Chefs’ Toys Grill Master Gift Guide
Do you have a grillmaster in your life? Is there someone who loves to flip sizzling skewers, or toss a few choice cuts of meat on “the barbie?” If so, you might be wondering what to get this individual on a special day. Here are some ideas for the best grilling gifts for dad or anyone who loves this type of meal prep.
BBQ Gifts: Knife Sets
The humble chef’s knife has come a long way in recent years, and getting one that can capably handle various kinds of meat cuts is a big help to a busy griller. BBQ chefs like a boning and a slicing knife, with the unique build and curvature that some of these tools offer. Knives like these from Victorinox, Mercer or Dexter Russell will have your outdoor cooking guru cutting away with the best of them. Consider getting one or more of these innovative professional chef knife sets to help your griller prep food inventory for the plancha or the plate, so think about that when contemplating grilling gifts that inspire.
Cutting Boards
Yes, it might seem like a little thing, but if you ask a lot of chefs who are into grilling or other kinds of cooking, they'll tell you that cutting boards are really a big deal. As a top grill master gift, they're useful for so many aspects of food preparation and presentation. Many chefs have their own favorites, and specific shapes and sizes that they like for getting the raw ingredients delivered to the grill, or even plating things up afterward. Try a natural bamboo build, or you can go with a modern synthetic board that can stand up to lots of dishwasher cycles. Your griller will probably have a preference for one or the other. Try to find a surreptitious way to ask!
Grill Brushes and Spatulas
Another great grilling gift idea involves a set of accessories that cooks can use to handle food on the grill, or to clean the grill over time. Soft spatulas and butter brushes allow for on-grill coating and moving food around. A nice grill brush will allow for keeping the cast iron surface in good condition between uses. Don’t go cheap with your grilling brushes! Old brushes that drop spindles or small bits onto the grill over time can be a big problem. Use a modern, high-quality brush to make sure that nothing gets left behind.
Salt Block
Himalayan salt blocks have been getting a lot of attention. These big pink slabs are now popular for use in a grill. The salt block conducts heat well, so it can be used for cooking meat and other foods by proxy. Some also maintain that using a salt block imparts healthy minerals into the food. Then there’s the visual appeal of the salt block, which the grillmaster can use to serve, like the cutting boards mentioned above. When using a salt block for the first time, look into tempering these blocks in an over to prepare them for use.
Cookbooks
Try a grilling cookbook to give your aspiring grill expert ideas. Master of the Grill or Serial Griller by Matt Moore are both good options. For the charcoal chef, Charcoal by Josiah Citrin and Joann Cianciulli brings Michelin-backed advice on fired cooking and gets endorsed by SpruceEats.
Food Subscriptions
How about a box of beef and other savories to delight your taste buds as they come off of the grill? A subscription box is another way to honor your loved one’s attraction to grilling, and comes with the added benefit of having items to grill on hand. There’s the Grill Time Sampler from Omaha Steaks and sauces from Harry and David, as well as a smorgasbord of available packages from Butcher Box, Gold Bely, My BBQ Box, King’s BBQ and more. You have options!
Grill Light
If you need another grilling gift idea, think about whether your grilling aficionado tends to want to keep things running into the late evening. Whether it's the dog days of summer or the chilled dusky times in early fall, a grill light is essential for those sessions that lasted until after dark. As the natural sunlight fades away, snapping on a grill light helps these culinary crafters to see what they're dealing with, for instance, whether burgers are still pink in the middle.
Charcoal Starters
Charcoal grilling is a particular craft. It's a time game – you have to keep those coals hot enough to get the food the way you want it. But it’s a challenge that many grillers like to embrace, both for its authenticity, and the unique smells, sights and sounds of the charcoal experience. With that in mind, innovative charcoal starters can be a great gift for chefs who swear by the traditional charcoal method, and will never move to gas grilling.
New types of “rapid fire” charcoal starters have aeration designs and other features to give flame the best chance of rising quickly and effectively through the stacked charcoal. These can be a life-saver for a grilling session where the briquettes might otherwise be hard to ignite. Think about any of these excellent grilling gifts to give your aproned grillmaster this year.
