Time to get ready for a new season of grilling. We went to the March 2017 Hearth Patio & Barbecue Expo to see what’s new and fabulous for this year. Here are three grilling tools we think you’ll enjoy using.
Grilling Basket
A non-stick, flexible basket with big holes so what you're grilling gets all that delicious charring but doesn't leave a mess on your grill? That's genius. Camerons Non-Stick Grilling Mesh Basket is a foot-square 500-degree-safe plastic wonder. It corrals all those things you want to grill – like chunks of squash and onion, cherry tomatoes, cubes of chicken or pork – and lets you cook them as if you were using a skillet. No more skewers for me. Now I can put onion slices on first and let them soften, then add chicken chunks and let them brown and finally toss in some cherry tomatoes leaving them on just long enough to heat up. Nothing overdone, nothing underdone. Then pick up the basket and gently slide the contents onto a platter. Throw the basket in the dishwasher. Done! $19.16. http://amazon.com.
Ceramic Grilling Skillet
Nonstick pans with ceramic coatings are maybe the newest thing in cookware. And now they're available for the grill. Blue Rhino offers a variety of ceramic-coated products including a grilling skillet with small diamond-shaped holes on the cooking surface. The 12-inch wide skillet is perfectly nonstick. Its light weight and sloped sides makes it easy to flip food like a pro when you're using the detachable handle. Or take the handle off so you can leave the skillet on the grill with the lid closed. The holes are designed so whatever you're cooking can also take on a little bit of char. If you've been looking for environmentally-friendly nonstick products, we think this is a good place to start. $19.97. Available at Lowe's, http://lowes.com, item 806242.
Grilling Gloves
You want to turn those ribs. You need to flip those burgers. So you struggle with tongs or a spatula. Your hand gets close to the heat. Ouch! The ribs slip through the tongs. Darn! The solution? Silicone grilling gloves. 21st Century Grill It makes bright blue gloves from food-grade silicone. They cover your hands a few inches past the wrist, the color will make sure you don't lose them and the hundreds of bumps on each side of the glove mean either glove will work on either hand and provide a secure grip on whatever you're handling. Although safe for handling food up to 425 degrees, this pair of gloves is thin enough to be very flexible and comfortable to use. They come in one size, but worked for both me and my husband. $28.28. http://amazon.com
About the Author
