You can grill on a simple grate balanced on stones and set over a wood fire, but not too many of us do so. Most of us have a contraption that is designed specifically for outdoor cooking. Some rely on charcoal, others are fired by propane, and still others are hooked into the house’s source of natural gas.
Regardless of how fancy your grill is, there are some tools that really do make it easier — and safer. I don’t believe in going crazy but the whole experience will be more fun if you have some or all of these:
- long-handled tongs, spatulas, brushes, and forks
- a wire grill basket for vegetables, fish and similarly sized foods
- metal skewers
- wire brushes for cleaning the grilling grid
- chimney starter (for charcoal grills)
- thick oven mitts that cover your wrist and lower arm
- spray bottle for water (to extinguish flash fires)
- a small fire extinguisher (for larger conflagrations)
So, have fun out there!