Outdoor cooking essentials for smarter grilling

Whether you're firing up the grill for quick weeknight burgers or setting off on an all-day smoked barbecue, cooking outdoors is more enjoyable with the right tools.

Prep efficiently, cook perfectly

A good set of essentials can help you prep efficiently, nail the perfect medium rare without guessing and even speed up cleanup.

After years of testing grills, griddles, smokers and accessories, these are the ones that have earned a permanent place on my patio – and many see just as much use indoors.

The must-haves

Prep trays: OXO Grilling Prep And Carry System ($44.97-$44.99) – One of the biggest hassles of outdoor cooking is constantly darting back into the kitchen for ingredients and supplies. This six-piece prep system keeps everything organized, letting you season, marinate, transport, carve and serve from one kit.

Chimney starter: Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter ($24.99-$24.99) – Charcoal's biggest drawback is the hassle and wait of lighting it. A chimney starter is the fastest, easiest path to red-hot coals without lighter fluid, which can impart a nasty flavor to food.

Tongs: OXO Good Grips Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs ($17.95-$17.99) – Skip the oversized barbecue fork and use tongs instead. Oxo's stainless steel tongs are comfortable, dishwasher-safe and precise enough to grab everything from asparagus spears to steaks without dropping dinner into the coals.

Squeeze bottles: Tablecraft 16-oz Widemouth Squeeze Bottle ($15.26) – A squeeze bottle is one of those inexpensive tools you will reach for every time you cook. Fill them with cooking oil, barbecue sauce, salad dressing or homemade marinades for cleaner, more precise application than pouring from the original bottle.

Heat-resistant gloves: Hey Grill Hey Pitmaster Gloves ($24.99-$29.99) – Bulky gloves and mitts protect your hands, but they sacrifice dexterity. The Pitmaster gloves combine a waterproof rubber shell with a comfortable, cotton-insulated lining, letting you move hot grill parts, cast-iron cookware and sizzling cuts of meat while remaining flexible enough for slicing, shredding and saucing.

Grill brush: Rescue Ultra Brush ($49.99-$89.95) – Dipping this brush's aramid fiber (AKA Kevlar) cleaning head in water creates steam as you scrub hot grill grates, loosening baked-on residue without the risk of wire bristles shaking loose, maybe into your food.

Spatulas: Traeger XXL BBQ Spatula ($33.99-$44.99) – A heavy grill press is the easiest way to maximize contact between food and a hot griddle, creating crispier bacon and smash burgers with deeply browned, lacy edges.

Thermometers: ThermoWorks Thermapen One ($74-$125) – Stop guessing a steak's doneness by poking your palm and measuring it with a Thermapen instead, which delivers an accurate temperature reading in about a second.

Sheet pan: Nordic Ware Naturals High Sided Half Sheet Pan with Multi-Task Oven & Cooling Rack ($35-$35) – A rimmed sheet pan is useful for prepping, transporting, and serving food and a wire rack elevates cooked food so the underside stays crisp instead of steaming in its own juices.

Grill press/Burger smasher: Made In Grill Press ($79-$79) – A heavy grill press is the easiest way to maximize contact between food and a hot griddle, creating crispier bacon and smash burgers with deeply browned, lacy edges.

Prep tubs: Drip EZ 3-Piece Prep Tub Set ($124.99-$124.99) – Before you can smoke a great barbecue, you have to trim meat and coat it with rub – a messy job with briskets, pork shoulders and ribs. These collapsible Drip EZ tubs contain the mess, then fold flat for easy storage.

Grill cart: Oklahoma Joe’s Workstation DLX Prep & Storage Cart ($399.95-$399.99) – With a 900-sq in stainless steel prep surface, this cart gives you countertop-caliber room to prep, season and organize.

Skeews: OXO 6-Piece Grilling Skewer Set ($17.99-$17.99) – Try flipping a kebab speared with cheap, round bamboo skewers, and you’ll find it spinning in place like beads on a necklace. OXO’s flat stainless steel skewers keep food locked in like players on a foosball table, so every chunk rotates when you want it to.

Basting brush and sauce pot: OXO OXO Grilling Basting Pot and Brush Set ($34.95-$34.99) – This stainless-steel sauce pot holds 18oz of barbecue sauce, marinade, melted butter or glaze, keeping plenty within reach during long cooks.

Spritz bottle: Oklahoma Joe’s Competition BBQ Spritz Bottle ($27.99-$27.99) – A spritz bottle is one of the simplest ways to improve smoked barbecue. During long cooks, a light mist of water, cider vinegar or apple juice helps keep the surface from drying out and encourages smoke to cling to the wet and cooler meat.

Veggie grilling basket: Weber Deluxe Grilling Basket ($24.99-$24.99) – A grilling basket is the easiest way to cook vegetables (or small protein like shrimp) without sacrificing them to the fire. It keeps asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini and other delicate ingredients from slipping through the grates while still exposing them to smoky, direct heat.

Charcoal baskets: Weber Char-Baskets ($19.99-$19.99) – Charcoal baskets make one of the most useful grilling techniques – two-zone cooking – almost effortless. They hold lit coals neatly to one side of a kettle grill, creating separate heat zones for everything from reverse-seared steaks to whole chickens and racks of ribs.

Melting dome: Blackstone Culinary Medium Square Basting Dome ($44.99-$44.99) – A dome traps heat and steam, helping food cook faster while making a griddle even more versatile.

Rib rack: Napoleon Expandable Rib Holder ($27.99-$27.99) – This stainless steel expandable rib rack lets you cook anywhere from one to six racks of ribs at once, adjusting to your grill space as needed.

Skillet: Lodge 8-in Carbon Steel Cast Iron Skillet ($38.75-$38.75) – If you’re new to carbon steel, this inexpensive Lodge is the perfect tool to learn about this durable favorite of pro chefs.