Handy Tools for Your BBQ
There are many tools that are considered handy when it comes to using the bbq. Some say one thing, others say something else. Personally, I think it is the mind itself; of course some may disagree with me on that one. Hmm. What it really comes down to is skill level and for some, a high pain tolerance. Exploring as I have for these handy tools, I have made some interesting discoveries. Some made perfect sense, some made me ponder and some made me cry while laughing.
The Basics
Most people that are handy and know their way around a bbq have the same essential item like tongs, spatula, fire extinguisher, etc. Some others consider items such as a rotisserie and chicken roaster to be an essential part of their repertoire as “master of the grill.” Me, I like to keep it simple and just use tongs and basting brush. It’s all in who you ask… I guess.
Why Didn’t I Think of That
During my adventures of shopping around for things I didn’t know existed I came across several that left me asking myself why I hadn’t even considered trying it. Fortunately for you and me, there are plenty of DIY’ers running around to pick up the slack. One handy tool that I thought would be useful was a stainless steel spice shaker mounted on the end of a 24″ shaft. The lid easily unscrews and you can wash it out and put something else in. I guess the person that invented it decided that roasting arm hair wasn’t his idea of a good recipe.
Must Haves
Okay, I have to agree with the person who considers a rotisserie an essential and handy bbq tool. Easy to use, easy to clean (dishwasher) and the food generally comes out tasting splendid. There are other neat gadgets like grill lights that are on a flexible shaft – for those nighttime cookouts – and meat thermometers. Charcoal chimneys do indeed come in very handy as well. But my favorite must have is holder that is designed to be mounted to a kettle grill. The holder accommodates the usual grilling tools but also comes complete with a rigidly flexible area for a bowl of bbq sauce and most interestingly, a beer holder on the opposite end. It’s a very handy tool to have indeed.
Books
Most people forget how handy a tool that a good book can be. There are hundreds of books on the market that will help turn the novice griller into a pseudo expert. Anything you can possibly think about cooking is most likely covered in a book somewhere. The trick to buying a handy tool like this is being able to thumb through it a little to make sure you actually want to buy it.
The Laughable
Some of the items I found made sense in a scientific kind of way that fire or extreme heat was needed in order to make it work. Other than that, I don’t know if I would display some of them with my cooking arsenal in public. The one that comes to mind are branding irons. The kind you would use to brand cattle. They come in various design formats, including your favorite team logo, NASCAR #, even ones that can be personalized. It just made me think about saying “hey, hold my beer, watch this.” All in all though, I guess if you can think it, you might be able to make others consider it a handy grilling tool.
