In our previous blog post, we shared maintenance tips for your natural gas grill. With this post, we’re digging deeper into the many useful accessories that can enhance your barbecue sessions. Below you will find a short list of quality of life improvements as well as fundamentally necessary accoutrements to accompany you in your grilling adventures.

Grill scraper

You’ll need a good grill scraper to keep your grates clean. Scraping the grates, either right when you’ve finished cooking or right before you start, can save you a lot of time when it comes time to do a deep clean. It will also keep small buildups from accumulating into bigger problems.

Scrapers come in a variety of shapes and materials. Pick whatever works best for your needs:

• Wooden
• Bricks
• Straight-edge scraper – This can also double as a scraper for the bottom of the grill which can be easily accessed in a natural gas grill without the pain of cleaning out briquets first.
• Brushes (Pro tip: Don’t use a brush with metal bristles, as these can come detached over time and end up in someone’s food.)

Long-handled tongs and spatula

If you ask any hardcore griller if they have a favorite set of tongs or spatula, you’re going to hear a big YES, followed by a lengthy explanation. And with good reason! These utensils are the grillmaster’s sidekick. When selecting which utensil you want to go into battle with, consider:

• Length – If the reach is too short, your hands will get toasty hovering over the large grilling surfaces that natural gas grills can provide, and you may end up burning more than just your supper. Contrary to charcoal grills which are more limited in size of grilling surface, with natural gas you may find yourself reaching across larger hot surfaces.
• Sturdiness – Flimsy tongs are a no-go. You don’t want to watch precious steak fall on the ground just when you’re about to serve it.
• Handle – Find utensils that fit comfortably in your hand. Also pay attention to how the decision of the utensil (e.g. the materials used) protects your hands from getting burned.

Cover

We touched on this in the last post: A quality cover protects your grill against the elements. Consistently covering your grill can drastically prolong its life.

Grill basket

Ever wanted to grill something smaller, like sliced vegetables or shrimp, that’s at risk of falling between the grates? That’s where a grill basket comes in. This article offers some options to get you started.

Rotisserie

Many grills come with a rotisserie add-on, but even if yours didn’t, there are plenty of universal designs out there. Not only are rotisseries perfect for cooking mouthwateringly juicy meals, but they are also terrific for when you don’t want to have to monitor your food. Simply set your temperature and a timer and let the rotisserie ensure the heat is evenly distributed. Natural gas grills provide a huge advantage over charcoal here since you can set a specific temperature and you know that within minutes you will have perfect, constant heat.

Serving tray

Although often overlooked, where you place the meat after you have cooked it can have a huge effect on how much moisture it retains. You could even get a personalized tray for a little extra flair.

Now that you’re armed with this knowledge, nothing stands between you and grilling greatness. Go forth and BBQ!