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Whether you’re looking for a gift to give or a little something for yourself, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite BBQ gear to make sure you get the good stuff. We have personally used every single item on this list, and when we tell you it’s the stuff we use, it’s because it’s the stuff we actually use here at The Lab. Some of the items on this list are affiliate links, and if you make a purchase you will be supporting our efforts to review and identify the best of the outdoor cooking world. Not everything on this list is an affiliate link, because some of the things we can affiliate simply aren’t the best products, and they don’t make the cut.
Books
Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto
Aaron Franklin is synonymous with amazing bbq, and his book pulls back the curtain on his technique.
Perfect Pan Pizza Cookbook
If you pick this book up, be sure to look for the recipe for Detroit Style pizza. It's one of our family's favorites!
Cool Smoke: The Art of Great Barbecue
Tuffy Stone knows a thing or 2 about barbecue. He shares a lot of great wisdom and recipes in this book.
The Elements of Pizza Cookbook
If you have an outdoor pizza oven (or wish you had an outdoor pizza oven), this is a great resource to have!
Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades
In this cookbook, Steven Raichlen shares a wealth of knowledge when it comes to making your own sauces, rubs, marinades, bastes, butters, and glazes.
Pantry
Truff Hot Sauce
I love hot sauces, and Truff sauces has changed the game for me. The complexity of flavor is heads above the rest, and it's the perfect gift to help someone branch out into something new that you know they'll love.
MÄNNKITCHEN Pepper Cannon
You can have a bounty of fresh cracked black pepper without getting carpal tunnel in your wrists! And it easily adjusts from course to fine grinding.
Smoked Bros. Spices
Veteran owned and operated, these are the spice blends we used during our Best Pellet Grills under $1199 testing and they did not dissapoint!
Be sure to use the code: BBQLAB20 to save 20% on your purchase
MÄNNKITCHEN Salt Cannon
You can't have the pepper cannon without a salt cannon companion. We keep ours filled with Himalayan Pink Salt and use it multiple times daily.
Firestarters
Looftlighter X
Do you cook with charcoal? The Looftlighter X is a fantastic tool for getting your coals hot quickly.
Grill Gun
Never has there been a more fun way than the Grill Gun to start a fire in your fire pit or grill.
Be sure to use the code: bbqlab to save 10% on your purchase
Thermometers
Thermoworks Thermapen One
In my opinion, a great instant-read thermometer is an absolute necessity for anyone who likes to barbecue! The Thermapen One is the top of the line.
Thermoworks Probe Spools
As far as I'm concerned, this is the absolute perfect way to store your temperature probes.
Thermoworks Infrared Gun
Want to know how hot your grates, griddle, or pizza stone is before cooking your food? This guy will get that job done easily.
Fireboard 2
The Fireboard 2 is one of my favorite thermometers I reviewed this past year. You can track up to 6 different probes in one cook and it sends real-time temperature updates to your smart phone.
Thermoworks Signals
A 4 channel bluetooth and WiFi thermometer from a trusted brand like Thermoworks? Yes, please.
Billows Fan
This BBQ temperature control fan kit works with the Signals to keep your charcoal grill or kamado at just the right temperature.
The Meat Stick
The MeatStick is a completely wireless meat thermometer designed to be used in both smoking and grilling applications.
Fireboard Spark
The Fireboard Spark is the highest tech instant read thermometer on the market. Not only does it read super-accurate temperatures lightning fast, it also has a port for an external leave-in temperature probe and can sync with your existing Fireboard 2.
Grill Tools and Accessories
Bristle Free Grill Brush
I think by now we've all heard that grill brushes with bristles are dangerous. We've found this to be a great alternative to what we all used to use.
Hawg Lifter Spatula
This spatula is large and in charge. I use this to lift whole pork butts, whole chicken, brisket... you name it.
Grill Grates
If you appreciate good grill marks, you will LOVE a set of Grill Grates for your grill. They come in all shapes and sizes depending on what grill you use.
Be sure to use the code: BBQLAB10 to save 10% on your purchase
Mini Loaf Pan
This is the pan I use to smoke my competition chicken thighs in. And my wife steals it now and then to make banana bread. Win-win.
Grill Rescue Brush
This is the safest, and probably most efficient grill cleaning brush we've used here at the lab. Made from heat retardant foam, it uses steam to wipe away the grease and grime.
Pork Racks
Any time I'm smoking something on the small side (candy bacon chicken bites, jalapeno poppers, wings, etc.), these pork racks are an absolute necessity! They come in multiple sizes, too!
17" Cast Iron Pan
We use a lot of cast iron pans around here but my favorite is this huge one! Especially if you like to entertain a lot, this one is fun to have around.
Sasquash Burger Press
I use this burger press all the time. It's the absolute best tool I've found for making smash burgers on the griddle.
Protection
No Cut Gloves
These gloves have saved me several trips to the ER for stitches. For anyone who does a lot of cutting and prep work with sharp knives, this is a necessity!
Leather Apron
I am constantly ruining my clothes with ash and grease. This leather apron has been great for protecting my clothes when I'm too lazy to change into my "barbecue clothes".
Cotton Glove Liners
A simple pair of cotton glove liners to go under your nitrile gloves gives the protection they need to handle transferring meat back and forth from grill to cutting board.
Grilling Gloves
These are the gloves that I wear every time I'm working with charcoal, a chimney of charcoal or a raging fire in our offset smoker.
Silicone Trivet
When cooking with fire, it's usually a good idea to have a place to set your hot food down without burning the surface below. We love these silicone trivets by Thermoworks!
High Heat Rubberized Gloves
I like to keep this pair of high heat rubberized gloves out by my bbq pits which are easy to slip on and handle things on the grill.
Nitrile Gloves
Combined with either cut resistant gloves or cotton glove liners, these are our go-to gloves for everything bbq.
Knives
Dalstrong Omega Santoku Knife
Besides a chef knife, the santoku style knife has become my go-to when prepping food in the kitchen. And this one from the Dalstrong Omega series is really sharp! (Sharp looking and sharp cutting)
Dalstrong Shogun Nakiri Knife
This is a beautiful knife that is the ultimate tool for cutting and preparing vegetables.
Epicurean Big Block Cutting Board
If you're looking for the ultimate cutting board, there's no need to look any further. Made from a wood and fiber composite material, knives don't dull as fast and the board lasts many times longer than the competition.
Shun Premier Chef Knife
Every kitchen needs to be equipped with a quality 8" chef knife. Not the cheap dull one that came with the knife block you got as a wedding present 18 years ago.
Dalstrong Steak Knives
Even the toughest of steaks will cut like butter using these steak knives. They perform remarkably, they're gorgeous, and they each come with individual sheaths.
Pellet Grills
Traeger Ironwood 885
The Traeger Ironwood 885 is an incredibly easy-to-use and well-thought-out pellet grill and smoker. It has the potential to change the way you cook, and I believe if you put one of these in the backyard that you’ll find yourself out there much more often.
Memphis Pro
The Memphis Pro is the pellet grill we chose to install in our outdoor kitchen. With temperatures ranging from 180-650° F and an 18 lb. hopper, this grill is ready to do whatever you want it to.
Charcoal Grills
The Pillar Cooker
This cooker has been doing all the heavy lifting in my backyard lately. It's a high end, custom made drum smoker built right here in Indiana.
Pit Barrel Cooker
If you’re looking for a charcoal smoker that you can just set and forget, then this Pit Barrel Cooker is right up your alley.
Be sure to use the code: BBQLAB to save 10% on your purchase
Kamado Joe Classic 18"
Kamado grills are built to be your high-heat grill and low-and-slow smoker all-in-one. And Kamado Joe is one of the #1 trusted names in the industry.
Gas Grills
American Renaissance Grill
We built the American Renaissance gas grill into our outdoor kitchen and it has been absolutely fantastic!
Griddle
Traeger Flatrock
The all-new Traeger Flatrock is stepping up the game of outdoor griddles. With two enormous side shelves, 3 distinct cooking zones, a propane sensor, and no wind exposure to the burners, the Flatrock is a force to be reckoned with.
Le Griddle
We installed the 30" Le Griddle in our outdoor kitchen and use it all the time. From hibachi to smash burgers, our dinners often come off of the Le Griddle.
Outdoor Appliances
RCS Refrigerator
Having this refrigerator in our outdoor kitchen has been such a great addition! It's great having extra space to keep our meat, drinks, and condiments cold and close by.
RCS Ice Maker
Producing up to 44 lbs. of ice per day, this ice maker has been a game changer in our outdoor kitchen.
Pizza Ovens
Alfa 4 Pizze
If you're looking for a high-end pizza oven for your outdoor kitchen, the Alfa 4 Pizze is the wood-burning oven to rule them all.
Ooni Karu 16
The Karu 16 multifuel pizza oven is the newest of the Ooni family and uses charcoal and/or wood as fuel to make 16" pizzas in your own backyard.
Ooni Medium Table
This cart on wheels fits any of the Ooni pizza ovens perfectly and even has hooks for hanging your peels where they're easily accessible.
Ooni Pizza Topping Stations
What a great way to organize your pizza toppings for your next outdoor pizza party.
Dough Proofing Tray
If you're making your own pizza dough, these trays are perfect for proofing your dough balls.
Alfa Nano
Smaller than the 4 Pizze, this gas pizza oven from Alfa Ovens will become your weeknight cooker for everything from steaks to dessert (and pizza, of course).
Ooni Koda 16
If cooking with gas is your preference, this Ooni Koda 16 is a fantastic outdoor pizza oven option for cooking 16 inch pizzas in your own back yard.
Ooni Perforated Pizza Peel
A perforated peel is our preferred style for launching and retrieving pizzas from our outdoor ovens.
Ooni turning Peel
This handy tool is a must for turning pizzas during the cook in an outdoor pizza oven.
Ooni Grizzler Plate
One side is a flat griddle, but flip it over and you have a sizzler plate with ridges. This is the perfect tool for cooking meats and vegetables in your outdoor pizza oven.
Fire Pits
Solo Stove
Treat yourself to a smokeless firepit. Solo Stove fire pits come in 3 different sizes, depending on your preferred place to enjoy a campfire. We have the Yukon and the Bonfire on our back patio and absolutely love it!
Solo Stove Handle
Depending on the size of your Solo Stove, this handle may come in very handy when it comes to moving around your fire pit and emptying ash.
Woodhaven Firewood Rack
We go through a lot of firewood around here, whether it's for a firepit, pizza oven, or offset smoker. This Woodhaven firewood rack has been perfect for storing and seasoning our firewood.
Breeo Outpost Grill
The Outpost Grill attaches directly to the Breeo smokeless fire pits and the grill height is completely adjustable depending on your fire and cooking needs. We love it!
Roasting Sticks
We joke that our kids are going to fight over these roasting sticks after we die because they'll probably outlast us. By far, the most durable and high-quality roasting sticks we've ever encountered.
Firepit Tools
Much like the roasting sticks, these firepit tools are high quality. And with the raging hot fires that come from a Solo Stove, you'll want some quality tools to work with.
Kindling Cracker
We're frequently having to cut smaller splits of wood to be kindling for our fire pits and pizza ovens. The Kindling Cracker is by far the best and easiest way to do this chore.
Gifts
Chocolate Bacon Roses
The kids and Melissa got these for me for my birthday this year and they were a delicious and unexpected surprise!
Bacon Scented Wrapping Paper
It's true. This wrapping paper literally smells like bacon.