Good cookin' requires good tools, especially when it comes to meat and flames and whatnot. Last summer, my guy and I bought our first grill that wasn't a tiny Weber (although, shoutout to tiny Webers!). This new BBQ is nothing fancy, but it feels fancy to us because we can make carne asada and lamb burgers all the livelong day (and for more than one person at a time — what luxury).

This summer, the grill (and grillmaster) are still in San Diego and I am missing both something fierce. So, to torture myself, I wrote this post.

I actually wrote a version of this grilling guide for Brit + Co last year for Father's Day gift ideas and it's been super popular over there (dad's love crap for their grills!), so I thought it would be good to update it for Worthy Pause and include a couple of new things I've found since.

This is a mix of stuff we have and love, as well as a few things I'm currently coveting but resisting purchase (for now) because of the aforementioned long-distance grill situation. It's also important to know that I am allergic to any cooking gadgets that aren't actually practical, so we whittled this down the worthiest ones. And I say "we" because my husband is very involved in grill-related purchases and helped compile this list, so I feel like I can't take all the credit.

Also, this is my first ever product collage below and I will definitely take all the credit for that. I used Photoshop and everything! It took me about a thousand and a half years to finish, but I made it.

1. Weber Spirit E310 Gas Grill ($519): This is where the magic happens. My husband did so much research on grills and then decisively determined this was the best value, so this is our trusty beast. It's probably the smartest thing we've purchased for our home, maybe ever.

2. Chef's Apron ($13): My entire wardrobe is black and white stripes, so why stop there?

3. Ivation Wireless Meat Thermometer ($60): A good meat thermometer will change your life. We took a grill cooking class last year and the instructor recommended this one. It’s pricey, but it acts as a brain for your BBQ (or oven), monitoring temperature from up to 300 feet away, alerting you when the temp drops or rises and even stores your meat settings for the next time. 

4. Grill Fella Grill Basket ($39): I'm a sucker for a copper finish. This guy's great for doing different types of vegetables at once.

5. Persian Kebab Skewers ($35): My husband is half-Iranian, so kebab-making materials are indeed essential. I love making koobideh, but these are great for all kinds of kebabs/kabobs though — much more heavy-duty than regular skewers.

6. Maverick BBQ Accessory Organizer ($26): A thing for your things!

7. Octopus Basting Brush ($13): This thing, you guys. It's cute and useful. Also, did you read about that new octopus that they found in the Bay Area? It's so cute scientists are trying to name it "opistoteuthis adorabilis." It's almost as cute as my favorite invertebrate, the cuttlefish.

8. Heat-Resistant Gloves ($35). Because it's fun to feel invincible. Burns? BAH!  You can also use these heat cloves with your curling iron, as long as there are no meat bits left on them. Grab these good, solid tongs too, because you can't pick up everything with your hands, yo.

9. Jucy Lucy Maker ($9): We're from Jucy Lucy country, which means that burgers should always come with molten hot lava cheese in the middle (or paleo fillings — I bet you could make a really good one with garlic and hot peppers). However, these Minnesotan wonders are kind of a b*tch to make, so this helper will help. 

10. Grill Companion Station ($25): I saved the best for last. SERIOUSLY, it's so useful. This handy kit of containers keeps your raw food separate from cooked, so that you can reduce contamination and keep your cooking areas uncluttered. And this particular one comes with a bonus tool caddy for your spatulas, meat thermometer and/or beers.

Well, I hope you find this set of grilling essentials essential. In case you couldn't tell, am especially pumped about #10 and #6, in case you want to prioritize your shopping list. :)

P.S. For more grilling adventures, there was the time when I rounded up some paleo BBQ recipes from around the web. Or the time when I made Korean burgers with grilled shishito peppers.

Photos via