BBQ devotees come in all forms: Those who meticulously craft the most delectable fire-cooked treats, and those who just wanna live the life. Fortunately, this means that grillmasters are hellafied easy to shop for.
Vic Firth Pump & Grind Salt and Pepper Grinders
You know what no BBQist could ever possibly have enough of? Hands. You’re flippin burgers, adjusting flames, adding coals–all with one hand. What’s that you say? You have two hands? No you don’t, because one is occupied by your drink at all times. Got that? Good. So adding freshly ground pepper or salt is basically impossible. Unless you have one of these: Hold it over your foodstuffs, press the button with your thumb to release the crackin’. Drink in unison.
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Weber Performer
The cornerstone of any good griller’s arsenal is a great grill, and this is that. (Trust me, I have one.) It’s really a simple thing: Weber’s time-tested 22.5-inch kettle, dressed up with a nice workspace and a weather-resistant bin for storing your lump fuel and tools. If your backyard chef grills with coal, this beaut’ is all he needs to take his game—and your dinner—to a whole notha’ level.
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Thermapen
Rare. Medium rare. Well. These may sound like personal preferences, but they’re not: They’re synonyms for stops along the Mercury Highway. Rare is 120 degrees, medium-rare is 132, and so on. Wanna get that meat perfectly suited to your guests’ tastes? Use a thermometer like this one and you’ll be spot-on. I love (and use) the Thermapen because it gets a reading in less than three seconds. Bonus: ensuring proper doneness of poultry (in particular) keeps it from killing you. Good present, no?
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Weber 7402 Charcoal Rails
If you’re burning briquettes, you need rails–and not just any rails, but *these* rails. Rails in general let you transform a dumb heated kettle into a super-efficient multi-zone cooker. Seriously. And these rails, in particular, are outstanding: They’re dirt cheap, take up absolutely no room when not in use, and, especially in a 22.5-inch grill, allow you to get super customisey on how much area you want to devote to the flame-makers.
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BBQ Guru Party Q
There are very few grill gadgets that effectively toe the line between expert and easy to usee—gear that would appeal to any skill level. This is that gadget. Hook it into your grill, clip the probe onto the griddle, and watch as its fuzzy logic controller blips a fan to regulate the temperature inside your grill. This is a gadget that makes it dead simple to use your grill like an oven: just add coals, dial in your temperature, and let er rip. A lifechanging accessory.
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Maverick Mesh Grill Fry Pan
Gas grill, charcoal grill, campfire—no matter what kind of flame your griller prefers, this is one life-changing accessory. It’s basically a wire basket. You put food in it. Then, no matter how much you move the food around (easy, with the handle!), it won’t fall through the grates. Perfect little shrimpies, sweetbreads, even vegetables, if you go in for that sort of thing.
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Vacu Vin Rapid Beer Chillers
Fact: Grills get hot. Fact: Beer (most of it, anyway) is best enjoyed while cold. When you’re standing in close proximity to your fire-cooker, those two facts can be at odds. Your griller needs a beer coozy—but not some lame neoprene sheath. These freezable numbers from Vacu Vin keep your brew chilly longer. And they look like beer. Fact: Things that look like beer are awesome.
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