With a little help from your local hardware store, you can smoke all sorts of delicious food. We’ve grouped them by task — from building the fire and adding wood to moving briskets around on their grill — so this is easy for anyone who wants in on our barbecue action!
Tools for Charcoal, Handling Wood, and Hot Ash
- The metal trash cans with tight-fitting lids are perfect for storing charcoal, wood chunks, and pellets. They also come in handy when it’s time to dispose of spent coals or ash. You’ll want a few small ones so that you don’t run out efficiently during cooking sessions.
- The firewood rack is a must for storing logs outdoors above ground so they won’t rot or attract insects. You should also protect your investment with an extra cover in inclement weather to ensure longevity.
- When you need to split logs for your grill, it’s best to use an ax or hatchet, or maul. The heavier tool will make the job go quicker and give more control over how splits happen which can help avoid any unwanted twigs getting stuck in between cracks on future uses!
- Leather gloves will keep you safe from getting splinters as well as give you a more professional look when handling logs.
- Shovels are essential for moving hot embers and cleaning out ash from grills, but it’s a good idea to have more than one type. A metal scoop or spatula can be used as well because they’re also great at turning things over without causing any damage.
- Why not use a shop vacuum to clean out the ash from your grill? This will ensure that you get all of those annoying bits and pieces.
Starting the Fire
Long-stemming matches are the best way to get your fire going. These long, flowing matches can reach deep into a smoky grill and produce an intense flame.
You can use a butane match or lighter to light your fire. The click of the switch instantly produces an inviting flame that will guide you through cooking time with ease.
Paraffin fire starter: The old-fashioned way to start a fire is with something that’s called “paraffin”. It looks like oil and put anywhere you want some light, but it will catch on fire if touched off.
The sugarcane fire starter gel is a great way to get your grill going. It has the same properties as lighter fluid, but with an organic plant-based product instead.
Charcoal is a popular fuel for grills. One way to get it lit easily, though not the most efficient (that would be using starter fluid), is with chimney starters you can quickly and easily light up your grill.
The best way to start your grill is with an electric fire starter – the plug-in wand that has a looped heating element. This will light up any ceramic cooker you have without needing power outlets, which means it’s perfect for when camping or at home.
The grill is a great way to cook food, but if you want the most reliable results then it’s worth investing in some high-quality tools. One of these items includes looftlighters – Swedish fire starters that direct blasts superheated air at coals or wood so they can be started easily without difficulty.
A blowtorch is a great tool for lighting your grill and can be used in many different ways. A workbench model has enough power to light small quantities of charcoal or you might want to get one with an arm-length wand hooked up directly from propane tanks so that it’s easier on the eyes as well! The ultimate fire starter will give off 50,000+ BTUs at any wood fire while also being able to help me get those flames going faster than ever before.
Handling The Smoker
For your grill, you can use fireplace gloves, insulated suede gloves, or welder’s hand protectors. These are great options if it’s cold outside and the wind is making up some mean gusts. Choose long ones to ensure that they cover most of the forearms while still leaving room for movement.
The grill or garden hoe is designed for raking hot coals from your backyard BBQ. It’s a versatile tool that can be used on any type of fuel – wood or charcoal grills!
Grate grabbers and grid lifters are essential for quickly getting your hot grates off the ground when you need fresh wood or coals.
Smoke Generators and Grill Inserts
If you are looking for a way to add more smoke into your smokers, and grills or even just want an extra layer between yourself and those unpredictable fires in the fireplace then look no further than these fantastic devices.
A charcoal smoke generator is a device that can create black, smoky fumes from burning wood chips. It’s made up of a metal container with a burn chamber to hold them and an electric blower for pumping out all these great-smelling clouds.
The electric smoke generator is a great way to add the scent of burning wood without all that pesky hassle. Simply place sawdust, pellets, or chips in its hopper and turn on your heating element. The machine will slowly burn them until you’re ready for some natural aroma. These devices are great for smoking meat and making grilled food smell good. They produce wood smoke, which can be used in many ways including flavoring meats during barbecues or cooking selected dishes over low heat with this special kind of smoke.
Charcoal grill smoking inserts turn your average charcoal kettle into a smoker by corralling the embers in one section and creating an area for food. Look out if you want to add moisture as well because some models have built-in water pans.
Thermometers
This instant-read thermometer is an essential tool to have for checking the doneness of smoked foods. Insert it into your meat or fish (but not touching any bones) and leave in place 30 seconds before removing; this will ensure that you get perfectly cooked food every time.
Remote digital thermometers: These handy devices allow you to monitor the temperature of your smoker from anywhere in its range, ensuring that meat or fish is always cooked just right. You can get units with one probe for monitoring food on their own as well as multiple probes if there are different types being smoked at once so nothing goes unnoticed.
Temperature and Draft Controllers
You can’t get the perfect smoke every time. But with a draft controller, you’ll have more consistently great-tasting food. The device links your thermocouple inside of it to an electric fan that’s mounted over top vents and regulates airflow so heat levels are just right for cooking at any temperature.
- To use a temperature controller, connect the fan socket on your BBQ to the bottom vent of your grill, smoker, or ceramic cooker.
- Make sure the thermocouple is clipped securely onto a rack inside your smoker.
- The digital controls allow you to select the desired temperature; this is achieved with a fan that will control airflow and heat output. So, set your preferred temperature and let the fan do all of the work for you.
Appliance for Curing, Seasoning, and Drying the Meat or Seafood
- Large stainless-steel or glass mixing bowls;
- Large rimmed baking sheets;
- Large durable food-safe containers for bringing, or food preparation uses;
- Wire racks or grids (preferably footed);
- Heavy-duty resealable plastic bags in an assortment of sizes;
- Nonstick silicone mesh mats are a must-have for any grill master. They can be used as both smoking and grilling surfaces, allowing you to wrap food such as fatties or meatloaf without fear that they’ll stick on the grate – it will stay put thanks in part due to its non-slipping quality.
Getting Flavor into Meat or Seafood
There’s no better way to inject flavor into your dish than with an oversized hypodermic needle. These specially designed injections can be used for injecting either flavorful liquids or pastes deep within large hunks of meat.
Vacuum marinating canisters: The FoodSaver is a popular home vacuum sealer that some people use to accelerate the process of marrying food with favorite flavors. Place whatever you’re preparing for your dish in this plastic container, then pressurize it until all air has been removed from inside so as 12 minutes or less will be needed per recipe instructions on how long they take when cooked; alternatively, there’s also an easy hand- operated plunger system at the top which helps remove any extra amounts while cooking.
Vacuum tumblers are a great way to tenderize the meat and accelerate absorption. Vacuum-sealed rotating cylinders create an environment where the liquid is constantly being drawn into the muscle, creating more flavor as well as moisture which will be deposited on its surface during this process.
Applying Flavor During Smoking
Make your life easier by investing in silicone basting brushes. They are easy to clean and can be put into the dishwasher or washed with soap if needed. You might want to purchase a few different types of paintbrushes too; they come at an inexpensive price.
Grill masters will want to invest in a barbecue mop when entertaining guests. These look like mini-cotton floor mopping kits and are often sold with plastic bucket-lined trash cans as well. A detachable head that can go through your dishwasher makes washing up after an outdoor cooking session easier than ever before.
The barbecue sprayer or spray bottle is the key to getting that perfect sear on your protein. If you’re smoking meat or seafood, use this tool for evenly distributing flavors like apple cider wine and other spices without any risk of burning them.
Smoker and Grill Tools
A grill brush is a must-have for your outdoor kitchen. The best ones have stiff bristles that won’t shed and can easily reach into tight spaces, like between the grate bars or inside smoker racks to freeing dirt stuck there before it gets too far down deep in these difficult spots.
Long-handled tongs are the best for cooking because they can reach deep pots without getting burnt. They also have a locking mechanism to keep them closed when not in use so your hands don’t get burned by hot surfaces.
The spatula is perfect for all of your cooking needs. It features a wide metal head and beveled leading edge which makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces with ease, while extra-wide heads (6 – 8 inches) come into play when you need something wider than typical wooden spoons or knives,
Humidifiers are a great way to make sure your smoker stays moist. Metal boxes with perforated tops that hold water, wine, or other liquid can be placed on the grate of any charcoal grill directly over direct heat from an open fire – this will create steam that helps penetrate deep into meats during the smoking process.
Rib racks are designed to hold up 4 racks of spareribs or baby backs in a smoker so that they can cook without overlapping. They’re perfect for use with limited space, such as when you have an offset firebox kettle grill and need the extra cooking room.
The Beer-Can Chicken Roaster is the perfect tool for cooking up your favorite bird. You can use it with wine, juice, or beer to make sure that you get an authentic flavor.
Other Equipment
If you want to keep your hands clean and safe while handling meat, then don’t forget the gloves. Disposable rubber or plastic food grade is perfect for this task.
Wearing insulated food gloves is a must for handling whole hogs or pulling pork shoulders. Some pit masters like wearing cotton ones to protect their hands from the heat with rubber and plastic over them, but there are also those who prefer agility in an otherwise-dry hand job.
If you plan on making your own pulled pork, the meat claws are an essential tool for shredding and grilling. You can buy them at any major grocery store.
To give your briskets the best chance at being successful, you need to use proper equipment and ingredients. One of those is unwarped butcher paper which can be found at most grocery stores or even online for cheap. But be sure to buy unlined paper, because the plastic lining in most brands will melt.
The logbook is a very important tool for any smoke master, and it’s easy to forget all the details when you are busy with your smoker. This log will help keep track of what time I put wood in, how long they smoked, the humidity level, temperature fluctuations inside the cabinet as well as outside if applicable – just about anything that might affect our final product.
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