Dusting off your well-loved BBQ for another season? Or have invested in a new BBQ this year? Either way, don’t forget BBQ tools. They can really elevate your grilling game.
BBQ tools can perhaps be overlooked, but they’re an essential bit of kit. We all know about tongs and burger flippers. And they are an absolute must. But there are so many other BBQ tools to consider.
In this round-up of the best BBQ tools, there’s a whole range to choose from.
Read our honest review of the best BBQ tools available to buy now.
Best BBQ tools at a glance:
Von Haus 25pc BBQ Tool Set with Aluminium Case
Von Haus 25pc BBQ Tool Set with Aluminium Case, £32 from Von Haus
Pros: Great value, slick case, everything you need for a BBQ (and more)
Cons: Tong doesn’t have hooks to hang them on bbq
Rating: 5/5
I was so impressed with this tool set from Von Haus. It has everything you could possibly want from a BBQ tool set. And the quality is great.
I loved that it came in a hard case, as I could stow it under my BBQ when not in use without worrying about things getting slimed by a snail or going rusty.
There are a whopping 25 tools in this case including tongs, a 4-in-1 spatula, two cleaning brushes, a salt and pepper shaker, a meat thermometer and more.
I found the 4-in-1 spatula super useful – I was able to slice open plastic meat packets using the serrated cutting edge and flip my burgers without having to change tools.
If you love a beer while cooking, you’ll love that there’s a bottle opener integrated too.
My kids loved the corn-on-the-cob forks, as they’re big corn fans, and I felt like a professional BBQer being able to whip them out.
While I find the tongs an absolute BBQ essential, you need quite strong hands to operate these ones as they’re quite robust. I also found the serrated edge-pierced sausages, which made things a bit messy.
The cleaning tools are handy too. Did I need two of them? Probably not – and I’m quite thorough with cleaning. But I loved that there was a spare brush head for the brush tool.
This is a neat little set – perfect for setting up shop in the BBQ game if you’re just starting, or a great gift for someone else. And incredible value too.
Included in set: 2 x BBQ mats, 6 x skewers, 6 x corn forks, 1 x basting brush, 1 x wide cleaning brush,1 x cleaning brush, 1 x spare cleaning brush head, 1 x salt and pepper shaker set, 1 x tongs, 1 x thermometer, 1 x fork, 1 x spatula,1 x carry case; Dimensions: 7x43x24cm
OXO Good Grips Grilling Basting Stainless Steel BBQ Brush
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OXO Good Grips Grilling Basting Stainless Steel BBQ Brush, £15 from John Lewis
Pros: Juicier meats, less mess, great for awkward angles, durable
Cons: No hook if you want to hang it up
Rating: 4.5/5
Marinades are key to a good BBQ.
They pack flavour into whatever you’re cooking and keep things juicy. And this process continues through cooking. Basting is going to keep everything moist and pack in the flavour. So for a top-tier BBQ, you need a basting brush.
Before I set eyes on this basting brush, I thought all basting brushes were equal. But I was wrong. This basting brush has an extra-long handle, so I didn’t burn my knuckles when sloshing on basting liquid.
I also found that because the brush is angled, I could baste meats and veggies that were at awkward angles under my warming grill. This was so useful and made the job quicker too. The angling is actually designed so you can lie the brush flat and it won’t touch surfaces. A feature I appreciated.
The silicone bristles are heat resistant. I have lost more than one basting brush to heat, but this withstood even the hottest temperatures I could get my BBQ without melting.
The fine outer bristles surround flat silicone bristles on the interior of the brush. The inner bristles have holes in them. This is so the brush can hold more sauce without dripping.
I was impressed – as a messy cook, I often trail marinade from the side across the BBQ. But with the Oxo brush, I found I was able to load up loads of marinade in one go and actually get it all on. My corn on the cobs was noticeably more buttery as a result, and my chicken kebabs seemed more juicy too.
Included in set: 1 brush; Dimensions: 34.4×5.7×4.3cm
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Char-Broil Grill+ Roasting Dish and Cutting Board
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Char-Broil Grill+ Roasting Dish and Cutting Board, £61.99 from Amazon
Pros: well made, great for keen cooks, durable, can extend set over time
Cons: bit pricey
Rating: 4.5/5
Bored of bangers? As someone who likes to try new things on the BBQ, I felt this roasting tray gave me many ideas for new things to cook on the BBQ.
The beauty of it is, there are lots of components (sold separately) that you can add to it. I tested out the rib and roast rack and cooked a whole garlic-and-lemon chicken on the rack this way.
It created a juicy and flavourful chook, and the juices gathered underneath that I could turn into insanely good gravy. You can flip this rack and use it to stand up ribs too. Such a clever idea.
I used the sturdy roasting tray to cook up some roast potatoes on the BBQ too. If potato salad isn’t your thing, I highly recommend this as an easy BBQ side. The tray is sturdy enough to withstand the heat of the BBQ and cooked up well. The handles on the side make it easy to grab and take out, rather than it sliding around dangerously.
I really liked that the board on top can be used to cut veg. I actually also liked it as it gave me a surface to stack other things on too. They’re in short supply in my garden.
Overall, I was thrilled with this addition to my BBQing experience. I love how you can add to it, with a beer-can chicken rack, skewers and more. It’s so well made and is clearly going to last.
Included in set: tray, chopping board; Dimensions: 23x36cm
Everdure Premium Tongs
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Everdure Premium Tongs, £25 from Amazon
Pros: well made, hook for hanging, single-handed lock mechanism, well-weighted
Cons: bit too sharp for delicate cuts of meat
Rating: 4.5/5
Oooh, I liked using these a lot. The locking mechanism is fab. When you close the tongs, magnets draw it together and you can slide a lock up the side to keep them together.
This meant I could easily lock and unlock them with one hand, which was mega useful when manning a busy BBQ.
They’re a really sturdy set of tongs and felt well weighted in my hands. The teeth are quite vicious though. This was great when I was cooking corn on the cob, which is liable to be unruly on the grate. But I found with burgers and sausages, they were a bit too sharp and heavy-handed.
There’s a useful hanging hook on the end of the tongs, which is just about big enough for the BBQ I tend to use.
I liked the length of them – some BBQ tongs I find too long, and it end up feeling a bit unwieldy. The Everdure tongs kept me close to the action and in control.
Included in set: 1 pair of tongs; Dimensions: 26 x 3 x 3 cm
Lakeland BBQ Grill Bag
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Lakeland BBQ Grill Bag, £12.99 from Lakeland
Pros: Easy to clean, great for veggies and fish, saves time
Cons: Only big enough for small items
Rating: 4/5
Grill bag – who knew such a thing existed? Not me. And it’s an absolute game-changer. This little mesh pocket can be loaded up with whatever you like and slung on the BBQ.
As a fan of veggies on the BBQ, I am forever faffing about with asparagus spears and peppers. Trying to turn each one is a labour of love, let me tell you. Well, labour no longer as I could just whack my fresh veggies in this bag and then flip them all in one go. I could even do a bag of garlic baby button mushrooms in it, which I never thought possible on the BBQ. And nothing was lost down the grates either.
I even slid in two fillets of salmon, which are usually a messy faff on the BBQ. But it was clean and easy with this grill bag, allowing me to get my fish evenly cooked without it all disintegrating on the BBQ.
And what’s even better is I can chuck it in the washing-up bowl and get it sparkly clean as it is fairly non-stick.
Included in set: 1 bag; Dimensions: 22x27x 0.8cm
Hexclad BBQ grill pan
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Hexclad BBQ grill pan, £159.99 from Hexclad
Pros: great for delicate meats and veggies, nonstick, incredible quality, easy to clean
Cons: pretty pricey
Rating: 4/5
From the get-go, I was excited by this grill pan. It’s incredibly well made, and I always love something that comes with a lifetime guarantee.
If you’re dropping some serious cash, you want to know it’s going to last.
The Hexclad pan is designed for gas and charcoal bbqs, and sits on top of the grill to allow you to cook delicate or fiddly items. I used it to cook garlic-butter king prawns, and it did an amazing job.
Thanks to the holes on the bottom of the pan, my prawns were infused with a smoky taste and I didn’t lose any of the meat to the grates. The non-stick pan did a great job of not damaging the delicate shellfish. And I loved that I could use my standard metal BBQ tools in the pan even though it’s not stick.
The pan is big enough to cook enough food for my whole family in and has a low enough profile to slide under my warming rack letting me maximise space.
This pan was a breeze to clean after cooking on – the non-stick is heavy-duty. You can also stick it in the dishwasher if you like.
Included in set: pan; Dimension: 33 cm dia x 10 cm
Argos Home Pizza Oven BBQ Topper With Paddle
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Home Pizza Oven BBQ Topper With Paddle, £55 from Argos
Pros: Versatile, fun, reasonably priced, great for smaller gardens, create delicious pizzas
Cons: Quite large to store, and takes a while to heat up
Rating: 3.5/5
Oh now here is a clever bit of kit. It’s a box that sits atop your grill and converts your BBQ into a pizza oven.
As I don’t have space for a BBQ and pizza oven in my garden, this was such a game-changing idea for me.
The box comes with a removable pizza stone inside, and a paddle for swishing pizzas in and out. I felt quite professional making my pizzas in the garden with the paddle.
As a family of pizza lovers, this added a whole new dimension to our BBQ. I used pre-made dough from the supermarket and then created beautifully thin pizzas with toppings of our choosing.
A classic Margherita was one of the best I’ve ever had, with fresh basil from the garden snipped on top. My kids preferred pineapple pizza, and hey, I’m not here to judge if they’re eating their meals!
I found that when getting the oven warm enough, it took a lot of patience and watching. There’s a temperature gauge on top so you can see how things are faring inside. My BBQ is a three-burner, and the pizza oven took up the whole surface area, so you have to plan your logistics carefully if you plan to serve pizza and a BBQ.
I found I couldn’t shut the lid of my BBQ with the pizza topper on there, which meant getting up to the temperature took longer.
Depsite it being a pizza oven, it’s actually more versatile than that as I was able to cook trays of veggies in there, and roast some new potatoes in garlic butter.
I even tried to make a Nutella calzone in there.
There are handles on the side to lift it on and off, but you’ll need to leave it a good few hours to cool first. This means you can’t properly pack away your BBQ for a while after cooking if this matters to you.
Included in set: pizza oven, paddle, pizza stone; Dimensions: 14.5x35x40cm
How We Tested
We set to work testing the best BBQ tools over a period of six weeks, BBQing in all weathers to find the ones worthy of this roundup. All tools were used in a real-life environment, helping to whip up family meals in a busy household.
We were creative with what we cooked, looking at how each implement or tool worked with different foods. We really wanted to see if they added anything to our BBQing experience. BBQ tools that make things easier were our key priority. Of course, we were ideally after game-changing innovation alongside the essentials.
After the fun of BBQing was over, we also looked at how easy clean-up was. BBQs are messy affairs more often than not, and you don’t want to add to your workload with even more things to clear up. Lastly, price and value for money was factored into what ended up on this list.
Where to buy BBQ tools in the UK
There’s a whole host of places to buy BBQ tools. Larger branches of most supermarkets often have some on their seasonal aisle in the summer months. Garden centres also often stock them, as do department stores.
It’s a similar scene online as on the high street. Department store websites are a good place to look, along with cookware specialists. There are also online BBQ specialist shops, and you can buy directly from the brand.
Here are some of the best places to buy BBQ tools:
How much does this cost?
The cost of decent BBQ tools doesn’t need to break the bank. You can invest in one or two items to begin with, which can cost under £10 – especially when there are sales.
Essential tools are a spatula and tongs, followed by a basting brush. You might want to get a set of tools, which is a bit more up front but you know you’re set then.
Of course, once you get into BBQing you might want to go for more premium brands, ones that are durable. And you’ll quickly find yourself wanting more tools so you can up your game. We recommend gradually building your BBQ tool collection up so you can be sure of what you need and will use.