Make Your Grilling Staycation Easier With These Handy Items
Elevate your Summer cookout with these fabulous, fiery finds!
One of the best things about a Summer staycation is an outdoor cookout in the sunshine and fresh air with some of your favorite people and seasonal ingredients. Here are some fun new items to ‘raise the steaks’ and make this season’s grilling adventure a little bit different. After all, Memorial Day is upon us and Father’s Day is just around the corner, so here is some handy grilling inspo.
32 Inch DENKOE Round Fire Pit Table with Fire Pit Grill
The DENKOE round fire pit table has a stylish, thick fire pit bowl made from heavy duty iron which retains heat longer so you can entertain longer. Coated with a heat and weather resistant layer of protection for extra durability, you can enjoy years of fire burning and avoid rust. The fire pit grill grate is made with premium non-stick materials for hassle-free outdoor cooking. The fire pit cover lid is made with 100% waterproof aluminum and poly lumber. This is a large wood burning fire pit, a table, and a patio grill all in one. The deep bowl means you can go from cooking to bonfire in one session of entertaining, and the tabletop lid means you can seal it up to keep rain and leaves out once you’re done. And we love the Zen-like, Japanese silhouette, meaning it won’t create an eyesore on your deck, courtyard, terrace or back lawn when not in use.
Larder & Vine Ceramic Grill Pan
If you don’t have the space for an outdoor grill, elevate your stovetop culinary experience with this Italian-made ceramic grill pan. Withstanding temperatures up to 662ºF, this high-quality pan can be used for a wide range of recipes and cooking techniques such as searing, sautéing, baking, and broiling. It offers even heating and excellent thermal retention for searing steaks, chops, chicken, fish, vegetables—anything that requires a good grill mark but without fire and smoke. Grill marks on food, especially protein, contribute to the overall flavor and texture of the food, so why miss out just because you don’t have an outdoor grill? Having said that, you can also pop this pan on the grill—it’s especially useful for smaller items such as shrimp, mushrooms or tofu or anything you want to keep separate from the grill grate.
A protective scratch-resistant glaze ensures longevity, enhanced performance, and easy cleaning up, and because it made from 100% ceramic stoneware, it is eco-friendly and built to last—and free of PFOA, PTFE, and PFAS, the toxins that can leach into your food from inferior cookware.
Drip EZ BBQ Grill Mitts
When it’s time to take on the heat, Drip EZ BBQ Grill Mitts have got you covered — literally. Forget grabbing a kitchen towel or fabric oven mitts—these are dangerous around an open flame and won’t protect you. from hot grease, either. Whether you’re flipping brisket on the grill, pulling a hot pan or roasting dish from the oven, or handling anything that is too hot to touch, these silicone mitts make it easy. Slip them on in seconds and experience a secure, heat-resistant grip up to 480°F.
Designed for ease these mitts slide on and off your hands quickly allowing you to get the job done without fumbling. Made from high-quality silicone these mitts are dishwasher safe for quick cleanup and long-lasting use. With an 8.5″ diameter these mitts are compact enough for easy storage but tough enough for any grilling task. Protecting your hands around heat is often an afterthought, so grab a pair of these mitts and keep them handy.
Grillbadger All Natural Grill Brush
Let’s face it: Cleaning up the grill or BBQ after a cookout can be a real drag unless you have the right tool. How many times have you meant to scrub down the grill after use only before you forgot or thought you’d do it next time by cooking off all the gunk. Procrastinating cleaning your grill can be caused by not having the right tool. Grillbadger is a tough cleaning brush featuring durable, all natural, heat-resistant bristles with an angled wooden handle, and a sturdy steel scraper. It is what you need to get the food residue off your backyard grill and even your BBQ smoker. This is a solid, quality item made with no plastic or wire, and actually helps season your grilling surface.
Grillbadger’s bristles are heat resistant. They are suitable for hot surfaces, just avoid the flames. Clean the grill as it warms up or as it cools down and when you are done, rinse the bristles and hang the tool up in the closet or shed ready for next time.
Blues Hog
So, if you fancy yourself a bit of a pitmaster or a BBQ guru, then you probably already know about Blues Hog and their great line of sauces, rubs, and fuel. Blues Hog Barbecue, headquartered in Washington, Missouri, is renowned for its award-winning barbecue sauces, rubs, marinades, charcoal, and wood products. Founded by legendary pitmaster Bill Arnold, Blues Hog has earned the title “Award-Winning Choice of Champions,” with its products being utilized by competition teams, top chefs, and restaurateurs worldwide. The best way we can describe it: a sauce for every meat, occasion, and palate that has been researched and crafted over time, according to American tradition.
Start with their logs, briquettes or wood chips, then use the rubs and the sauces for marinating and basting your choice of meat, and serve the sauces on the side for dipping and topping. The Original BBQ Sauce has been dubbed “the best baste on the planet” and you certainly cannot go wrong with its mix of sweet, savory, and smoky.
There are a few varieties to choose from and if you don’t know where to start, dive in with the Premium Gift Set. We also like the squeeze bottle sauces to put on salads, fries, wings, shrimp, steaks and veggies (the Jalapeno Lime Ranch has become a favorite). There really is a Blues Hog adventure for everyone’s taste: Whether that’s a slow-cooked brisket in the smoker, a chop on the BBQ grill, or a simple chicken burger, you’ll find a Blues Hog sauce to give your cookout the authentic BBQ flavor—bold, mellow, versatile and delicious. There’s a reason Blues Hog has won more awards than any other sauce on the market.
Selefina Spices Coffee Rubs
Add a little sophistication to your grilling with Selefina all-natural spice blends and rubs. We tried BBQ Coffee Rub, which blends medium-roast coffee and dark brown sugar with savory spices, offering rich complexity to a tender pork loin. We’re eager to try it on a rack of lamp, or a sirloin steak. And it also works on vegetable steaks such as eggplant or cauliflower. A mix of Himalayan salt, garlic and onion powders, smoked and Hungarian paprikas, cinnamon and cumin provide depth and warmth.
Cacao Mole Coffee Rub combines finely ground medium-roast coffee with high-fat cacao powder, creating a distinctive rub that imparts deep, chocolaty flavors to your dishes. The fine texture of the rub means you can also sprinkle it on the surface of meats or vegetables, or coat the food before cooking. The rub includes garlic and onion powders enhanced by ancho chile powder which introduces a mild, fruity heat. Granulated molasses adds a touch of sweetness that complements the bitterness of the coffee and richness of the cacao. French grey sea salt is used to balance the sweet and spicy elements, ensuring a well-rounded taste profile. This is terrific on chicken thighs as well as bone-in chops.
Chili-Lime Coffee Rub combines the vibrant zest of lime with chipotle and sriracha, crafting a bold blend with medium heat and tangy zest. The rub’s fine-to-medium grain texture showcases a speckled array of colors from dark browns to yellow-beige and blond, all natural with no artificial coloring. Medium-roast coffee forms the robust base of this rub, enriched by the sweetness of coconut sugar. The real punch comes from chipotle peppers and sriracha-infused salt, delivering a smoky heat that’s perfectly counterbalanced by the bright, acidic notes of lime powder. Additional hints of orange and mango juice powders infuse a subtle fruity sweetness, amplifying the tropical flair. We tried this on a big, baked snapper and it was delicious with some fresh lime wedges and coconut rice on the side.
To maximize the spices’ impact, apply the rub several hours before cooking, allowing it to fully integrate with the food.
Tamarind Heads
Did you know that tamarind is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, and may offer various health advantages, according to health experts? Tamarind is widely used in many cultures, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. It’s a popular ingredient in cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Mexico. So why not bring bold global flavors and health benefits to your barbecue? Tamarind Heads did exactly that, offering a groundbreaking tamarind superfood base with just five simple ingredients.
Over five years ago, driven by their shared passion for bold flavors and cultural appreciation, Sashi Kumar, Jim Giberson, and Brittney Lim, the founders of Tamarind Heads, decided to create a truly unique and flavorful BBQ sauce using the power of tamarind. After years of working on the perfect recipe, they launched their unique tamarind-based BBQ sauces in June 2024, setting them as trailblazers in the U.S. market with their groundbreaking tamarind-only base—completely free of tomatoes and vinegar. Their innovative approach has set a new standard for clean-label, delicious BBQ sauces.
The BBQ sauce is known for its perfect tangy spice complemented by a hint of sweetness and versatility. We have a bottle on hand in our fridge and it’s especially delicious on grilled chicken thighs, pork chops and large shrimp. But Tamarind BBQ sauce is so versatile, it goes with things like jazzing up leftovers, on a turkey sandwich, boiled eggs, fish, even as a condiment on a cheese board, dipping sauce for shrimp cocktail, and a dollop in a bloody Mary. You can use it wherever you might use ketchup or chutney—it’s that versatile because of its tangy, warm, comforting flavor profile. It’s little wonder that Tamarind Heads BBQ sauce also won the SOFI Gold Award for the best BBQ sauce in 2024.
