When cooking with fire, good BBQ gear matters as much as using the right charcoal.
For those who love to cook outdoors, it’s more about performance than simple good looks.
You may have the barbecue that you want, or that works for your set-up.
What you want is to add upgrades that add functionality to your grill master wizardry.
Invest in good gloves for €33.95
When the going gets hot, seasoned grill masters know that a pair of good gloves is essential to protect hands, digits and wrists.
With suede exteriors and cotton-lined interiors, these Gefu gauntlets are heat-resistant up to 350 degrees.
It means you can transport hot food safely from the grill to the table. A pair costs €33.95 from The Kitchen Whisk.
Food safety sorted for €219
A good meat thermometer is essential in ensuring everyone leaves the gathering happy and in good health.
Meater’s Pro Duo isn’t the cheapest model on the market, but it offers instant and safe results.
Its precision allows you to monitor multiple cuts of meat simultaneously, ensuring perfect results whether you're grilling, roasting, or smoking.
Use in tandem with its downloadable app, and you can sit and enjoy drinks while keeping an eye on the real-time cooking guidance and notifications.
It costs €219 from Windyridge Garden Centre, on Rochestown Avenue in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Pizza perfection for less than €10
If you like a thin Napolitan-style pizza blistered with crispy crusts, then a pizza stone on the grill of a closed barbecue mimics a brick-oven environment.
It retains intense heat and absorbs moisture from the dough, resulting in a crispy crust and even cooking.
There are many on the market.
Sostrene Grene sells one made of cordierite, known for its exceptional thermal shock resistance and high heat capacity.
It costs €9.83 and should be a gift you bring if invited to a barbecue this weekend.
Smash smash burgers for €44.90
Nail the perfect sear, enjoy faster cook times, and even crisping, with this heavy-duty, Blackstone cast iron burger press.
Griddle lovers favour its solid iron constitution that delivers intense, even heat and eliminates curl from small items like bacon strips.
The wide surface area will cover almost anything, from sandwiches to steaks, while its heat-resistant handle gives you full control and makes the process safer, reduces splatter and gives a tasty-looking grilled finish.
It costs €44.90 at Techmeout.ie.
Perfect melt and steam every time for €54.99
Ensure an even and faster cook time with this basting dome.
The cheese in your panini or burger will melt hopelessly under its reinforced rim, which creates a tight seal to prevent heat from escaping so that food cooks quickly.
Rice, vegetables and meat portions, up to four standard burgers or chicken breasts and adds a theatrical flourish.
It costs €54.99 from The Orchard in Celbridge.
Smoke box for that extra flavour for €25
This stainless steel smoker box is built for repeated high-heat use.
It adds deep, authentic smoky flavour to meat, fish and vegetables.
Compatible with wood chips or larger wood chunks, it works with both gas and charcoal fires and is easy to place over burners or coals.
It costs €25 at Woodies.
Beer can chicken
You can use a half-filled beer can, but for those who like a more orderly outdoor set-up, this stainless-steel poultry roaster is durable and easy to clean, as well as being dishwasher safe.
You can add extra flavour to your BBQ chicken by half-filling the cup with beer, wine or water and spices, which will be absorbed into the meat and ensure moist morsels.
On the days when beer can chicken is not on the menu, remove the cup and use the grill basket feature for vegetables.
The Sahara BBQ design costs €30.
Chimney fire starter
If your choice is charcoal, then Weber’s chimney starter set is one of the best there is.
Containing the three most crucial components: a spark, fuel, and a container.
The pack includes a double-handled, aluminised steel chimney starter that you fill with charcoal briquettes, a bag that comes with the pack, and three lighter cubes to get your fire burning quickly.
Fill the chimney starter with briquettes, and as soon as you hear them crackling, it means a great meal is only moments away. Price €29.99.
Tool up for the best results
The best barbecue tools feel comfortable in the hand, perform well, and offer a good selection for their price.
At Triggerfish Cookshop in Blackrock, Co Dublin, a 29 cm long, narrow prong carving fork with a beechwood handle from French brand Opinel costs €30.
On the brand’s own site is a BBQ set, €99, that includes a folding knife with a 16 cm stainless steel blade, sturdy beech handle, with opener, and a safety collar that locks the blade in open or closed positions.
The set also includes a large surface spatula, 8.5 cm wide and 20 cm long, with a bevelled edge for separating or scraping and an XL set of 40 cm long tongs with asymmetrical heads that allow you to grip large items with the notched wide angle and grasp smaller ones with the narrow angle.
