After a few rainy weeks, summer has arrived in full force here in Utah! We got all of our outdoor furniture set up in our backyard patio area, so “Café Ambience” is officially open for the season! (That’s what we call our backyard hangout area in the summertime. It’s normal to name your patio, right? Okay, good.) ;-)
Warmer weather always means grilling season at our house, so my husband has been pulling the covers off of his grill and smoker. With Father’s Day coming up and the 4th of July just around the corner, there are plenty of grilling occasions on the horizon! In honor of grilling season, I thought I’d put together a roundup of barbecue tools, gear, and gadgets that will help you prepare! These items can all be found on Amazon for $25 or less, and they are all rated at 4 stars or above according to customer reviews.
Take a look at these 13 brilliant barbecue gadgets that will help make this grilling season one to remember! :-)
Related: 7 Useful Egg Gadgets That Are Actually Worth Buying
13 Genius Grilling Gadgets Under $25
1. Non-Stick Grill And Oven Mat
Price: $24.00
My mom always says that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and I’ve adopted that philosophy when it comes to cleaning up cooking messes. Minimizing the mess you make to begin with can really save you a lot of time during post-meal clean up! If you’re looking to minimize on mess during grilling season, you can’t go wrong with a set of grill-and-oven mats like these.
You can put them in the bottom of your gas grill to catch drips, or use them right on top of the grates of your gas, charcoal, or wood-fired grill. They’re covered in a non-stick layer that makes food slide right off, and you can just pop them in the dishwasher whenever they need to be cleaned. A super simple, time-saving solution for mess-free cookouts!
Related: 11 Of The Most Useful Kitchen Tools You Can Get For Under $20
2. Smoker Box For Grills
Price: from $24.99
Deliciously smoky BBQ has been a summertime tradition around here since my husband got his first pellet smoker a few years ago. But if you don’t have a smoker, you can still enjoy that smoky flavor without having to buy any big equipment! You can use a smoker box like this one on your gas or charcoal grill and get a similar effect. Yum!
3. Meat Shredder Claws
Price: $12.99
These “claws” make it easy to lift, move, and shred big chunks of meat. If you make a lot of pulled pork during the summers, these claws could save you a lot of time and effort!
4. Bristle-Free Grill Brush
Price: $21.95
This odd contraption may just be a simple bristle-free grill brush, but Amazon customers can’t get enough of it! They love the bristle-free design that doesn’t shed or fall apart, and they also love how much longer it lasts than typical brushes.
5. The Grate Grill Scraper
Price: $11.64
This handy grill scraper would make a great gift for the chef in your life! It’s small enough to fit on your keychain, and conforms to the shape of nearly any grill grate. Scrape the gunk of your grates, wipe the tool off, and you’ll be good to go!
6. Natural Himalayan Salt Block
Price: $24.99
Himalayan salt platters like these are useful for grilling, and they look gorgeous too! Use them on the grill to help season your food, or use it as a beautiful serving platter for parties. This one comes with a tray that will keep the pieces together when the block starts breaking down.
7. Flexible Skewers, Set of 4
Price: $11.97
Flexible skewers can be super useful if you’re cooking on a small grill! Just load the skewers up with meat and/or veggies, then toss them on the grill. You can bend them to fit the space available to you, and avoid having to move everything constantly to get everything cooked.
8. Octopus Basting Bottles
Price: $9.49
A good basting bottle always comes in handy during grilling season, so why not have a cute one? This basting bottle looks like a little octopus, and I can’t get over how cute it is! Use it to put butter and sauce on everything this summer.
9. Grill Station
Price: $16.46
This handy grill station has almost everything you need to make the grilling process easier. It includes two marked trays (one for raw meat, the other for cooked meat), as well as a spot to keep a drink and your BBQ tools. Grill masters everywhere are sure to get a lot of use out of this set!
10. Natural Firestarters, Set of 24
Price: $14.39
Instead of stocking up on lighter fluid to get your charcoal or campfires started this summer, try these firestarters! They’re made of a natural, renewable fiber that will help you start your fires quickly and easily. This bag of 24 of them could last you all summer long!
11. 10-LED Grill Light
Price: $15.99
If your grilling tends to extend past the daylight hours, you may want to invest in a grill light like this one! It hooks right to your grill and will keep your work area well-lit all evening long with its 10 LED lights.
12. Stainless Steel Grilling Basket
Price: $20.99
A grill basket like this one can really unlock the potential of your grill this summer. Use it to grill sandwiches, potatoes, veggies, fish, or anything with ease! It’s so nice to be able to flip the basket itself during the cooking process, rather than flipping each item individually.
13. 4-Piece BBQ Tool Set
Price: $18.99
If your grilling gear has seen better days, you can get a whole new set of tools for under $20! You’ll get 3 heavy-duty stainless steel tools, plus an instant read thermometer (a MUST-HAVE item during grilling season, in my experience!)
What’s your favorite or most useful barbecue or grilling tool?