel

Everyday kitchen tools you use at the stove are not suited for the fiery grill grates. These utensils have long handles and rubberized grips that keep hands, wrists, and forearms at a safe distance from the heat. They're stainless steel, so you can run them through the dishwasher after you’re done using them. We also really love the lock on the tongs because they make flipping over larger food much easier. The only drawback is that we wish they were a bit thicker, so bending would never happen.

No more foil

grill supplies

(Image credit: Grillaholics)

Grillaholics heavy-duty grill basket

Add a smoky flavor to most food

An environmentally-friendly way to cook smaller food and vegetables. 

Pros:

  • Dishwasher safe
  • Stainless steel
  • Reinforced corners

Cons:

  • Finish needs improvement
  • Welds could be better

Chop up your veggies and pile them into this grill basket, then place them over the flame. They will cook nicely alongside your proteins, without any danger of falling through the grates. We like how the corners are reinforced, so you know the basket will maintain its structure when subjected to heat. Additionally, the curved handles make it easy to carry from the kitchen or move on the grill (with protection, of course). And since it’s made of stainless steel, it’s easy to clean with a bit of dish soap and vinegar.

Shatterproof serving

grill supplies

(Image credit: Cuisinart)

Cuisinart grilling prep and serve trays

Carry your food to the grill

Color coding makes sure that food safety is in place. 

Pros:

  • Two colors
  • Dishwasher safe
  • Trays nest inside each other

Cons:

  • May warp near heat
  • Not very rigid

Food safety should be a top concern for any home grillmaster. Well, after you prep food in the kitchen, you'll need to transport it to the grill. What better way to do that than using two color-coded trays? You can place raw meat and veggies on one and then use the other for collecting cooked food. The raised areas will keep food from becoming soggy as they sit on the table.

Choosing the best grill supplies

Now that you know your options, it's time to select the grill supplies you'll be adding to your backyard barbecue. For starters, we think the GEEKHOM grilling gloves will be the grilling accessory you didn't know you needed but don't ever want to be without again. Say goodbye to accidental burns on your hands and forearms when wearing them—they offer the protection you deserve. 

We'd also be remiss if we didn't mention picking up the Weber stainless steel tool set. How can you tend to food, even wearing the aforementioned gloves, without a few tools? These utensils are made with user experience in mind, with long, grippy handles that won't slip when you've got barbecue sauce all over.

Finally, consider the Grillaholics heavy-duty grill basket. It's quite annoying to be cooking chopped veggies on the grill and watch them fall into the flames. They burn almost instantly and are no longer edible. This grill basket prevents that, giving a nice steam treatment to anything inside and preserving all servings you've prepped as a side.

Why trust us?

At GardeningEtc, we recommend the best products to enhance your life. As expert curators, we handpick products based on quality and usefulness to positively impact your day-to-day, from cart to doorstep. We take our responsibility seriously — testing products, reading reviews, and sourcing knowledgeable outlets to ensure our selections are worthy of your time and money. We deliver detailed product overviews, balancing objective information with subjective opinions, so making the best choice for your home and lifestyle is as easy as possible.

Nicole Cozma is a freelance writer for Future. She's known for being inquisitive and finding the tiny details that may otherwise go unnoticed. When she's not writing about products, she can be found playing Blizzard game titles, doing copy editing work, cooking, or expanding her photography skills.