In summer families will gravitate to the outdoor grill if only to reduce the heat inside their house. But, if you’re honest you love the added taste of a flame kissed meal anytime.  If you think of your grill as a one-dimensional burger and hot dog maker you have succumbed to a bad case of small thinking.

The Grill Potential

Did you know you can make pizza on your grill? Did you know you can deliver an authentic wood smoke flavor to your foods? Did you know you can cook a turkey on the grill? Flame broiled never tasted so good.

It May Not Be Manly to Say, But… It’s Time to Accessorize

Think of it this way – if you had a classic automobile you wouldn’t hesitate to add options that make it the coolest car in town. This is the same concept with the grill – you will get more out of it the more you put into it.

Basic Gear

Cleaning Brush – Use this long handled tool every time you grill. This allows you to remove all residue from grilling. Most brushes will have a tool on board that can allow you to scrape around individual grates for extra cleaning.

Spatula – this can be metal or silicon coated metal. Look for longer handles – you’ll burn less arm hair that way.

Tongs – Some food just shouldn’t be spatualized (my own term). Turning them over with tongs will provide the least damage to the food and they’re fun to use.

Cooking Brushes – These are designed to baste your food. Look for long handles and silicon. The

heat resistant surface of silicon allows for easy clean up.

Temperature Gauge – Each meat has a different inner temperature it needs to reach in order for it to be considered safe. You can choose the old school meat thermometers or newer models that have digital displays and beep when the food is ready.

Candle Lighter – These are easy to find at almost any grocery or discount store. They are especially useful when (notice I didn’t say if) your electric starter stops working. They are inexpensive and work much better than a match. Hint: come at the burner from underneath, you won’t get burned that way.

Grill Gear for the Advanced

Cooking Mats – These silicon mats are great for veggies or fish that tend to stick to the metal grates of a grill. They still cook the same, but can be removed easily without leaving half of it stuck to the grill.

Kabob Holders – You can go disposable and use bamboo if you want, or you can buy a set of stainless steel skewers to work on your magic on your grilling goodness.

Pizza Peel – It’s not so difficult to cook pizza on a grill. The problem is trying to get it off the grill. If you’ve ever visited stone baked pizza shops then you’ve seen something like a wooden pizza peel. The beveled edges allow you to get under the pizza without damaging it.

Grill Rotisserie – This after market attachment allows you to grill chicken, beef roast or even a turkey with an electrically motivated rotisserie. This promises to bring out an entirely new flavor to your favorite meats.

Wood Smoker Box – You can purchase a box that allows you to place non-treated hardwood chips inside that add extra flavor to your grilling. Please not you can’t just go to your shed and hack up a 2×4. This has to be hardwood approved for grilling.

Racks – These are great for ribs or chicken pieces and allows for more even cooking on the grill.

Diner is Served

The more you use your grill the more you can justify the purchase of items that allow the user experience to be as impressive as the response from your family and friends. Be bold. Experiment. Fail from time to time and in the end you’ll probably come up with something that will be requested by your children’s children.