Great barbecue is not built on wishful thinking, heroic flipping, or standing over a hot grill whispering, “Please don’t burn.” It comes from good heat control, smart prep, safe cooking temperatures, and the right BBQ tools within arm’s reach. The best grilling accessories do not need to be flashy. In fact, the most useful tools are often the quiet workhorses: sturdy tongs, a reliable thermometer, a chimney starter, a grill basket, and a brush that does not make cleanup feel like punishment.
This guide to the 11 best BBQ tools for 2018 focuses on practical grilling accessories that help you cook better food, reduce stress, and look like you know exactly what you are doingeven if you just Googled “how long to grill chicken” five minutes before guests arrived. Whether you are cooking burgers, steaks, ribs, chicken, vegetables, seafood, hot dogs, or a suspiciously ambitious pineapple dessert, these barbecue tools can make your next backyard cookout easier, safer, and much more delicious.
Why the Right BBQ Tools Matter
Grilling looks simple from a distance: light fire, add food, wait for applause. In reality, outdoor cooking asks you to manage heat, timing, smoke, fat flare-ups, cross-contamination, and hungry relatives who keep lifting the lid “just to check.” The right grilling accessories give you control. Long tools keep your hands away from heat. Thermometers help you cook meat safely without guessing. Grill baskets keep vegetables from falling into the flames like tiny green sacrifices. A chimney starter gets charcoal hot without turning lighter fluid into the main seasoning.
Good BBQ gear also improves consistency. A backyard grill has hot zones, cool zones, wind exposure, and unpredictable flare-ups. With the right tools, you can move food quickly, monitor temperature accurately, clean grates properly, and serve everything at the right moment. In other words, barbecue tools are not just gadgets. They are your pit-side support team.
How We Chose These Grilling Accessories
This list emphasizes tools that are useful for most home cooks, whether you use a charcoal grill, gas grill, pellet grill, or portable grill. The best BBQ tools should be durable, comfortable, easy to clean, and actually helpful. A tool that only works once, melts near heat, or lives forever in the back of a drawer does not deserve precious patio real estate.
The selection also considers food safety. A food thermometer, separate utensils for raw and cooked foods, heat-resistant gloves, and proper grill cleaning tools all play a role in a safer barbecue. The goal is simple: better flavor, fewer mistakes, and no guest leaving your cookout with a story that begins, “Well, after the potato salad sat in the sun…”
11 Best BBQ Tools for 2018
1. Long-Handled Locking Grill Tongs
If you buy only one grilling tool, make it a strong pair of long-handled tongs. Tongs are the hands of the grill master, except they do not complain about heat and they will not lose fingerprints. A good pair should be long enough to keep your hands away from flames, firm enough to grip heavy chicken thighs, and gentle enough to turn asparagus without launching it into the neighbor’s yard.
Look for stainless steel construction, scalloped or flat gripping edges, a comfortable non-slip handle, and a locking mechanism for storage. Cheap tongs often bend under pressure or fail to grip slippery foods. Great tongs feel balanced and responsive. Use them for steaks, burgers, corn, sausages, vegetables, and even moving charcoal around carefully when needed. Just remember to avoid using the same tongs on raw and cooked meat unless they have been washed thoroughly.
2. A Wide Stainless Steel Grill Spatula
A spatula may seem basic, but a grill spatula is not the same as the flimsy pancake flipper hiding in your kitchen drawer. For barbecue, you want a wide, sturdy, stainless steel spatula with a beveled edge that can slide under burgers, fish fillets, chicken breasts, and delicate foods without tearing them apart.
A good grill spatula is especially useful for burgers because it supports the patty while flipping. It also helps with fish, which has a charming habit of sticking at the exact moment your guests start watching. Some spatulas include serrated edges, bottle openers, or extra-long handles. Those features are nice, but the essentials are strength, control, and heat-safe construction.
3. An Instant-Read Meat Thermometer
An instant-read thermometer is the difference between “perfectly grilled chicken” and “we should probably order pizza.” Visual cues are not enough to judge doneness, especially with poultry, thick pork chops, or stuffed foods. Meat can brown beautifully on the outside while remaining undercooked inside. A thermometer gives you facts, and facts are delicious.
For grilling, choose a fast, accurate digital thermometer with a thin probe and easy-to-read display. Use it near the end of cooking by inserting the probe into the thickest part of the meat, avoiding bone and fat pockets. Steaks, chops, and roasts are commonly cooked to 145°F with a rest, ground meats to 160°F, and poultry to 165°F. A thermometer also prevents overcooking, which means juicier burgers, safer chicken, and fewer hockey-puck pork chops.
4. A Leave-In Probe or Wireless Grill Thermometer
An instant-read thermometer is great for quick checks, but a leave-in probe thermometer is ideal for longer cooks. Think pork shoulder, brisket, whole chicken, turkey breast, thick tri-tip, or ribs when you want to monitor progress without opening the lid every six minutes like a nervous stage parent.
Many probe thermometers allow you to track internal temperature while the food cooks. Some include wireless or Bluetooth features, which were already becoming popular by 2018 and have only grown more useful since. The main benefit is peace of mind. You can watch the temperature climb gradually and remove the meat at the right time instead of guessing. For low-and-slow barbecue, this tool is nearly as important as patience.
5. A Charcoal Chimney Starter
If you use a charcoal grill, a chimney starter deserves a permanent spot in your BBQ setup. It lights charcoal faster and more evenly than piling briquettes into a sad little mountain and hoping for the best. It also helps you avoid lighter fluid, which can leave unpleasant flavors if used carelessly.
A chimney starter is simple: fill the top with charcoal, place crumpled newspaper or a starter cube underneath, light it, and wait until the coals are glowing and ashed over. Then pour them into the grill for direct or indirect cooking. It is efficient, inexpensive, and wonderfully satisfying. Few grilling moments feel more powerful than pouring a chimney of hot coals into place while everyone else takes one respectful step back.
6. A Grill Brush and Scraper
Clean grates cook better food. Old grease, carbonized sauce, and stuck-on bits can create off flavors, encourage sticking, and make your beautiful salmon taste faintly like last weekend’s mystery marinade. A strong grill brush or scraper helps keep the cooking surface ready.
Traditional wire brushes have been popular for years, but they should be used carefully and replaced when worn. Loose bristles can be dangerous if they end up on food. Many grillers now prefer bristle-free brushes, coiled scrubbers, wooden scrapers, or heavy-duty grill stones. Whatever style you choose, use it after preheating the grill or while the grates are still warm. Follow by wiping the grates with an oiled towel held with tongs to help reduce sticking.
7. Heat-Resistant Grill Gloves
Oven mitts are fine for cookies. Around a grill, they can feel like bringing slippers to a campfire. Heat-resistant grill gloves give you more dexterity and better protection when handling hot grates, grill baskets, cast iron pans, skewers, chimney starters, or foil packets.
The best grill gloves are flexible, grippy, and rated for high heat. Silicone gloves are easy to rinse and helpful for handling saucy foods, while aramid-fiber gloves often offer excellent heat resistance and mobility. Some grillers keep both styles around. Do not treat gloves as magical armor, though. They buy you time, not invincibility. If something is screaming-hot cast iron, move with purpose and put it down quickly.
8. A Grill Basket for Vegetables and Seafood
A grill basket solves one of barbecue’s oldest problems: small food falling through the grates. Without a basket, mushrooms, shrimp, sliced onions, cherry tomatoes, green beans, and chunks of zucchini can vanish into the coals like they owed the grill money. A perforated grill basket lets smoke and heat reach the food while keeping everything contained.
Choose a basket with high sides, sturdy handles, and holes large enough for char but small enough to hold food safely. Stainless steel and carbon steel options both work well. Use a basket for vegetables, shrimp, diced potatoes, fajita peppers, or even fruit. Preheat the basket with the grill, oil the food lightly, and avoid overcrowding so you get browning instead of steaming.
9. A Silicone Basting Brush or BBQ Mop
Sauce is where barbecue gets personal. Some people like sweet Kansas City-style sauce, others prefer vinegar-forward mop sauce, and a few brave souls insist their secret marinade has “just a little” ghost pepper. A basting brush or BBQ mop helps apply sauces, marinades, butter, and glazes evenly.
Silicone brushes are easy to clean and work well for thicker sauces. Cotton mops hold thinner sauces and are excellent for ribs, pork shoulder, and chicken cooked over indirect heat. The key is timing. Sugary sauces can burn quickly over direct heat, so apply them near the end of cooking or move the food to a cooler zone. Also, never reuse marinade that touched raw meat unless it has been boiled first.
10. Reusable Metal Skewers
Skewers are the party trick of grilling accessories. They turn ordinary ingredients into kebabs, and kebabs make people feel like dinner is organized even when the side dish is a bag of chips. Reusable stainless steel skewers are durable, easy to clean, and less likely to burn than wooden skewers.
Flat metal skewers are better than round ones because they prevent food from spinning when you turn them. Use them for chicken, beef, shrimp, peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapple, or halloumi. For even cooking, cut ingredients into similar sizes and avoid mixing foods with very different cooking times on the same skewer. Nobody wants perfect shrimp attached to crunchy raw onion and a cube of beef still wondering what happened.
11. A Grill Light for Evening Barbecues
Every backyard cookout eventually reaches the same dramatic moment: the sun disappears, the grill is still hot, and someone asks whether the chicken is done. A grill light makes evening cooking safer and easier. It helps you see flare-ups, grill marks, color changes, and whether that “burger” is actually a portobello mushroom.
Look for a grill light with a strong clamp or magnetic base, adjustable neck, weather resistance, and bright LED illumination. This accessory is not essential for daytime grilling, but for late summer dinners, tailgates, camping, and backyard parties that stretch past sunset, it becomes surprisingly valuable. Good lighting is also good safety. Guessing in the dark is romantic for movies, not for poultry.
Bonus BBQ Accessories Worth Considering
Once you have the main 11 tools, a few extras can make grilling even smoother. A cast iron skillet or griddle is excellent for smash burgers, onions, breakfast on the grill, or delicate foods. A rib rack helps maximize space when cooking multiple slabs. A spray bottle can calm small flare-ups and add moisture during longer cooks. Aluminum drip pans help with indirect cooking and cleanup. A cooler keeps drinks cold and raw ingredients safely chilled until cook time.
Still, avoid buying every shiny gadget you see. The best grilling accessories earn their spot by solving real problems. If a tool does not improve safety, control, flavor, cleanup, or convenience, it may just be patio clutter with a handle.
How to Use BBQ Tools Like a Pro
Set Up Your Grill Zones
Most successful grilling starts with heat zones. On a charcoal grill, push coals to one side for direct heat and leave the other side cooler for indirect cooking. On a gas grill, turn one burner higher and another lower. This setup gives you options. You can sear burgers over high heat, move chicken away from flare-ups, and finish thicker cuts gently without burning the outside.
Keep Raw and Cooked Foods Separate
Use separate plates and utensils for raw meat and cooked food. This is not the glamorous part of grilling, but it is one of the most important. Raw poultry, meat, and seafood can spread bacteria to ready-to-eat foods. Keep a clean platter near the grill for finished food, and do not place cooked burgers back on the plate that held raw patties.
Preheat Before Cooking
Preheating helps prevent sticking and improves browning. It also makes cleaning easier because warm grates release debris more readily. Give your grill enough time to heat fully before adding food. If you toss steaks onto a lukewarm grate, you are not grillingyou are negotiating.
Oil the Food, Not the Fire
Lightly oiling food helps prevent sticking and promotes browning. Avoid pouring oil directly onto hot grates, where it can drip, flare, and create smoke in all the wrong ways. For grates, use a folded paper towel dipped in oil and held with long tongs. Move carefully and do not overdo it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Grilling Accessories
One common mistake is buying oversized tool sets filled with items you will never use. A 24-piece BBQ kit may look impressive in a case, but if half the pieces are corn holders and mystery forks, you are paying for clutter. Focus on quality basics first.
Another mistake is choosing short-handled tools. Kitchen tongs and indoor spatulas are not designed for grill heat. Longer handles give you better reach and protection. Also avoid plastic parts near high heat unless they are specifically heat-safe and positioned away from the cooking surface.
Finally, do not rely on color alone to judge meat doneness. Chicken can look cooked before it is safe, and smoked meats may stay pink even when fully cooked. Use a thermometer. It is the least dramatic and most reliable person at the barbecue.
of Real-World BBQ Experience: What These Tools Teach You at the Grill
The first lesson any backyard griller learns is that confidence comes from preparation. Before the first burger hits the grate, the best grillers already have tongs, spatula, thermometer, clean platter, gloves, sauce brush, and trash bag ready. This sounds simple, but it changes everything. When tools are scattered across the kitchen, every flare-up becomes a crisis. When everything is within reach, you stay calm, move food at the right time, and avoid the classic sprint from patio to pantry while the hot dogs turn into charcoal pencils.
Experience also teaches you that the thermometer is not just a safety toolit is a flavor tool. Many beginners overcook meat because they are afraid of undercooking it. That fear is understandable, but it leads to dry chicken, gray pork chops, and burgers that bounce. Once you start checking internal temperatures, you learn how fast food continues cooking after it leaves the grill. You begin pulling meat at the right moment and letting it rest. Suddenly, the same chicken thighs taste juicier, the steak has better texture, and guests ask what you changed. The honest answer is: you stopped guessing.
Another important experience is learning that vegetables deserve proper tools too. Too many cookouts treat vegetables like an afterthought, tossed onto the grate in uneven chunks and rescued one by one from the flames. A grill basket changes that. Peppers blister, mushrooms brown, onions soften, and shrimp cooks without disappearing. With a basket, side dishes become part of the barbecue instead of a rescue operation.
Grill gloves teach respect for heat. Anyone who has grabbed a hot lid handle, chimney starter, or cast iron pan with a thin kitchen towel understands this lesson quickly and loudly. Good gloves do not make you careless; they make you efficient. You can adjust grates, move pans, and handle skewers with more control. That control matters when the grill is crowded and everyone wants dinner at once.
Cleanup tools teach the final lesson: tomorrow’s barbecue starts today. If you scrape the grates after cooking, empty ash when safe, clean sauce brushes, and store tools indoors, the next cookout feels easy. If you leave everything crusted, greasy, and weather-beaten, your future self will have words with you. Probably not polite words.
The best BBQ tools for 2018and honestly, for any yearare the ones that help you build repeatable habits. Light charcoal evenly. Preheat properly. Use clean tools. Cook to temperature. Move food with confidence. Sauce at the right time. Clean up before the grill becomes an archaeological site. These habits matter more than fancy gadgets. Great barbecue is not about owning every accessory on the shelf. It is about choosing the right tools, learning how they behave, and letting them make the hard parts of grilling easier. Do that, and your next barbecue will feel less like a gamble and more like a delicious plan.
Conclusion
The best BBQ tools are not gimmicks. They are practical grilling accessories that improve safety, control, flavor, and cleanup. A strong pair of tongs, a wide spatula, an accurate thermometer, a charcoal chimney starter, a grill basket, heat-resistant gloves, and a dependable cleaning tool can upgrade almost any backyard barbecue. Add skewers, a basting brush, a probe thermometer, and a grill light, and you are ready for everything from weeknight burgers to a full summer cookout.
If you are building your grilling kit in 2018, start with the essentials and buy quality where it matters most. Your food will cook more evenly, your hands will stay farther from the flames, and your guests will be too busy eating to ask whether you watched three hours of barbecue videos before they arrived. That, as every grill master knows, is victory.
