• Grill
• Spatula
• Tongs
• Fork
• Everything Else

Tools:

Everything Else

You'll need a reliable timepiece. I recommend something that lets you see the seconds go by. I don't time grilling down to the second, but I've found that it is handy to be able to see the seconds, when timing intervals of just a minute or two.

An 'outgoing. plate and an 'incoming. plate are important for food safety, and convenience.

What you won't need, if you grill the way I do, are the expensive extras.

A rotisserie looks cool, but is just one more thing to break down.

Meat thermometer? If you can see the thermometer, odds are that you can see what color the meat is. I know that government and educational websites say that one of these gadgets is utterly vital to telling how "done" your meat is, but I've never used one.

Funny thing: those same sites tell you to use a fresh knife each time you cut into meat to see how well done your meat is, or wash the one you use with warm, soapy water. But, they don't say anything about cleaning the meat thermometer.

The list of grill accessories seems to go on forever, starting with things like spice racks and sauce pans, and ending, for all I know, with aromatherapy candle holders, web-enabled cell phones with GPS, and rear-view mirrors.

Those accessories really are not necessary. Grilling can be simple, and I like to keep it that way.

These final two tools aren't used for grilling, but should be on hand. A source of water and a fire extinguisher are needed when good grills go bad. Which brings me to the matter of safety.

Next: Safety

Copyright © 2005-2010 Brian H. Gill