Buying guide for best grill sets
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Who doesn’t love a delicious barbecued meal? Having a top-notch grill is definitely key to preparing tasty burgers, hot dogs, steaks and ribs, but you also need the right tools and utensils to make sure that your recipes are a total success. That’s why having a good grill set is so important.
With so many grill sets available, choosing the right one can be tough. You have to know what pieces are must-haves, what materials work best, and what other features make one set more useful than the others.
If you’re not sure what to look for, sorting through all the options can get frustrating in a hurry. So we researched dozens of grill sets for you. Our favorite is the Weber Precision 3‑Piece Grilling Tool Set, which is made of quality stainless steel by a trusted brand.
Editors’ picks
Weber Precision Three‑Piece Grilling Tool Set
Editors’ Favorite
Number of Pieces: 3 | Materials: Stainless steel | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Storage Bag Included: No
Weber is a tried-and-trusted name in grilling, and it makes sense that their grill set is as well-made and easy to use as their grills themselves. The Weber Precision 3-Piece Grilling Tool Set is all you need to get you set up for grilling success.
With the Weber Precision set, you get three grilling tools, all thoughtfully designed and made of high-quality stainless steel. The grill tongs feature hands-free locking for convenience, with both precision tips for control and raised teeth for grip. The spatula is beveled on three sides to slip underneath grilled foods more easily and has a wide surface for support and ease of flipping.
The basting brush has a food-safe pure silicone design and is dishwasher-safe for sanitary maintenance. All three tools are dishwasher-safe, in fact, and the tongs and spatula both sport soft, grabby silicone grips. The grips also keep them comfortable to the touch while you work around flames or live coals.
Alpha Grillers Heavy-Duty Grilling Accessories
Great Value
Number of Pieces: 3 | Materials: Stainless steel | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Storage Bag Included: No
Alpha Grillers is a fan-favorite brand with a slew of grilling tools and accessories, all with bold branding and impressive features. The Alpha Griller Grill Tool Set is a great example of the company’s products, and it packs a lot of value in every buck.
The Alpha Grillers set includes tongs, a spatula, fork and basting brush, all made of solid stainless steel. Each tool has a thick, comfortable handle, although they’re the same metal as the rest of the tool. The tongs feature scalloped teeth for grip and lock for convenience, while the spatula has a toothed edge for quick cutting and an integrated bottle opener.
The silicone brush head on the basting brush is food-safe and angled for convenience while reaching across a hot grill. All the tools are dishwasher-safe and sport large metal loops for hassle-free hanging on grill hooks. The tongs and basting brush are 16 inches long, while the spatula and fork are 18 inches long, all good lengths to avoid hot grates, flames or coals.
OXO Outdoor Grilling Turner and Tongs Set
Trusted Brand
Number of Pieces: 2 | Materials: Stainless steel | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Storage Bag Included: No
OXO is one of the most popular and recommended cooking brands on the planet. The OXO Outdoor Grilling Turner and Tongs Set may have only two tools, but they’re good enough to last for years of grilling pleasure.
While this OXO set only comes with two grilling implements, they’re both well-made with thoughtful features. Both the grill tongs and the spatula turner are made of dishwasher-safe stainless steel, with soft comfort-grip handles. The spatula has a wide head with beveled edges to get underneath burgers or steaks for flipping, with a double-bend design for increased leverage.
The grill tongs have scalloped edges and a locking, spring-loaded design for ease of grip. They also integrate a bottle opener on the handles, away from the business end of the tool, to keep grease and food particles away from bottle tops. Both tools are long enough to easily clear hot grates, with the tongs measuring 18.7 inches and the spatula 16.5 inches in length.
GRILLART BBQ Tools Grill Tools Set
Sleek Design
Number of Pieces: 4 | Materials: Stainless steel | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Storage Bag Included: No
The Grillart BBQ Grill Tools Set makes a great gift for anyone who loves to take charge of the grill. You can even gift this set to yourself if you want. All it’s missing is a carrying case.
This four-piece set from Grillart comes with tongs, a spatula, basting brush and a two-tined fork. All the tools are made of stainless steel, with wood handles on the tongs and rubber bristles on the basting brush. The tongs boast evenly spaced, deeply scalloped teeth for extra grip, while the spatula comes with a bottle-opener notch on the blade for convenient refreshment time for the grillmaster. The spatula also has a serrated edge, great for quick cutting jobs on the grill itself.
The rubber basting brush has a slightly angled head, designed for basting while reaching over hot grates. Grillart promises all the tools are dishwasher-safe, although, in our opinion, we’d be careful with the wood on the tongs and hand-wash those. All the tools are at least 18 inches long, plenty of reach to keep hands away from flames or coals.
New Star Foodservice BBQ Tool Set
Simple Yet Solid
Number of Pieces: 4 | Materials: Stainless steel, wood | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Storage Bag Included: No
Professional kitchen tools may not look much like those made for the home, but there’s no arguing with their performance. The New Star Foodservice BBQ Tool Set is for the no-nonsense grill boss who’s confident in their outdoor cooking.
The New Star set includes tongs, cleaning brush, spatula and fork. The tongs feature toothed tips for gripping food, while the spatula’s sharp edge slides firmly to loosen. The cleaning brush features steel bristles to remove stuck-on food and residue, and it includes a blade tip for heavy-duty scraping. Each tool measures between 17 and 19 inches long, plenty of distance to avoid getting singed by hot coals or flames.
Each tool is made out of heavy-duty stainless steel with sealed hardwood handles. Brazed rivets hold each tool together securely, and large loops make it easy to hang them on hooks. One drawback of the hardwood handles? They’re not dishwasher-friendly, so hand-washing is recommended.
How we analyzed
To create this list of the best grill sets, we looked at several factors: number of tools, tool length and tool materials, among others. We wanted the grilling tools to be long enough to protect our hands from the heat of the grill, and we looked for tools made of high-quality materials that are both strong and easy to clean. Grill sets range from two items to more than a dozen in a set, but we prioritized quality, brand reputation and value over number of items or extras.
What’s in a grill set?
Grill sets vary, but you can expect to find tongs, fork, and spatula in a basic set. Here are the utensils commonly found in many grill sets.
Tongs
Tongs are an essential tool for safely handling food without worrying about burning yourself. You use tongs to place food on the grill, turn it over as it cooks, and remove it when it’s done.
Tongs should have long handles (at least seven to nine inches), so there is a significant distance between your hand and the hot grill.
Barbecue fork
Like a pair of tongs, a barbecue fork can be used to add, turn, and remove food from the grill. You can also use the fork to test meat for doneness. A barbecue fork resembles a standard fork except that it has a long handle and usually only two tines. Many serious grillers aren’t fans of barbecue forks, though, because piercing meat as it cooks allows the juices to escape and dries out the meat.
Spatula
Tongs don’t work well for positioning or flipping flat food items like burgers and fish fillets, which is why a good grilling spatula is an essential tool for your barbecue. A spatula should have an offset handle and a thin, flexible flat part that you can easily slide beneath the food.
Skewers
If you enjoy grilling meat and veggie kabobs, you’ll want a grill set that includes skewers. Threading the chunks of meat and vegetables on these long sticks keeps the food from falling through the grill grate. While you can use disposable wooden skewers for kabobs, those that come with a grill set are reusable.
Corn holders
Fresh corn on the cob is delicious when prepared on the grill, so you may want a grill set that includes corn holders. You insert these small handles into each end of the cob, making it easier to hold when the corn is hot off the grill.
Basting brush
One key to flavorful grilled food is the application of barbecue sauce or marinade to the meat as it cooks. A good grill set should include a long-handled basting brush for spreading the sauce over the food in the last few minutes of grilling. Depending on your needs, you might want a grill set with several basting brushes if you like to use one sauce for meat and a separate marinade for vegetables.
Grill brush
Keeping your grill clean is important if you want tasty food every time you use it. That’s why it’s important to choose a grill set that includes a stiff grill brush. Use it to clean the grill grate after every use to make sure that burned-on food won’t affect the grill’s performance or the taste of your next barbecued masterpiece.
Grill set features to consider
Number of pieces
Grill sets vary in size from those with just a few basic pieces to sets that contain up to 24 pieces. In most cases, you’ll get a better bang for your buck with more pieces, but you could find that some larger sets contain items you won’t necessarily use. Look for a grill set that includes basic items like tongs, spatula, and barbecue fork, as well as any other tools that fit your grilling habits, such as skewers for kabobs or holders for corn on the cob.
Storage
Many grill sets include a storage case or container, so you can keep your tools together and never worry about misplacing one. Some storage cases have convenient carrying handles, so it’s easy to take your set with you if you like to grill while camping or tailgating.
Materials
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Stainless Steel: The tools and accessories in most grill sets are made of stainless steel, including tongs, barbecue forks, spatulas, skewers, corn holders, and grill brushes. Heat-resistant stainless steel is durable and easy to clean. Some grill sets contain tools made entirely of stainless steel.
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Wood and Rubber: The tools in some grill sets have handles made of wood or rubber. Rubber handles can be more comfortable to hold, while some people think wooden handles look nicer.
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Silicone: Look for a grill set with a basting brush that has heat-resistant silicone bristles. These bristles are easier to clean than other materials and don’t absorb odors, making silicone ideal for applying sauces and marinades.
Comfort
You want a grill set that is comfortable to use, so look for tools that have contoured grips that fit well in your hand.
Safety
In addition to being comfortable, a good grill set should also be safe to use. Make sure that any set you consider has heat-resistant handles, so you don’t have to worry about burning your hands while tending the grill. A non-slip grip is also important because it helps prevent you from accidentally dropping the tools on the hot grill.
Cleaning ease
As with any cooking utensil, it’s important to choose a grill set with components that are easy to clean. Stainless steel tools are very easy to wash, and some are even dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze. Others require hand-washing, but the tools usually come clean with some light scrubbing in soapy water.
Grill set prices
Grill set prices vary based on the number of pieces included and whether the set includes a case. However, most sets cost between $13 and $110.
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Budget-friendly: Grill sets that include three to four pieces, without a storage case, usually cost between $13 and $30.
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Mid-range: Grill sets that include six to 14 pieces and some type of storage case usually cost between $17 and $42.
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Expensive: Grill sets that include 14 to 24 pieces and some type of storage case usually cost between $20 and $110.
Tips
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Wash your grill set in the dishwasher only if it’s recommended by the manufacturer. It could damage the set, so it’s best to wash the pieces by hand.
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Use the tongs to rub a paper towel soaked with cooking oil over the grill grates. This will help keep food from sticking to the grill.
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Don’t use tongs to handle very delicate foods on the grill. Use the spatula to handle fish fillets and other delicate foods.
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Cook different foods with similar grilling times together. If you’re mixing different types of food on skewers, make sure they all have similar grilling times and the pieces are all about the same size.
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Test meat doneness with the flat side of the fork. Piercing the meat with the tines can allow the juices to escape and dry out the meat. Press the flat side of the fork against the meat until some juices emerge. If the juices are clear, the meat is cooked through.
FAQ
Q. What items are essential in a grill set?
A. Most grill experts agree that tongs, a spatula, a basting brush, and a grill brush are the essential tools that every home griller should have. Other items, while not essential, could come in handy. If you often make kabobs, you’ll save money if you choose a kit with skewers rather than getting them separately. If you grill corn regularly, look for a grill set with corn holders.
Q. Do different types of grills require different grill sets?
A. It doesn’t matter whether you have a gas or charcoal grill when you’re choosing a grill set. All of the tools included in the sets are designed to allow you to safely handle food on any hot grill.
Q. What features should I look for in tongs?
A. The best tongs have two arms joined in the center by a spring-loaded hinge. Look for a set with oval-shaped, scallop-edged ends, which grip the food well.
