All About Grilling Supplies

Cookout science

Any outdoor cook will benefit from this glossary of useful grilling supplies. These useful tools and terms can help assure that your next outdoor cooking experience turns out perfectly. Outdoor cooking requires a fair amount of ingenuity, so come prepared and ready to experiment. Having the right tool at hand makes the job easier.

Aluminum foil: used to hold loose items together so they can be exposed to smoke or flame. Perforated sheets can be more convenient for outdoor cooking or camping.

Camping grill: a lightweight, portable apparatus for cooking outdoors. Can be as simple as a folding metal rack or as advanced as a self-contained propane grill.

Charcoal briquettes: used to provide heat and flame for grills. Can also be used in smokers in conjunction with aromatic woods like hickory, cherry, and mesquite.

Direct heat: food is cooked on the grill, directly over the heat source. Hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, fish, pork chops and vegetables are cooked with this method.

Drip Pan: collects fat from a spit or grill rack. Also used in smokers to collect condensation that can be cycled through the chamber again.

Gas Level Indicator: for all gas-powered devices, a gauge that indicates how much fuel remains in the supply canister.

Grill: Whether gas-powered or charcoal burning, the grill is the most basic unit of outdoor cooking. Cooks directly, by exposing food to heat and flame. Deluxe features include temperature control, tilt sensors, multiple burners, and tiered racks.

Grilling gloves: designed to withstand high heat and resist flame.

Indirect heat: food is cooked away from the heat source. This is preferred for larger, longer-cooking foods such as whole chickens, whole turkeys and roasts. Smokers employ indirect heating to slow-roast meat.

Injectors or Syringes: put spices under the skin of meat before cooking. Especially useful with turkey fryers.

Propane: the most common fuel for outdoor cooking appliances.

Rotisserie: a rotating rack for use with poultry and open flame.

Skewers: perfect for meat and vegetables. Holds chunks of beef or other meat together, so that the flavors of the ingredients commingle.

Smoker: a specially designed unit that slow roasts meat with smoke and steam.

Thermometer: useful for testing meat to see if it is thoroughly cooked.

Tongs: long handles keep hands away from the fire.

Turkey fryer: a high volume fryer built to accommodate large birds, but also good for everything from croquettes to beer battered fish.

More information on grilling supplies