Top 10 Grilling Tools

1. A Grill

Obviously, to grill first you need a good grill. To find the right grill for you I can only point you to the expert, Derrick Riches, About.com's Guide to BBQ. He has guides for gas grills of all price levels, charcoal grills, smokers, and portable grills at bbq.about.com.

2. Charcoal

Quality charcoal makes a big difference in the final grilled product. Avoid charcoals with starter added (who needs those extra chemicals?), and look for "natural" charcoal made from this crazy thing called "wood."

Mesquite is justly heralded for its ability to reach nice, high heats. Mesquite trees can grow from bits of root left in the ground and over 56 million acres of it are grown in Texas, so grill away!

3. Flat Heavy Metal Skewers

All-metal skewers allow you to position the skewer however you like on the grill without worrying about plastic bits melting or wooden parts burning. Flat or wide skewers help food stay in place, even when you lift the skewers to turn them. If you want to cook larger pieces on skewers, try using two skewers to help stabilize everything.

4. Heavy Metal Spatula

A heavy metal spatula made for grilling will stand up to grill heat – and handle large pieces of meat and fish with ease. If you cook a lot of fish, you might want to consider buying an extra-wide, fish-fillet-specific spat too.

5. Heavy Metal Tongs

Large, long, heavy metal tongs allow you to move food on the grill effectively without getting too close to the heat yourself.

6. Meat Thermometer

There are scads of thermometers out there. You can find digital read-outs, alarms, and more. I'll stick to my $10 instant-read probe, thank you very much, Sure, they break. But when they do I can easily replace it with another without blinking an eye. Plus, in my anecdotal experience they are more accurate much more of the time.

7. Silicone Brush

Silicone brushes are awesome. There, I've said it, they're awesome. The bristles don't melt when you get close to the heat and they're easy to clean (at least when compared to traditional hair or nylon bristle brushes). Look for ones with fine bristles - they mimic traditional brushes better and hold more basting liquid than the wide bristle versions.

8. Spray Water Bottle

A small spray bottle filled with water can tame flare-ups and save dinner.

9. Wire Scrub Brush

A stiff wire brush cleans off the nastiest grill. Buy one and use it often - or at least between grillings every now and again. Remember to replace it every year (or two).

10. Wood Smoke Chips

Wood smoke chips impart a great smoky flavor to grilled foods. Different woods, different flavors - see this Guide to Wood Smoke Chips for specifics.