“Honey, have you seen my spatula?” It’s the cry heard round the world when grilling season arrives. After months of strategically placing your grilling accessories in with your golf clubs, in the nearest umbrella stand, in the back of the broom closet and under the bed with the pizza boxes, it’s time to put your grill skills to the test, and you can’t find where any of your equipment is. It’s the old hole in the roof dilemma. When you need your grilling equipment you can’t find it and when you find it you don’t need it. After all, what good is discovering your long handled stiff wire grill brush when you’re looking your heaviest-duty umbrella?
Let’s face it, cooking is a skill, so is organization. Unfortunately, they don’t necessarily always come together. Even if you’re a master of the grill, you may not be a master of grill storage. Luckily, there are some organizational solutions that don’t take much mastery at all. How do you store your grilling tools? Let us count the ways.
What Grill Accessories Do I Need?
Before we begin talking about storage, let’s talk about what we need to store first. There some grill accessories that you know you need and others that you might never have known you needed. We’ll try to cover the essentials first and then turn you on to some of the ones that will make you wonder where they’ve been hiding all your life.
Long Handled Tongs
The only time a fork should come near a grilled piece of meat is when its already on the plate. A master griller knows that when cooking forks pierce meat on the grill, precious juices are lost. Leave the forks for the table. Opt for a pair with silicone heads for heat resistance.
OXO Good Grips
For steel that Superman would have a hard time bending, check out super long 16” tongs from OXO Good Grips. With a durable stainless-steel construction, it’s no wonder it’s been winning a lot of the popular vote. Other features include:
- Nonslip flexible grips to keep tongs from slipping even if your hands are wet
- Large loop for easy hanging
- Locks in a closed position for storage or travel
- Arthritis friendly cushioned handles
Spatula
If you’re thinking of going anywhere near a grill, hopefully, the spatula should be more of a “know you need” and less of a “never knew you needed.” The best spatulas have an offset handle that lets you slide it under the food with ease. Silicone and metal spatulas work best for grill use.
Cave Tools Barbecue Spatula
The Cave Tools Barbecue Spatula is a slab of metal that turns a slab of meat over with authority. In fact, Cave Man makes other spatulas shrink in comparison. It features:
- 20 percent thicker metal than regular spatulas – which means it won’t give way when the meat is thick
- Serrated metal that can be used to cut food (gives it the edge over the competition)
- Contoured tips to let you manage large sized steaks with ease.
Long Handled Basting Brush
You’re the maestro of the grill. Your basting brush is your conductor’s baton, slathering on the sauce with the control and command worthy of directing an ensemble. You want to make sure you have a basting brush that will get you a standing ovation. Look for something with silicone bristles to withstand heat and a handle about 12 inches long. That will give you just the right amount of distance from the heat without sacrificing control over your brush.
Le Creuset Revolution Silicone Basting Brush
We all know that a great baste lies in the hands of the beholder. That’s why it’s so important to hold the best basting brush possible in those hands. One of the best basting brushes to hold in your hand while your barbecuing is the Le Creuset Revolution Silicone Basting Brush. It has:
- Tapered silicone brushes that flex, perfect for basting meat
- A brush head that holds liquids at the base, releasing them slowly for a no-waste baste.
Long Handled Stiff Wire Brush
For grilling greats who need to clean grilling grates, a long-handled stiff wire brush can come in very handy. If you’ve gotten burned too many times using short-handled grills, you know what we mean.
Kona 360 Degree Clean Grill Brush
The of the best wire brushes on the market today is the Kona 360 Degree Clean Grill Brush. Each stroke is equivalent to 3 conventional strokes which cuts down on grease and labor. Plus, the 18” handle means you won’t get burned even when the food does. Check it out on Amazon.
Instant Read Thermometers
When it comes to grilling, pop up thermometers are just talking turkey. Today there are instant read thermometers that can do everything from reading the temperature to reading your mind – okay, not quite, but you get the picture. Unfortunately, some thermometers sacrifice temperature accuracy for all the bells and whistles. The idea is to find one that gives you the best of both worlds.
Taylor Precisions Products Dual Temperature Infrared/ Thermocouple Thermometer
What do you get when you use the Taylor Precision Products Dual Temperature Thermometer? Meat that’s grilled to perfection and a highly intuitive thermometer. It may not read your mind, but the Taylor’s dual temperature capabilities can read the temperatures on your meat both inside and out. Pair that with its other high-tech features and you’ll get the conversation going at your party in more ways than one.
Grill Utensil Storage Ideas
Now that the meat didn’t burn and no one got food poisoning, you throw your spatula in the air in celebration and use your long-handled basting brush to show off your air guitar skills. But not so fast, those are the tools of your trade. You can’t abandon them with wild abandonment. They need a proper home and proper storage. Luckily, there are many great grill utensil storage ideas that have nothing to do with guitar cases. Here are a few of the best.
Grill Tools Storage Cabinet
When your grill tools storage cabinet doubles as a prep station, you’ve got a black belt in cooking and five stars for organization. Looking for outdoor grill accessories storage? One of the best prep stations/storage cabinets is the Suncast Outdoor Grilling Prep Station. With a:
- Portable prep station with drop leaf extensions
- Durable plastic construction to withstand weather and last for years
- Top cabinet that stores a serving tray while the bottom cabinet has room for condiments and accessories
- Prep station measuring 20” x 22” x 34” and decorative design
…the Suncast won’t cramp your style or your patio.
Grill Storage Box
Let’s get a few things squared away. Your grill utensils, most specifically. When you’ve finished grilling, a grill storage box will get you L7 in no time flat. For grill storage squared, get on deck with the 22 Gallon Suncast Deck Storage Box. Features include:
- Water resistant polyresin construction to resist fading and rust
- A functional lid that flips open on hinges for easy access to your items, allowing rainwater to flow off the box without pooling
- 5x 22.5 x 22.5 measurement, ideal for your outdoor space
Grill Storage Bags
Another way to keep your utensils from going AWOL is by storing them in a nice big storage bag. You can use a tool storage bag, but if you want to keep your grill tools in prime condition, there are bags especially fitted to keep each separate utensil snug as a bug in a rug in its own compartment. Check out the ManLaw BBQ Storage Tools Bag with room for five utensils and a large pouch to keep grilling thermometers safe.
Hook Rack
Want to do some off the hook barbecuing? Just take your utensils off a heavy-duty hook rack and get grilling. The Hook Rack for BBQ Utensils by Cave Tools is made of durable stainless steel, and even “hooks you up” with a screwdriver for installation, and 25 barbecue recipes to inspire. Check it out on Amazon.
Grill Utensil Storage Ideas
Remember, cleanliness is close to grilling godliness. If you want to store your grilling tools like a pro, you need to clean them like a pro. You’ll food will never get past the five-second rule if it has germs on it before it even hits the floor. And forget the dishwasher. This calls for a hands-on approach. How can you keep your grill utensils clean enough to pass any health inspection? Here’s a quick guide to removing grime from your cooking utensils.
Suds
- Soak utensils in a bowl of hot water and grease cutting dish detergent
- When the grease begins to lift, cut through with a rough sponge or sponge brush to wipe clean fast
- Use a toothbrush to get hard to reach particles out of crevices
Wipeout
- Keep vinegar-soaked cloth beside you at your grilling station
- Use it at intervals to clean marinades, juices, and germs from your utensils immediately after use (especially good for thermometer probes, which are often forgotten about and also for alternating between meats)
More Boil, Less Toil
- If your grill has a side burner, fill a pot with water, add a dash of vinegar, dip utensils in hot water and sterilize as you go.
- By the time your finished cooking, you’ll have cooking utensils that are so clean, you’ll be able to use them as a mirror to check if your teeth.
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