Basic Gear

Every BBQ chef has his (or her) own ideas about what equipment’s essential and what you can do without. With one exception, regular kitchen gear is more useful than boxed sets of BBQ tools that someone is always giving for Christmas. The exception: The tongs with extra long handles that come in these sets, very useful for moving hot coals around the bottom of your grilling rig before the cooking begins. Otherwise, get your turners, knives, forks, and other grilling utensils out of the kitchen drawer.

Two must-have items for classic BBQ or any outdoor grilling operation are a handy meat thermometer and a pair of oven mitts or gloves so you can move things around without pain. There is no better protection against over- or under-cooked meat than an instant-read meat thermometer, under $10 in any kitchenware outlet. These come in a little plastic sleeve with a clip so you can carry them in your shirt pocket (don’t know why you’d want to, but the fact is, you can!) and when stuck into a piece of meat produce a near-instantaneous reading of the internal temperature--the easiest way to tell for sure when the meat is done.

What’s your favorite gear? Add it here.

See also:

• Choose Your Features
• Hibachis