The 40 Best Gifts for Grillers, Including a Few of Our Tested Favorites

Lodge 10-Inch Carbon Steel Skillet

View On Amazon $40 View On Walmart $45 View On Home Depot $40

The Lodge Carbon Steel Skillet brings the craftsmanship of Lodge’s cast iron cookware to this carbon steel skillet. Like Lodge’s cast iron offerings, this skillet comes pre-seasoned with soybean oil and is durable and cleans with a wash, dry, and oiling, at least with food that doesn’t stick. Stuck-on food is a little tenacious, but we don’t find that too unreasonable for the overall quality and price.

In our tests of the best carbon steel pans, we found this skillet holds heat at high or low temperatures, plus it is durable enough for frequent outdoor use.

ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

View On Thermoworks.com View On Kingarthurbaking.com

We’re hard-pressed to find an easier-to-use, more accurate, faster-responding instant-read thermometer than the Thermapen One. Flip out the probe, and the large, backlit display springs to life. Insert the probe into your food and it gives you a reading, accurate within one degree in about two seconds. The display rotates, orienting itself so you won’t have to read the temperature upside down. The thermometer’s body is in the middle of the road in appearance and comfort, but it does its job extremely well. 

KettlePizza Pro Pizza Oven Kit

View On Amazon $315 View On Bbqguys.com

This pizza oven kit will transform your gas grill into a pizza oven, which makes it ideal for those who don’t have the space for a dedicated oven. The kit consists of a stone and heat deflector, which radiates heat downward to the top of the pizza. It’s easy to set up, has a large opening, and can accommodate up to a 15-inch pizza. The stone had a few hot spots, which will vary with each gas grill’s unevenness, but that’s the only detractor we could find with this kit during our tests of the best pizza ovens.

RTIC 52-Quart Ultra-Light Cooler

View On Amazon $210 View On Walmart $210 View On Rticoutdoors.com

One of the best gifts for grillers is a reliable cooler. The RTIC 52-quart is a high-capacity (78 cans) cooler that will keep your food and drinks cold for a long time. In our extensive tests of the best coolers, we found very little ice melting over 24 hours while the drinks stayed cold. Food held steady at 32°F despite the hot weather that day. The rope handles make it a little clumsy for one person to carry, but with its large capacity, you may want to ask for help anyway.

Messermeister Steak Knife Set

View On Amazon $70 View On Walmart $70 View On Shoppremiumoutlets.com

After cooking the perfect steak, cutting it should be a pleasant experience. A good set of steak knives is in order. Our tests of the best steak knives showed the Messermeister Avanta set can hang tough with the big names but at a fraction of the price of some sets. These knives are well balanced, with a full-tang design, a wood grip, and an upturned tip that’s particularly useful for cutting bone-in steaks.

There’s no case or block for storage with these knives, but at the price, this set presents a great value without one. Consider this a great grilling gift that can be used for much more than just cookouts.

Grill Heat Aid Extreme Heat Resistant Grill Gloves

View On Amazon $38 View On Grillheataid.com

For those who take “hands-on” quite literally, a pair of heat-resistant grill gloves is a great gift for grillers. These gloves from Grill Heat Aid mix aramid and silicone for the heat-resistant exterior, which will withstand 1,472°F of ambient heat. They also have a cotton liner inside, which makes them feel more like a pair of gloves and resolves one of my squicky pet peeves, which is sweaty hands inside the gloves. They’ve got textured grips but are still quite flexible, and they’re machine washable. 

Hedley & Bennett Waxman Apron

View On Hedleyandbennett.com

Need a great, long-lived apron that protects you from the heat and splatters of outdoor cooking that won’t be a burden around your neck? The Waxman is made of thick cotton for comfort with leather straps for durability. As the name suggests, it’s waxed to repel moisture and stains. It’s also got ample pockets for pens, thermometers, towels, and other items you need to keep within easy reach. Never wash this kitchen apron. Blot spills and reapply canvas wax at regular intervals for the longest lifespan.

Le Creuset Signature Square Skillet Grill Pan

View On Amazon $212 View On Williams-Sonoma $225 View On Wayfair $225

The Le Creuset grill pan is a great grilling for moving the grilling inside. Its enameled cast iron construction will make this a functional and visually appealing heirloom piece for your kitchen. In our tests of the best grill pans, we liked the size of the grilling ribs that allow for good sear and grill marks while channeling away any grease or liquid. The sides are high enough to minimize spatters and have molded spouts to pour off any accumulated fat at cleanup.

I keep one of these in my kitchen and have for years. It’s perfect for indoor grilling and, important to me, cleans up quite easily. It makes a thoughtful and stunning gift for grillers.

Victorinox Fibrox Pro Curved Boning Knife

View On Amazon

A boning knife need not be pretty or expensive. It’s a functional tool with a job to do, and the Victorinox does that quite well. Its blade has the strength and flexibility to handle boning, jointing, and any other tasks you’d throw at it. With a high-carbon stainless blade and ergonomic handle, this knife takes and holds an edge and fits well in the hand, which are the most important factors in a knife. Although you probably won’t find the same need, I’ve used this knife in butchering multiple whole cattle and pigs, and while it’s not much to look at, it’s been up to the task every time.

Spicewalla 10 Pack Ultimate BBQ Collection

View On Amazon $60 View On Spicewallabrand.com

Rubs are a fantastic way to infuse flavor directly into your grilled food. With two ways to go about getting them: make your own or navigate the heavily populated retail field, and the choices can be intimidating. This 10-pack from Spicewalla can be a good entry point to explore which flavors you like with certain meats or vegetables and lets you explore various regional and cultural styles of BBQ and seasoning without having to cross your fingers and hope you picked a good one.

Yeti Hopper Flip

View On Amazon $250 View On REI $250 View On Yeti.com

The Hopper is a soft-sided portable backpack-style cooler, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it's an inferior product. The Hopper has a one-case drink capacity – or 12 cans with ice. Its shoulder straps make it easy to transport, although we wish it had a little more padding for your shoulders. It’s leakproof (we tested it, along with dozens of other top-rated small coolers) and tear and puncture-resistant. The rubber and foam insulation is lightweight and keeps drinks cold for days. It’s also easy to clean with just a little dish detergent and water.

J.K. Adams Maple Carving Cutting Board

View On Amazon $110

Cutting boards and carving boards are not the same. You can cut and chop on either, but a carving board has channels to collect juices from your meat as they run off. The JK Adams board has channels and a collection point, which raised its profile in our testing. You never want a carving board that’s too small, as wrestling a large piece of meat or poultry on a tiny board puts on quite the show for your guests.

This board measures 20 by 14 inches, so that’s no longer a worry. It’s also made of wood, which is gentler on knives than plastic and looks much better, too. Beyond making a great gift for grillers, this also makes a great gift for party hosts or home cooks who love to entertain.

The Good Charcoal Company Lump Charcoal

View On Amazon $33 View On Target $9 View On Walmart $28

This lump charcoal is made from invasive Acacia wood and provides a clean flavor that won’t interfere with your food. It’s relatively quick-lighting, ready to go in about 15 minutes, and you won’t lose any significant volume during the lighting process. Like many premium charcoals, The Good is reusable. Simply cut off the air supply and save the unburned remnants for another day.

In our tests of the best charcoal for grilling, we found that this charcoal burns clean, with very little popping and sputtering, and combusts almost completely, leaving little but clean, white ash to clean up after cooking.

ThermoWorks ChefAlarm

View On Thermoworks.com

The ChefAlarm fills a need that an instant-read thermometer can’t perform. Where an instant read is meant for quick spot-checking food as it cooks, the ChefAlarm monitors the cooking throughout the process. Simply insert the probe and attach it to the base unit. The ChefAlarm displays the current temperature and the time remaining and sends audible high/low-temperature alerts when the food is done. This thermometer got top scores in our meat thermometer tests for its accuracy (within fractions of a degree) and its built-in functional settings.

Smithey Ironware Carbon Steel Party Pan

View On Food52 $400 View On Smithey.com

This pan makes a bold statement. At 17 inches in diameter, it’s not something to trifle with. The pan is 2 inches deep, which makes it a great contender for cooking breakfast for a crowd or dishes like paella or jambalaya that need a large surface area to cook evenly. It’s handmade from carbon steel, which significantly lightens the pan versus cast iron without sacrificing the even heating and heat retention one would expect from a heavier model. While tough enough for extended outdoor use, its striking appearance, construction, and material quality can make it an instant family heirloom.

Yeti Rambler 20 oz Tumbler

View On Amazon $35 View On REI $38 View On Yeti.com

Yeti’s entry into the insulated tumbler world went as expected. Sure, it seems like an average stainless steel tumbler, but Yeti’s double-wall vacuum insulation keeps your drinks hot or cold for almost a full day. Cold drinks fare better than hot, only gaining one degree in our testing of the best travel coffee mugs, whereas the hot beverages were still warm but cooled more than the cold drinks gained. The lid fits securely and minimizes spill potential with a molded straw stopper to ensure you won’t randomly lose your straw. 

Weber Original Kettle Charcoal Grill

View On Amazon $219 View On Walmart $232 View On Ace Hardware $219

Let’s step away from gas grills and the gadgetry of pellet grills for a moment. The original kettle grill still took top ratings in our charcoal grill testing, even though the design is 70 years old. There are zero frills to this grill, but that’s part of the beauty of it. It performed equally well in our high-heat searing and slow-cooking tests. That performance is in no small part due to the top and bottom baffle system that creates excellent convection throughout the domed design.

L.L.Bean Waterproof Outdoor Blanket

View On L.L.Bean $69

This isn’t your average picnic blanket. The L.L. Bean Waterproof blanket is fleece on top and nylon on the bottom, with just enough weight to prevent it from flying away in a breeze. Many blankets claim water resistance, but our tests showed this blanket to be dyed-in-the-wool waterproof. It’s thick enough to cushion rocks, roots, and other bumps on the ground and easily folds and stows in its tote bag. It’s also stain-resistant; if you get the better of that resistance, it’s machine washable and dryer-safe.

Kamado Joe Classic Joe III

View On Amazon $1,340 View On Walmart $1,730 View On Wayfair $1,999

Kamado grills’ egg-shaped design and (typically) ceramic construction create a recipe for convection, heat control, and convection. They usually don’t have the largest cooking space but are incredibly versatile. Included in our list of the best kamado grills, we found that the Classic Joe III has 250 square inches of cooking space, but you can configure it for multiple heat zones for searing and indirect heat, smoking, and baking

Compared with the other leading kamado grill brands, this grill presents an excellent value, coming with all the elements you need to cook right out of the box.

Weber Genesis E-325s 3-Burner Gas Grill

View On Amazon $899 View On Wayfair $899 View On Walmart $1,040

If you’re looking for a gas grill with excellent heating and searing that will feed a crowd, the Genesis E-325s scored at the top of its class in our tests of the best gas grills. Three burners push an impressive 39,000 BTUs across 727 square inches of cooking area. Roughly translated, that’s about a 20-burger capacity. The two side tables are great for storing food and utensils, and it’s got a sizeable searing zone that handles multiple steaks at a time.

Masterbuilt 40-Inch Digital Electric Smoker

View On Amazon $320 View On Walmart $380 View On Basspro.com $380

With an electric smoker, you probably won’t achieve the same results as a real, fire-burning smoker, like deep bark development and mellow smoke flavor. But electric smokers are good in cases where you can’t operate a charcoal or wood smoker safely or don’t want to continually monitor your fire. The Masterbuilt is a good representation of an electric smoker, with a digital display and controls to set the time and cook temperature. This smoker held its temperature and smoke well in our testing, developing a mild but prominent smoke flavor in the foods we cooked in it. 

BrüMate Hopsulator Trío 3-in-1 Insulated Can Cooler

View On Amazon $30 View On Walmart $27 View On Brumate.com $30

One might never expect a luxury koozie, but the BrüMate Hopsulator fits that description. It’s a hard-sided koozie with a layer of copper in the insulation that keeps drinks hot or cold. A freezable ice pack allows the Hopsulator to fit twelve-ounce cans, but it also fits 16-ouncers, and the locking lid converts your koozie to a tumbler. The Hopsulator also has a twist-lock mechanism for easy insertion and removal of drink cans.

Made In Carbon Steel Griddle

View On Amazon $166 View On Walmart $169 View On Madeincookware.com

If you don’t have space for a standalone griddle, you can add one to your grill and turn it into a plancha. The Made In griddle is lightweight carbon steel and comes pre-seasoned, giving it the performance and heat retention of cast iron without the extra heft. It’s also big enough to fit over two burners, so you can set it up for dual-zone cooking, say, to cook eggs, hashbrowns, and bacon simultaneously.

Pottery Barn Mason Modern Melamine Serving Platter

View On Pottery Barn $29

Outdoor cooking needn’t always be spartan and rustic. Sometimes, you want to dress up your grilled creations. This melamine platter is an adaptation of Pottery Barn’s Mason Modern line, made more practical and safer for outdoor use. At about 18 by 8 inches, this platter provides ample space for vegetables, sliced meats, or even a whole chicken. It’s dishwasher-safe and available in two colors.

Lodge Cast Iron Grill Press

View On Amazon $20 View On Houzz $37 View On Boscovs.com

A grill press is an excellent accompaniment to a griddle. Getting the perfect crispy-edged smash burger is easy with the help of this three-pound cast iron press. It’s also great for grilled cheese or press-toasting sandwiches. At 6.75 inches, it also fits most cast iron pans, so a griddle isn’t a mandatory pairing here. The coiled spring-type handle disperses heat and is easy on the hands, and the press comes pre-seasoned for durability.

Pottery Barn Melamine Dinner Plates

View On Pottery Barn $60

These plates are styled after the vintage speckled enameled tin camping plate design. They have the weight and texture of ceramic plates, though, so they don’t feel flimsy and are heavy enough to stand up to a breeze. They’re dishwasher safe and available in 9 and 11-inch diameters to fit your liking. They’re also available in your choice of blue, white, or charcoal. While these make a great addition to any camping mess kit, we also think they are a practical and versatile gift for grillers.

Williams Sonoma Grill Prep Trays

View On Williams-Sonoma $25

Keeping your ready-for-the-grill prepped food organized can sometimes be a juggling act. Keeping with the idea of mise en place, a dedicated tray for your raw ingredients is good. But, sometimes, we forget which tray had raw ingredients and which was meant for the cooked product. The Williams Sonoma Grill Prep Trays are stackable and color-coded to minimize chances of cross-contamination. They’re constructed of durable melamine and are dishwasher-safe, too.

Peter Luger Steak Sauce

View On Amazon $13

For those who oppose steak sauce, you might want to skip this one. In a world of cleverly-named, fruity, spicy steak sauces, Peter Luger Steak Sauce just quietly does its thing. There are no flash or garish labels, kind of like its namesake steakhouse. Slightly sweet, a little smoky, with a definite horseradish finish, this sauce is thinner than some of its contemporaries but not watery at all.

Pro tip: this sauce serves double duty during the warmer seasons if you use it to dress some fresh tomatoes and sweet onions for a salad.

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

View On Amazon $8 View On Williams-Sonoma $11 View On World Market $8

I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a Maldon evangelist. I use it in desserts, salads, and especially grilled meats and vegetables. Yes, there’s the salty minerality that’s front and center, but the flaked nature of the salt gives a crunchy texture that takes the flavor even further. I like to use it to finish steaks or baked potatoes and enhance other finishing ingredients, like spiced honey. Pack sizes range from an 8.5-ounce box to a three-pound bucket, and after you explore its uses, you’ll buy it by the bucket.

Dyna-Glo Universal Rotisserie Kit

View On Amazon $37 View On Walmart $75 View On Home Depot $83

Slowly rotating chicken or porchetta over your grill gives your food tenderness and a crispy texture that can’t be obtained via direct heat. The Dyna-Glo Universal Deluxe Rotisserie Kit works with almost any gas grill up to 32 inches wide, allowing you to rotate your food and utilize the ambient heat of your grill. No more waiting in line at the grocery store deli for your rotisserie chicken; this attachment makes even weeknight rotisserie an option.

OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer

View On Amazon $12 View On Target $12 View On Oxo $12

Sometimes, you need thin cuts of meat for grilling. Trying to slice your meat that thinly is a frustrating experience, at best, and a meat pounder can relieve that stress. Lightly tenderizing your meat is a good means of allowing marinade to permeate it, too. The OXO Good Grips Meat Tenderizer is nicely balanced, with a two-sided head that enables you to select the texture of the impact. It’s also got a comfortable grip and is dishwasher safe.

Dyna-Glo Premier 2-Burner Propane Gas Grill

View On Amazon $300 View On Walmart $300 View On Home Depot $594

Not everyone needs or wants a mammoth grill, and this two-burner gas grill fits that niche. It has 319 square inches of cooking space – ample room for burgers, steaks, vegetables, or chicken for two to four people. It scored well in our testing but had a few minor annoying features, like widely-spaced grates that allowed some vegetables to slip through when cooking. Those issues aside, we were surprised by its performance and responsiveness.

Weber Smokefire EX4 Pellet Grill

View On Amazon $1,099 View On Walmart $1,099 View On Weber.com

The best pellet grills combine the cooking and searing capabilities of a grill with the slow-cooking capacity of a smoker. In our testing, we grilled burgers and smoked flank steak and pork butts for up to 11 hours, and the EX4 aced every test. Like most pellet grills, it takes the guesswork out of grilling or smoking. You set the time and temperature via the LCD control panel, fill it with pellets, and the EX4 takes the wheel from there. There’s also wireless app integration, so you don’t have to stick near the grill to monitor the heat or need for more fuel.

Dyna-Glo Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill

View On Amazon $720 View On Walmart $772 View On Lowe's $772

We spent 50 hours testing charcoal smokers and were surprised this beast of a smoker was so easy to use. It has easy access to the firebox and the smoker chamber, with sliding racks in the smoke chamber that make loading and unloading food a pleasant experience. The damper system that creates convection in the smoker is highly responsive to adjustments, and a beginner smoker will have no problem adapting to its use. At the same time, more experienced smokers will be pleased with the results.

Camp Chef 24-Inch Vertical Gas Smoker

View On Amazon $400 View On Walmart $440 View On Wayfair $440

As with electric smokers, you can get good smoke flavor from a gas smoker but won’t get the depth and bark development one expects from wood smoking. The Smoke Vault is a very beginner-friendly smoker – with an asterisk. Although it’s easy to operate, we advise taking some time to familiarize yourself with the baffle system, as they’re sometimes almost too responsive. As far as smokers go, there’s very little mess to clean after cooking. It has a large cooking capacity, and smokers of all skill levels will enjoy cooking with the Smoke Vault.

Middleton Made Knives Echo 8 Inch Chef Knife

View On Amazon $240

Sometimes, you want a pretty and good knife, despite what I said about boning knives. Middleton Made Knives are handmade in South Carolina out of quality steel, with a full tang and very comfortable grip. A curved divot at the back of the blade adds extra comfort for your index finger when slicing or chopping. I’ve used this chef's knife in a professional setting for years, and it keeps an edge, re-sharpens easily, and is easy on your hands. With proper care, this is a generational heirloom knife that also happens to be extremely functional.

Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter

View On Amazon $23 View On Target $35 View On Walmart $40

I’ve used several chimney starters that look like the Rapidfire, but they don’t perform like it. It’s easy to dismiss a chimney starter as an aluminum tube with no particular merits, but that would be an incorrect assumption. Airflow is key, and that idea is first and foremost in Rapidfire’s design. Holes at the bottom give you access to your starter paper, which goes upward to a conical base, and these two features form an updraft to ignite the charcoal further up the chimney. The results are measurable; the Rapidfire gets you cooking faster than its imitators.

Permasteel Grill Lights 2-Pack

View On Amazon $24 View On Walmart $29 View On Wayfair $24

Grilling doesn't have to stop when the sun goes down; good grill lights make the job easier and safer in low-light conditions. The magnetic base of the Permasteel lights will stick to almost any metal surface, and the gooseneck allows you to aim the light in any direction without changing the base's location. Sold in a set of two, the cluster of 9 LED lights gives ample light in almost any situation. 

Grillart Grill Brush and Scraper

View On Amazon $17 View On Walmart $17 View On Grillartus.com

Nobody likes the cleanup part of grilling. So why not make it easier? The Grillart Grill Brush and Scraper has three cleaning heads that wrap around your grates to gain 360° cleaning with each stroke. Three heads also means you cover more surfaces with each stroke. The tightly wound bristles are less prone to shedding, making this a safer brush to clean with. Three scraper heads make it easier to scrape stuck-on bits, and the extended handle keeps your hand at a comfortable distance from the heat.