Best New Grill Gadgets

From Season 11: Grilled Pork Chops and Ribs

Rib Racks

On a standard 22-inch kettle grill, you can only fit two racks of ribs if you lay them down flat—and for most barbecues, two racks just won’t cut it. Enter the rib rack, designed to sit right on the grill grate and hold up to six racks upright at a time so you can double and triple your output. Our favorite model produces smoky, crusty, tender, and moist ribs, and is also sturdy and easy to clean. It also doubles as a roasting rack, elevating whole chickens or a small turkey away from the hot grill grates.

Grill Lighters

Having struggled with matches on one too many windy days, now we turn to a grill lighter to get the fire started. Our preferred model has a flexible neck, ignites easily, and has an adjustable flame.

Remote Thermometers

A remote thermometer gives you the freedom to leave the grill (or the oven) while still monitoring the temperature of the foods cooking in it. When our previous favorite was discontinued, we found an acceptable replacement. Our new favorite is accurate and easy to set, and allows you to roam more than 100 feet before losing signal.

Disposable Grills

Not everyone has a portable grill, and our favorite no-frills charcoal grill certainly isn’t compact enough to travel farther than the backyard. That’s why our favorite disposable grill is such a convenience for picnics and beach barbecues. Its cooking surface is spacious enough to accommodate three steaks at a time with room to spare, and the heat held steady enough for us to follow up with three chicken breasts—a total of more than 45 minutes of cooking time. Once cool, the grill can be thrown away or recycled.