Brian's Favorite BBQ Things
Every BBQ guy, grill tender or pitmaster needs a set of tools to reach their maximum potential. Over the last decade of creating delicacies over fire, I’ve come to love a handful of brands the produce amazing quality products and I’ve never been one for a best kept secret kept quiet. I’ve tried to group different types of goods and wears and some of these links below may be affiliate links from which I may earn a commission. That does not influence inclusion on this list.
The Grill
I’ll never pretend to say that there is a perfect grill for every person, but I do have a couple of favorite brands that I either currently use or have used regularly over the last 10 years.
Favorite Ceramic Charcoal Grill - The Big Green Egg
Favorite Pellet Smoker - Traeger
Favorite Gas Grill - I can’t condone this lifestyle. Just use your stovetop.
The Accessories
There’s a lot of really cool and/or really expensive grill accessories out there. There’s only a handful of items that I use all the time or use regularly enough to justify the expense.
The Thermapen ONE - There are a lot of “instant” thermometers out there and I’ve gone through a bunch of $20-25 ones I’ve gotten at Target or on Amazon. Upgrading to a Thermapen is one of the single best BBQ decisions I’ve ever made. Truly instant and extremely accurate, plus they’re incredible durable. I’ve had my original one for probably 7 years now and its still instant and accurate. Yes, its a $100 thermometer, but it’ll change your game.
The Joetisserie - This Kamado Joe branded rotisserie accessory fits Big Green Eggs as well as some other brand grills. Check the diameter of your grill. I use the XL on my BGE XL and it works perfectly. I use this thing way more than I even though I would when I first bought it. Pichana, Chicken, Roast Beast. I love it.
The BGE Extendable Grill Rack - There’s a bunch of versions of this, but adding a second rack vertically to a Kamado grill that is removable can really change how you cook and allow for a much simpler time table.
The BBQ Collapsible Tub & Cutting Board - This is a silly thing my in-laws got me that I actually use all the time now. Its part cutting board, part tub and so you can trim and then season and then carry out to the grill all in one. Plus it flattens out to easily store with the sheet pans and cutting boards.
High Quality Cooler - Yeti is the name everybody knows, but I also love my Pelican and there’s a number of animal named brands out there creating similar high quality products like Orca and Bison.
The Drip
Not the brisket, but the clothes. And the protection from the drip.
Hedley & Bennett Aprons - I was obviously going to lead off this portion of the list with an apron, and if you think aprons you have to think the &. Best aprons in the biz. Hands down. No question.
Big & Tall Grill Apparel - Gotta go with Tractor Supply Co for this stuff if you’re a heavy duty grill guy of size. At 6’7” and in my 30s, I’m looking for comfortable fit that doesn’t look like I’m in a crop top.
Washable kicks - I think this is necessary, but I don’t have a great
Breathable hats - I do love my Travis Mathew and Yeti hats, but I’ve left a lot of sweat stains in hats and had to wash them.
The Meat
You know I wouldn’t skip some recommendations on where to get amazing meat.
Snake River Farms - These guys are the gold standard in American Wagyu for the home cook. You can get brisket, beef rib and many cuts of steak, but also more obscure cuts like Pichana which is one of my favorites. They also have an amazing collection of Kurobuta Pork.
Crowd Cow - High quality meats of a wide variety, I think that Crowd Cow is one of the most consistent meat delivery vendors that has a wide selection more affordable cuts. Sure, they have A5 wagyu on the site, but they also have chicken breasts and pre-portioned Atlantic salmon filets for reasonable prices.
Costco
Fulton Fish Market - The iconic fish market of Seattle delivered direct to your door. Honestly, this is some of the best seafood I’ve ever had shipped.
These are of course just a small selection of things I’ve tried over the years and I’m continually discovering amazing new tools to level up my game. Let me know if in the comments if there’s any tools I should try and any that you think belong on this list. I’ll update it as I find new goods!