Best Outdoor Grills
Perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner - cook everything from eggs and pancakes to quesadillas and grilled cheese to steak and potatoes including Teppanyaki style foods and more. DURABILITY AND LONGEVITY - This Blackstone Grill is built to last with a powder coated black steel frame, stainless steel burners and thick cold rolled steel cooktop which is simple to clean making post-meal cleanup a breeze.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I used a piece of 3/4 inch copper I had lying around, so I cut a piece at 1 1/4 inches long, then I filed a wedge into it to fit the bottom of the grease hole, then I used J-B Weld 8297 HighHeat 500 Degree Epoxy Putty - 2 oz to attach it since I don't have a welder and it worked out great! UPDATE 3/28/2017 - It is still working great, but since I am constantly moving mine in and out of the garage, I made the legs more stable!"
"Blackstone has a helpful 3 min assembly video you can watch either on Blackstone’s site or on youtube search for “Blackstone 36" Griddle Assembly”. The griddle top comes coated in a protective oil to prevent rust. For many griddle users, at this point they slap on some oil or bacon and immediately start cooking. Over time they build up the seasoning that helps protect the griddle surface from rusting and the food from sticking. For a methodical, long lasting seasoning of the griddle, you follow similar steps as you would with seasoning cast iron cookware. Blackstone has a youtube video called “Blackstone Griddle Top Recovery”. This video was made to show people how to restore a rusted griddle top; however, at 2min39sec into this video they cover the topic of seasoning. The Blackstone video agreed with several articles I read about seasoning cast iron cookware with flax oil. I did 6 coatings on my griddle and used just a little more than 3oz total of the oil. The seasoning coat/layer consisted of : 1. wiping on a thin layer of flax oil over the cooking surface (I applied with a paper towel). Even with a great seasoned cooking surface, I add a dash of oil with many of the things I cook (for example, eggs). Cleaning the griddle: Helped along by my well seasoned cooking surface, I find the griddle quick to clean."
"The size is great, not so big that it feels there's wasted space, not so small that you get cranky that you can't fit enough food on it (see pictures)."
"This is the best thing to ever happen to me."
"Great grill."
"Mostly posted a review as to the issue of 'cupping' ie the grill surface warping due to circular burners underneath instead of line burners."
Add in the durable nonstick coating and the patented fat-removing slope, and you’ve got the power to create large, tasty portions of everyone’s favorites with simple cleanup, to boot. The electric heat has an adjustable range from low (for keeping food warm) to high (for searing steaks). The high domed and vented lid helps create a circular flow of hot air to ensure even cooking--particularly important for a large roast or whole chicken. The 240 square inches of circular grilling surface lets you make over 15 servings for large groups of people.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We had had a George Foreman counter top grilling machine in the past so we looked to see if there were any sort of electric grills and were so excited when we found this grill!"
"We store the electrical component/plug-in indoors immediately after use once the grill cools off and cover the body of the grill with a heavy duty grill cover. 11 months after we purchased it I noticed a strong plastic electrical burning odor coming from the grill while it was heating up and the component that plugs into the grill was super hot and I immediately unplugged it thinking it was close to catching fire. ——————————————————. Update 12/20/17: The grill has been terrific so far and is performing without any problems."
"I started off at turning the dial to "5" and that charred one side of the burgers so then turned it down to 3 and a half. It locks in the moisture and it made for the most juicy burgers you'd ever had- hold the grease! After cooking 8 burgers the grease tray looked pretty full. So i'd say maybe between batches for fatty foods like burgers that you would have to lift the plate up and drain the fat."
"Ok, I bought it from my wife account long time ago. As cooking device its awesome, quick and clean. The problem of this thing and I think almost of this category, is that the contact poles will eventually get rusted, and will no do good contact, and the connector will catch temperature and with time will melt the external temp controller and the connectors itself."
"I love this grill, I've cooked steak, burgers, hot dogs etc on it."
"I cruised through the Amazon website and picked out things I would not mind winning."
"Can't go wrong with George."
"It's a great concept and would be a wonderful alternative when gas grills aren't allowed at an apartment."
Best Charcoal Grills
The built-in lid thermometer allows you to monitor your grill's temperature and the bowl handle includes an integrated tool hook for easy and convenient storage. Aluminized steel One-Touch cleaning system with removable, high-capacity, aluminum ash catcher.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I thought I might buy a grill and just let my dad or brother handle the grilling, but much to my surprise I really got into it and loved grilling hamburgers and hot dogs on this Weber kettle grill for my first backyard party just yesterday! I chose a charcoal grill over propane because I didn't want to deal with propane tanks (a friend had his grill go up in flames because of a loose hose and nearly burned his house down--No thank you! It was less expensive to get a nice charcoal grill like this one than to get an equally nice propane grill. The entry cost into grilling was more reasonable with a charcoal grill. This freed up funds to get some important accessories, which I recommend to anyone buying this grill: a chimney starter, grilling tools like tongs, fork, etc, a steel brush to clean the grates, the Weber Fire starter cubes, and some heavy duty mitts to protect your hands and forearms while grilling. As my brother and dad arrived to my house yesterday for our Memorial Day BBQ, each were skeptical about this charcoal grill because they have propane grills at home and like the convenience of them. I think they might be considering trading in their propane grills for their own Weber kettle grills soon."
"The top handle is massively improved over the old wood piece. The ash catcher and the interior blades to open and close the grill bottom are brilliantly designed and effortless to install."
"Even though Weber kettle grills are already near perfect, Weber has still found a way to improve a good thing. It got hot (this one doesn't) and it would rust where it was welded to the kettle lid. This lid has 2 holes and the handle is attached by two bolts. The hook to hang the lid on the kettle is still under the top vent, so it's a little bit different since the handle is turned differently in relation to it. The markings are closer together with a "trash" cutout on the far side to show that moving it that far is only necessary to help clean the grill."
Best Outdoor Electric Grills
Add in the durable nonstick coating and the patented fat-removing slope, and you’ve got the power to create large, tasty portions of everyone’s favorites with simple cleanup, to boot. The electric heat has an adjustable range from low (for keeping food warm) to high (for searing steaks). The high domed and vented lid helps create a circular flow of hot air to ensure even cooking--particularly important for a large roast or whole chicken. The 240 square inches of circular grilling surface lets you make over 15 servings for large groups of people.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We had had a George Foreman counter top grilling machine in the past so we looked to see if there were any sort of electric grills and were so excited when we found this grill!"
"We store the electrical component/plug-in indoors immediately after use once the grill cools off and cover the body of the grill with a heavy duty grill cover. 11 months after we purchased it I noticed a strong plastic electrical burning odor coming from the grill while it was heating up and the component that plugs into the grill was super hot and I immediately unplugged it thinking it was close to catching fire. ——————————————————. Update 12/20/17: The grill has been terrific so far and is performing without any problems."
"I started off at turning the dial to "5" and that charred one side of the burgers so then turned it down to 3 and a half. It locks in the moisture and it made for the most juicy burgers you'd ever had- hold the grease! After cooking 8 burgers the grease tray looked pretty full. So i'd say maybe between batches for fatty foods like burgers that you would have to lift the plate up and drain the fat."
"Ok, I bought it from my wife account long time ago. As cooking device its awesome, quick and clean. The problem of this thing and I think almost of this category, is that the contact poles will eventually get rusted, and will no do good contact, and the connector will catch temperature and with time will melt the external temp controller and the connectors itself."
"I love this grill, I've cooked steak, burgers, hot dogs etc on it."
"I cruised through the Amazon website and picked out things I would not mind winning."
"Can't go wrong with George."
"It's a great concept and would be a wonderful alternative when gas grills aren't allowed at an apartment."
Best Gas Grills
Since then, the company has expanded dramatically and created a brand new look as well as a large new line of durable rugged innovative and portable cooking innovations including an outdoor pizza oven and the ever so easy to transport and set-up DASH – and our products will last a lifetime. We are more than just another outdoor cooking appliance company that only focuses on the numbers and overlooks the end users by neglecting quality or deferring to accountants. Perfect for breakfast, lunch and dinner - cook everything from eggs and pancakes to quesadillas and grilled cheese to steak and potatoes including Teppanyaki style foods and more. DURABILITY AND LONGEVITY - This Blackstone Grill is built to last with a powder coated black steel frame, stainless steel burners and thick cold rolled steel cooktop which is simple to clean making post-meal cleanup a breeze.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I used a piece of 3/4 inch copper I had lying around, so I cut a piece at 1 1/4 inches long, then I filed a wedge into it to fit the bottom of the grease hole, then I used J-B Weld 8297 HighHeat 500 Degree Epoxy Putty - 2 oz to attach it since I don't have a welder and it worked out great! UPDATE 3/28/2017 - It is still working great, but since I am constantly moving mine in and out of the garage, I made the legs more stable!"
"Blackstone has a helpful 3 min assembly video you can watch either on Blackstone’s site or on youtube search for “Blackstone 36" Griddle Assembly”. The griddle top comes coated in a protective oil to prevent rust. For many griddle users, at this point they slap on some oil or bacon and immediately start cooking. Over time they build up the seasoning that helps protect the griddle surface from rusting and the food from sticking. For a methodical, long lasting seasoning of the griddle, you follow similar steps as you would with seasoning cast iron cookware. Blackstone has a youtube video called “Blackstone Griddle Top Recovery”. This video was made to show people how to restore a rusted griddle top; however, at 2min39sec into this video they cover the topic of seasoning. The Blackstone video agreed with several articles I read about seasoning cast iron cookware with flax oil. I did 6 coatings on my griddle and used just a little more than 3oz total of the oil. The seasoning coat/layer consisted of : 1. wiping on a thin layer of flax oil over the cooking surface (I applied with a paper towel). Even with a great seasoned cooking surface, I add a dash of oil with many of the things I cook (for example, eggs). Cleaning the griddle: Helped along by my well seasoned cooking surface, I find the griddle quick to clean."
"The size is great, not so big that it feels there's wasted space, not so small that you get cranky that you can't fit enough food on it (see pictures)."
"This is the best thing to ever happen to me."
"Great grill."
"Mostly posted a review as to the issue of 'cupping' ie the grill surface warping due to circular burners underneath instead of line burners."
Best Grilling Charcoal
Fogo is a completely natural product that is made exclusively from dense hardwoods and using selected trees with no other added ingredients whatsoever. Hand selected Large Chunks of Hardwood Lump Charcoal.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I probably cook with charcoal 2-3 times per week and I am fairly new to buying my charcoal online, so far I have picked it up at the local supermarket or wholesaler. Size - I must say I read that this is Premium Charcoal and that it was supposed to be big pieces, but which charcoal manufacturer doesn't claim that. Seriously the entire bag is full of larger then fist size pieces, I put 4-5 pieces into my chimney starter and lit it with vegetable oil soaked kitchen paper and then broke down the pieces once fully lit in my grill. It just lit without a fuss and the 4 big pieces of charcoal I used lasted me for what i was cooking, a couple of steaks, some burgers, corn, chicken etc - I could have kept going but run out of food to grill."
"Very easy to light using BGE starter chip.i did notice I could not get egg up to 650 to sear a steak.Topped out at 550."
"For the price my husband said he would rather use Cowboy or Red Oak charcoal bought locally."
"UPDATE: Due to pricing and some inconsistencies with the charcoal sizes, I stopped buying this charcoal for a while and started looking at other brands."
"The wood is good quality, low smoke, and good for weekend grilling."
"I finally got around to using the first bag of the second order. Next time, I will open the bags and check them out quickly."
"Pros: Burns great, no weird odors, subtle but nice flavoring, mostly (80%) large (cantaloupe) to medium (softball) sized lumps, even after shipping, prime eligible."
"The bag can be a little inconsistent, with some small pieces at less than an inch, but then also some chunks the size of a softball."
Best Commercial Cooking Equipment
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It takes up less space than the other two, and it'll cool four burger patties or deboned chicken breasts at once - more than enough for me."
"After reading the reviews on this wonderful little grill, I hesitated in buying it online so bought it at Wal-Mart in case I wanted to return it immediately. Clean up time using hot, sudsy dish water in the sink for all three pieces of the grill plates and grease tray takes me one minute and ten seconds! The truth is that it a smaller grill and even though it would not be suitable for a family of four in my opinion, but I would still highly recommend it to anyone without hesitation. Two, Five and one half inch by Four inch Rib eye, Top Sirloin, Chopped Sirloin, or other kinds steaks arranged side by side lengthwise from the top to the bottom on the grill surface. Three, Three one quarter pound (or larger), hamburger patties arranged in two rows with two on the top and one on the bottom of the grill surface. Three slices of thick cut bacon arranged in rows from the top to the bottom of the grill horizontally. But I think that the measurements I have listed above should give you a good idea of the sizes of foods that you can cook on the grill. The flavor will already be soaked up into the pours of the meat so drying it won't change the taste after you cook it. I have found this to be 100% true in the past after I ruined several pieces over a short time in the dishwasher and they stuck like glue when I tried to use them from then on. I looked at a small single serving George Foreman grill at Wal-Mart and it was rated at 650 Watts so it could have a longer 30" cord."
"This grill works fine. This grill works fine, it might take longer than the older version, but the convenience of the removable plate clean up is well worth it."
"The initial deal-breaker was less the alarming amount of caustic smoke during the first preheat but rather how heavy the top is and how dry the resulting hockey puck which used to be a burger. If need be, you can also prop the front up using something under the handle, I haven't needed to do that yet but I'm only making 2 1/4lb 80/20 frozen burgers and now they aren't hockey pucks but juicy and with wonderful grill marks. So try the rolled up foil trick and remember you can also prop up the front via the handle to let the plates just touch the food. See the pictures and notice that from the side view you can see there is a range of places ranging from all the way at the back to all the way at the front to put the food. Also, when grilling hot dogs or other cylindrical sausages and placing them horizontally, prop up the front feet by 3/4" and the fat will still drain but they won't try to roll off down the front when you open the grill. This raising of the front feet also has the effect of the top not exerting as much pressure on the food, assuming you use my "fix" of putting the foil log at the back. Other than the smoke on first preheat, I'm happy with this indoor grill."
Best Outdoor Fryers & Smokers
Redesigned front access drip pan, smoother operating wood chip loading system and side/top air damper.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They are small plastic coaster type wheels, so don't expect to be rolling it over rough areas or for long distances. I like having the glass door on the front, but I do have to admit that once you get some smoke rolling, and if you have moisture in there (from the meat or if you add it in the pan), the door is going to smoke and steam up pretty quickly and you won't be able to see inside for long. (For instance I put apple juice in the pan with turkey breast to keep it moist.). To easily clean the glass, use Weber's grill cleaner and rinse after with water. With the included remote, you can check on your meat temps without ever leaving your chair. After a year of moderate use, the temperature set button is not working on our front panel. They do sell replacement panels for the front, but the problem is easily remedied by simply using the remote to set the temp. We usually keep the chips burning steady for the first part of cooking to add lots of smoke, and then let them die down near the end. Don't forget you will get fluctuations because there is air coming in from the chip tray and exiting out your vent. Take one of those rotisserie chickens from your local grocery and warm it up in the smoker, add some smoke, and get good smoked chicken in the time it takes you to warm it up."
"If you want to smoke Meats this is your machine keeps a very accurate temperature very easy to operate and the food is delicious."
"I ended up buying a (Yellow Jacket 2883 12/3 Heavy-Duty 15-Amp SJTW Contractor Extension Cord with Lighted Ends,25-Feet) bought on amazon and smoker heated up quick & worked it the way it was meant to work. 6 MONTH UPDATE 11/23/12. well after 6 months and 200+ hours of smoking time, this smoker still works great. the cover I bought for this smoker is the Veranda Square 30" Smoker Cover for Price: $29.00 bought on amazon its a great cover. I did buy the cold smoker adapter for it and that works GREAT, I don't put chips in the main smoker anymore. the cold smoker adapter holds a lot more chips about three good handfuls and produces longer and better smoke then just using chips in the main smoker. you can run the main smoker and the cold smoker at the same time even when using a extension cord in fact I can run the main smoker, cold smoker and my Weber rotisserie at the same time without any problems."
Best Outdoor Cooking Replacement Parts
Catch Drippings That Smoke And Sizzle, Adding A Smoky Flavor To Food. Fits Spirit 300 Series (With Side-Mounted Control Panel), Spirit 700, Genesis Silver B/C, Genesis Gold B/C (2002 And Newer Models), Genesis Platinum B/C (2005 Model Year), And Weber 900 Gas Grills.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The prices of the new grill "guided" my decision to repair my existing Weber grill."
"Just like having a new grill, very pleased."
"I bought the burner tube set, flavorizer bars and catch pan and installed them on my very old Weber barbecue."
"Great replacement for our old rusted out ones, however if you have that little extra go with the stainless steel."
"Unavailable locally or on Weber's web site."
"Perfect fit for my Weber which lasted 17 years before I changed the flavorizers out which were deteriorating from use.I expect another 17+ years, hopefully!"
"These are less expensive than in local store and are exactly the same thing."
"Perfect replacement to freshen up a trusty grill that lasted 5 years with original parts."
Best Outdoor Cooking Fuel & Firestarters
This is a premium EXCLUSIVE mix of the most popular hardwoods used today. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Pellets are great for brisket (very long smoke) and pulled pork (long smoke). The amount of ash is same as BBQ Delight pellets."
"Pellets are ok, I normally use GMG (green mountain grills) pellets and these seem to make A LOT more ash and not as much smoke."
"I've noticed it leaves slightly different flavor on different meats."
"Propane is a smudge cheaper but you just don't get the flavor and I was a diehard propane fan till I started cooking with pellets."
"Packed in a six inch tube it makes for perfect timing to do a batch of cheese ( 2-1/2 to 3 houres)."
"If I can get them to work, I'll change my review, but I'm having a hard time getting these things to provide smoke."
"Has good smoke flavor but I'm a little concerned that my last cook (12 hours) burned through an entire hopper of pellets even with a welders thermal blanket wrapped around my smoker."
"I think that the pellets tend to break up going from the hopper to the fire and that causes it to catch fire back up my tube."
Best Outdoor Cooking Tools & Accessories
REGISTER your product after purchase and RECEIVE EXTENDED 3 YEARS Warranty】 – Although the sensor probe is rigidly produced, after a long-time period of use, a few amount units could experience incorrect temperature readings problem caused by careless or improper use of sensor probe. Instant read meat thermometer with 6.5" food grade stainless steel probe features step-down tip design to get temperature more precisely and quickly.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This very reasonably priced thermometer has all the bells and whistles and works great every time."
"Didn't really think I would have a need for the remote feature, but chose the product for the price and probe guarantee."
"Now find a set first temp a bit lower... so when it goes off I can do veggies and such and just reset for final temp for meat or casserole... love this gadget..."
"Handy Gadget, no more guessing on meat temperature, long range between transmitter and receiver."
"It does it's job...have used it in cooking turkeys, steaks, chicken and pork ...and all have come out cooked perfectly!"
"I have only used it once in my smoker grill so I will be interested to see if I experience and problems with the probe."
"I've not had much luck in electronic meat thermometers lasting a long time, so we'll see how this one does..."
"After going through 3 other wireless thermometers that eventually broke, I spent a bit more money on this one and it's awesome."
Best Outdoor Kitchen Appliances & Storage
How to use: Just open the probe and insert the temperature a couple of centimeter into the food you want to know the temperature of. -℉/℃ switchable. -Response Time:4-6seconds for meat and 4-20 seconds for liquid. -Large LCD display, easy to read. -Measurement range:58℉ to 572℉(-50-300℃). -Accuracy: ± 0.1℉ (between -4F to 392F). -Hold temperature function, it will "hold" the temperature reading until pressed again. -10 minutes Auto-off. -Food-safe ABS plastic case and stainless probe. It will "hold" the temperature reading. Perfect for Kitchen, Outdoor Cooking, BBQ, Liquid, Food, Meat, Candy, Coffee, Milk and Bath water temperature.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"At $12.99 with free prime shipping, this one more than exceeded my expectations, to my surprise, it's actually more accurate than my Thermapen, which rounds up or down to the nearest degree, while this one gives the temperature in decimal points."
"I also like that it registers higher temperatures than other thermometers I reviewed."
"I found that even when the thermometer is off, the sensor is soon at the ambient temperature of its surroundings, and that as soon as I turn it on, I can find out what the temp is. In both those cases I could see the sensor start to react to the change in temperature within a second or two of opening it, but that was long enough to see what the reading was."
"The only thing is if you're expecting "exact" temperature, then you may need to look elsewhere. I was using it for water temperature and as long as it didn't vary too much, I was OK."
"Bought this handy thermometer back in April 2016, enjoyed it so much at work (Broiler Chef) that I bought one for the casa weeks later because of the price and ease for the Mrs. Well, first one took a spazz on me and doesn't display/read temps anymore so I traded it out for the house one."
"This thermometer ensures that whatever he is grilling (steak, burgers, salmon) or cooking in the over (chicken, bread, casseroles) come out perfectly!"
"I have not used this as a meat thermometer yet, but my wife and I are finding lots of uses for this device."
"The auto shut off function is really nice, and I'm not constantly worrying about the battery draining."