Thursday, January 15, 2009

Essential Tools for the BBQ

By Ana Dupuis

Some of the best BBQ tips concern the tools and accessories you need to do the job right. The kinds of BBQ grill tools that are essential and the ones are just nice to have around will depend on the type of barbequing you plan to do. But there are certain tools that most BBQ chefs find handy much of the time.

Sometimes it's best to start with the end in mind and the end of every BBQ is the clean-up phase. Some grills can be a nightmare to clean but with the right tools it can be quite a bit easier.

A simple way to avoid excessive cleaning up is to not let things get messy to begin with. You can achieve this quite easily with drip pans that are disposable. Stray pieces of meat and grease drippings that fall through the grill are captured on the pan, and once you're done, you just remove it and throw it in the garbage.

If you can't get disposable BBQ pans, at least choose a removable one. The job will be made easier when you just have to remove the pan, spray it with cleaner and scrub it down. It's much easier to use oven cleaner if you're not trying to clean around numerous objects poking out everywhere. And if you don't use oven cleaner directly on the grill, you don't have to worry about rinsing it thoroughly to remove the residue. Otherwise your next meal could taste and smell pretty bad, and it might even be dangerous to your health.

A wire brush is a requirement for most BBQ clean up situations. A dual purpose style is your best choice. These feature a wire brush on one side and a metal scraper on the other. For scraping those hardened black bits off the grill, there's just no substitute.

You can find all sorts of BBQ tools that make grilling more fun. For instance, shish kebab is a breeze using BBQ skewers, and they're also useful for turning large cuts of meat. A good set of barbeque tongs will also be highly useful. By good, it means heat proof, fits well in your hand, and won't slip around.

BBQ oven mitts are another essential accessory. It's inevitable that you'll come in contact with grill parts and metal tools that make wearing them the only sensible thing to do. There's just too much heat around to do without them.

You'll probably find a wire BBQ basket handy from time to time, if you cook fish or want to be able to turn a slice of ham without using tongs. Choose a style that's like a wire mesh container with a handle, and you can cook all sorts of things like vegetables for a convenient, healthy outdoor meal.

You can find countless different BBQ tools that will enhance your grilling enjoyment. Just be sure to always buy quality. That way they'll end up in your hands, and not in the drawer collecting dust.

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