28 Best Grilling Gifts for Every Backyard Pitmaster

For the tailgater, camper or RV owner. Three separately controlled burners mean burgers on one side and peppers on the other, and it folds onto its own wheels to roll from the truck to the lot.

Many apartment and condo buildings ban propane and charcoal on balconies. This infrared electric grill gets real grill marks from a standard outlet, so someone who misses grilling after a move can cook outside again.

The grill most pitmasters learned on, and still the best charcoal grill for the money. It sears steaks over direct heat, smokes ribs with a two-zone setup and roasts a whole turkey, and a well-kept kettle lasts decades. It is perfect for a gas griller who keeps hinting about real charcoal flavor.

The next obsession for a backyard cook. Pellet-fired heat over 1,000°F makes a blistered, leopard-spotted pizza in about 90 seconds, and it costs a third of what the big-name ovens do. Expect pizza nights at their house all summer.

The easiest way for a gas griller to get real smoke flavor without buying a smoker. Fill it with chips, set it over a burner and ribs or wings pick up hickory or apple smoke. Pair it with the wood chip three-pack below.

The everyday companion to a wireless probe: a fast instant-read for checking burgers, chicken thighs and pork chops in seconds. The display rotates and lights up, which matters at the grill after sunset.

No wires to snake under the lid. The probe sits in the brisket or turkey and reports both internal and grill temperature to their phone from up to 165 feet away. The app even predicts when to pull the meat and how long to rest it, so they can relax instead of hovering.

Apple for pork and poultry, hickory for ribs, mesquite for beef. Three bags let them taste the difference and find a favorite. They work in a smoker box, on charcoal or in an electric smoker.

Salmon on a cedar plank is the easiest impressive dish on the grill: no sticking, no flipping, and gentle smoke. Twelve planks cover a whole summer of fish nights, and they also work for vegetables and pork tenderloin.

Competition cooks inject briskets, pork butts and Thanksgiving turkeys to season the meat deep inside. This all-steel kit will not crack like plastic versions, and the four needles handle both thin and chunky marinades.

Wire bristles can break off and end up in food, which is reason enough to replace an old brush. The coiled stainless heads scrub grates clean, the wide scraper handles stubborn residue and the long handle keeps knuckles away from the heat.

Pulled pork in a minute instead of ten, and a sure grip for lifting a hot pork butt off the smoker. A cheap, genuinely useful stocking stuffer for someone who smokes on weekends.

Most grillers make do with flimsy tongs that came free in a set. OXO's pair locks shut for storage, grips a slippery chicken thigh, and the beveled turner slides cleanly under fish and smash burgers.

Set it on the grill and the flat side becomes a griddle for breakfast, fajitas or smash burgers; flip it for grill marks indoors over two burners in winter. Pre-seasoned Lodge cast iron lasts a lifetime.

Asparagus, shrimp and sliced peppers stop falling through the grates. Weber's stainless basket with side handles is the simple fix, and it lets the person at the grill cook the vegetables alongside the main course.

If they own a Blackstone or any flat-top, this is the kit made for it. Two spatulas for hibachi-style flipping, a chopper for cheesesteaks, a basting dome for melting cheese and squeeze bottles for oil and water.

Smash burgers need a heavy, flat press to get crispy, lacy edges, and two pounds of cast iron does it in one push. It is an inexpensive gift for griddle owners, and a great pairing with the Blackstone kit.

Lighter fluid makes food taste like a gas station. A chimney gets a full load of charcoal glowing in about 15 minutes with a sheet of newspaper, and it is the first thing to buy anyone who has just switched to charcoal.

A real canvas apron with cross-back straps that do not pull on the neck during a long cook, and pockets for a thermometer, phone and towel. It looks like something a pitmaster would wear, not a joke-apron gift.

Grease drips and stray embers leave marks on wood decks and pavers. This big fireproof mat sits under the grill or griddle and hoses clean, a practical gift for anyone who just redid their patio.

A good cover is what keeps a grill going for ten years instead of five. The Veranda is water-resistant, vented to prevent rust-causing condensation and sized for most full-size gas grills. Measure their grill first.

For moving hot grates, adjusting charcoal and pulling a dripping pork shoulder off the smoker. The silicone grip will not slip on wet meat, and they rinse clean under the tap.

In fall and winter the grill is often fired up after dark. Two magnetic lights clamp to the lid or side shelf and aim straight at the grates, so they can see when the steak is done.

A different direction from American barbecue: carne asada, al pastor-style tacos, charred salsas and the sides that go with them. It is ideal for a griller tired of burgers and ribs who wants a new weekend menu.

Twelve sauces and rubs in a box that looks like a book on the shelf. It is a fun way for a griller who always uses the same bottle to try new flavors, and an easy gift from a coworker or neighbor.

Twenty small bottles mean twenty weekends of experimenting, from lime chipotle on chicken to black Cajun on fish. It pairs well with the cedar planks or the Meathead book.

The book that makes grillers better fast. Meathead explains, with real science, why soaking wood chips does nothing, why searing does not seal in juices and how to set up two-zone heat, then backs it up with tested recipes. It is a fine gift on its own, at any skill level.

For the griller who wants to smoke a real Texas brisket. Aaron Franklin covers fire management, wood and the long brisket cook that made his Austin restaurant famous. It reads like a conversation with a pitmaster.