Home / Food & Drink / Buying Guides

The 16 Best Grilling Accessories Under $50

Make the most of your outdoor cooking, BBQ and/or smoking setup with these must-have budget-friendly pieces of gear.

collage of a griddle, a knife sharpener, and meat claws Amazon

By Sean Tirman

Published

·

Updated

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

With spring well underway and summer right around the corner, it is prime time for outdoor cooking. But if you’ve already spent a bunch of money on the perfect gas grill, pellet smoker, charcoal grill and/or some combination therein, you might not want to spend even more on a bunch of accessories. But here’s the problem: if you want to make the most of your BBQ, you will need some additional gear.

The list could get pretty extensive, but it includes things like aprons, tongs, thermometers, heat-resistant gloves, kitchen knives — you get the idea. And while you could spend a not-so-small fortune on very expensive, high-end versions of all of these, you can also get quality alternatives on a pretty small budget. In fact, this entire guide is loaded to the gills with the best grilling accessories you can get for less than $50 — and some are even sub-$10. So if you’re looking to fire up the coals (or gas or pellets) and you want to save some scratch in the process, you’ve come to the right place.

Not only does OXO make some of the best cooking accessories around, but all the brand’s gear is meant to be ergonomic and relatively affordable, as well. This tong and spatula set is handsome, reliable, inexpensive and comes with a nice tool rest so you don’t have to put your dirty tools on an even dirtier countertop.

READ ABOUT THE BEST BUDGET KITCHEN TOOLS

mercer culinary m20608 genesis 8 inch chef's knife,blackAmazon

Best Budget Chef's Knife Under $50

Mercer Culinary M20608 Genesis 8-Inch Chef’s Knife

Found at the top of our list of the best budget chef’s knives (in this case, the best option under $50), the Mercer Culinary M20608 Genesis is the perfect balance of quality and affordability. It boasts a high-carbon German steel blade, an ergonomic non-slip handle and the ideal length for an all-purpose chef knife: eight inches.

READ ABOUT THE BEST AFFORDABLE CHEF KNIVES

If you’re going to buy a chef’s knife (and you should if you don’t have one already), you’re going to need a sharpener. This is one that our testers have used and loved and, shockingly, it will only cost you about $10. For a two-stage knife sharpener, this is a tough one to beat.

READ ABOUT THE BEST KNIFE SHARPENERS

The worst part of most grills is that they don’t have a good flat surface on which to cook things that might otherwise fall through the cracks. However, you can remedy this with Lodge’s reversible Grill/Griddle, which will make things like veggies and even eggs easily grilled — and you can use it on your range, as well, making this a double threat.

READ OUR TRAEGER FLAT TOP GRILL REVIEW

ThermoPro TP-02S Instant Read Meat ThermometerAmazon

Best Budget Instant-Read Thermometer

ThermoPro TP-02S Instant Read Meat Thermometer

Not only is an instant-read meat thermometer important to make sure your meal is hot and ready, but it’s actually important for checking the safety of the food (the recommended minimum temperature is 145 degrees). This thermometer, which comes in a two-pack, made our list of the best ones you can buy, taking the top budget-friendly spot.

READ ABOUT THE BEST INSTANT-READ THERMOMETERS

Pasatiempo Barbecue Bourbon Barrel Wood Chunks - Buffalo Trace Distillery/Alter BrewingHuckberry

Pasatiempo Barbecue Bourbon Barrel Wood Chunks – Buffalo Trace Distillery/Alter Brewing

If you really want to imbue your meats and veggies with deep, smoky flavors, you’re going to need some wood. And if you want the best, most flavorful wood, you’ll want something that was used to age alcohol, like bourbon barrels. That’s exactly what you’ll get here and, even better, it comes from one of our favorite distilleries around.

READ ABOUT THE BEST PELLET SMOKER GRILLS

This fire starter is arguably the best tool to get your charcoal grill or pellet smoker up and running the right way. It’ll also save you time and effort. That’s a win-win in our book.

READ ABOUT THE BEST SURVIVAL FIRE STARTERS

Five Two Bamboo Double Sided Cutting BoardFood52

Best Overall Cutting Board

Five Two Bamboo Double Sided Cutting Board

A plastic cutting board might sound like a good idea until you accidentally melt one onto your food. This bamboo alternative, by contrast, won’t melt (or catch flame) when you lay your steak upon it. It also happens to be our top pick for the best overall cutting board you can buy, even though it is relatively affordable — so let that inform your decision.

READ ABOUT THE BEST CUTTING BOARDS

A carving fork is great for holding down your still-steaming fresh-off-the-grill meats while you carve the juiciest pieces. And this one is made specifically to handle high temperatures. It also looks great, is built from sturdy materials and, most importantly, is very affordable.

READ MORE ABOUT THE BEST KITCHENWARE

Alongside the spatula and tongs combo pack, OXO also makes this basting brush, which was specifically made for the rigors of grilling, like high temperatures. If you want to baste your meat and add some flavor to it, you’re going to want this brush.

READ ABOUT HOW TO SMOKE MEAT

Regular old oven mitts aren’t great for grilling, as they lack dexterity and some can’t take the heat of an open flame. These gloves, by contrast, have actual fingers and can take heat of up to 540 degrees Fahrenheit. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen and out to your grill.

READ ABOUT SILICON OVEN MITTS

You’ve spent hours and hours smoking your meat to perfection, so now what? Well, if you want to make some sandwiches or burritos or other hand-held foods, you may want to shred that meat. And these Bear Paws are perfect for accomplishing just that.

READ ABOUT PRO-CHEF-APPROVED KITCHEN TOOLS

You know those beautiful grill marks we all love to see on our burgers and steaks? Well, the best way to get them without drying out and burning your meat is with a grill press, like this cast-iron one from Cuisinart.

READ ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CAST IRON

Don’t use a bristle or wire brush to clean your grill — it could literally kill you. Instead, opt for a scraper tool like this one, which is just as effective but a whole lot safer.

READ ABOUT THE BEST CHARCOAL GRILLS

Who doesn’t love a good kebab from time to time? Well, you’re going to need some skewers if you want to make one, and these are some of the best. Sure, they’re fairly basic — but they’re high quality and get the job done right every time.

READ ABOUT THE BEST GRILLING RECIPES

Unless you want to get grease and food all over your clothes, you’re going to want an apron when you head out to the grill. This one is durable, good-looking, comes from a great brand and even has plenty of pockets for all your grilling tools.

READ ABOUT THE BEST APRONS

, ,