BBQ grill accessories are the tools you use to prepare meals, handle food over the heat and clean up afterward. Get the right ones and you keep chopped vegetables out of the coals, your hands farther from the heat and your cooking tools within reach. Start with what you cook and the grill you already own.
Food preparation starts with a BBQ prep tub
The black Drip EZ collapsible BBQ prep tub measures 20 inches long by 16.25 inches wide by 5.5 inches deep. Buy it to give your barbecue prep a dedicated container that folds down when you put it away. That collapsible design matters when the same cupboard has to hold your everyday kitchen gear and your grilling equipment.
| Drip EZ black collapsible BBQ prep tub | Size |
|---|
| Length | 20 inches |
| Width | 16.25 inches |
| Depth | 5.5 inches |
For food preparation before grilling, organize the meal before you light the grill: portion the food, get your marinade ready and gather the utensils you will need. Use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables, and have a clean serving tray ready for the finished food. A prep container and a serving tray do different jobs, and having both ready saves the scramble when dinner comes off the grate.
If you keep grilling through a Flathead Valley winter, where the average low is 16°F, do the work where it’s warm. On a cold evening, do the chopping and portioning in the warm kitchen and carry the prep tub out. That beats working through the whole meal on a frosty grill shelf.
Long-handled tongs belong in your basic setup because they let you flip, move and serve food while keeping your hands farther from the heat. Sturdy stainless steel is the usual material for grilling tools. If your kitchen tongs have plastic tips, keep them off the grill; ordinary plastic can melt against hot food and grates, so any tipped tool you take outside should be rated for grill heat.
A wide metal spatula is the right tool for burgers and larger pieces of meat because it supports the food as you turn it. Add a basting brush for sauces and marinades and a grill fork for steadying meat during slicing. Those tools cover most basic grilling jobs. An instant-read thermometer adds a different capability: it checks the meat’s internal temperature instead of leaving you to judge doneness by appearance.
For magnetic grill accessories, choose a tool-holding setup that keeps utensils off the work surface and within reach; hooks and magnetic strips serve that purpose.
For a griddle, Blackstone or otherwise, start with the meals you make. Burgers call for a sturdy, wide spatula. Sauced food calls for a basting brush. Choose an accessory kit by those working pieces, then add tools as your cooking calls for them. A bigger piece count is useful only when you will use the extra pieces.
For cookware exposed to high grill heat, buy uncoated stainless steel, carbon steel or cast iron. Grill surfaces can exceed 600°F, while typical nonstick coatings begin breaking down around 500°F. That temperature gap makes uncoated cookware the right purchase for high-heat grilling.
A griddle insert gives a gas or charcoal grill a temporary flat-top cooking surface. A grill basket solves another problem: it holds fish and chopped vegetables that would otherwise fall through the grate. Buy the basket when small or delicate food is a regular part of dinner.
Will these accessories fit your grill?
Whatever you cook on, whether a Weber kettle, a Traeger or a Pit Boss pellet grill, separate handheld tools from fitted equipment. Tongs and spatulas are chosen for handling food. Covers, inserts and attachments need to match the grill model and cooking equipment.
Choose a cover for the specific model, and establish compatibility before buying an insert or attachment. Grill width alone is not a complete fit decision. A rotisserie attachment needs the right grill as well as a meal worth roasting.
How to store grill accessories
Keep your grilling tools together in a portable bin so you can carry the set outside and put it away together. Use hooks or magnetic strips during cooking, then return the tools to their storage place after cleanup. Clean the grates after each use so the next meal starts with manageable cleanup.
In Great Falls, winter winds run 15 mph and up. Keep loose utensils and napkins together in a caddy instead of spread across a prep table, and take your portable tool bin inside when you finish.
For cooking after dark, the Mycro headlamp gives you hands-free light that follows where you look, so you can see the meat instead of holding a flashlight.
One more thing for the kitchen side of things: WBC’s indoor flying insect trap and its matching refills keep flies off the counter while you prep. They’re made for indoor use, not the patio.
The Pick
Buy the black Drip EZ 20-inch collapsible BBQ prep tub to organize meal preparation and fold the container down between cooks. Build your everyday tool setup around long-handled tongs and a wide metal spatula, and add a basket for fish and chopped vegetables. Choose the Mycro headlamp when dinner keeps you at the grill after dark. For indoor insect control, choose the indoor trap and refills matched to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What accessories do you need for a BBQ grill?
Start with long-handled tongs and a sturdy, wide metal spatula so you can move food and support it when turning. Add an instant-read thermometer to check meat temperature. A timer helps you track the cook, but elapsed time doesn’t tell you the meat’s temperature.
What should you look for in a Blackstone griddle accessory kit?
Choose a kit around the cooking tools you’ll actually use, with a sturdy, wide metal spatula for turning burgers. Give cleanup tools the same attention as cooking tools: a griddle scraper handles a different job than a spatula. A large piece count doesn’t help if the useful tools are missing.
How do you choose accessories for a Weber grill?
Separate handheld tools from accessories that fit onto the grill. Covers are model-specific, and fitted equipment needs to match your cooking setup. Choose by the job, too: a griddle insert gives you a temporary flat cooking surface, while a basket keeps fish and chopped vegetables from falling through the grates.
How should you store grill accessories?
Clean and dry your tools before putting them together in a portable bin; closing up damp utensils leaves moisture trapped with them. Keep the bin indoors between cooks. During cooking, hooks or magnetic strips keep utensils within reach and off the prep surface.
