I have a Simpsons commemorative 22″ Weber Gold. I’ve upgraded with the cast iron grate, charcoal rails for indirect cooking, the lid holder, and a little second story grate. All work as advertised. I cook year ’round in Seattle, under the carport. Baskets are good for loose vegies. The last thing I bought for the grill was a digital thermometer/timer/alarm. It’s great for roasts on the grill.

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#1 A good grill! After years of using various craptastic hand-me-down gas grills I got a good grill a few years back. Wow what a difference, no hot/cold spots and temperature control, who knew!

#2 Restaurant grade tongs, surprisingly cheep at the supply house.
(Simple rule the more “manly” the grill tool looks, the less useful it is)

#3 A remote probe thermometer, the kind with the the metal clad wire running from the probe to a remote display. Put the probe in the meat and leave it there, a must for smoking. Keep an eye on your temp while keeping the lid down.

Lastly a question for the group. Do those gas bottle pressure gauges work at all? Since the propane is stored in the bottle as a liquid wouldn’t the gauge just report the vapor pressure of liquid propane (128 psig on a nice grilling day) until all the liquid was gone? At that point your pretty much out of gas any way? Do these provide enough warning to be even remotely useful?

I’ve been using them going on 6 years… love them.. got my dad and my in-laws in to them too..
and like others have said.. NO FORKING FORKS.

btw.. I am partial to gas for the convenience of it. I’ve got a Weber Genesis that’s lasted me 2 years so far and it still looks and works like new.

Charcoal or Gas, you can’t go wrong with a Weber.

I turn the coals over by shaking/kicking.

Expensive sets look nice but are a total waste of money.

A stick and some cheap tongs and you are set.

Spatula for fragile foods.

I use a remote-read thermometer, particularly when I’m running the rotisserie. I have the temperature probe threaded through the handle and the transmitter rubber-banded to the skewer, so the transmitter is outside the heat. RF means no wires twisting.

I have a cast iron firebox for wood chips that I put directly on one of my burners.

I use a gas grill too. If you don’t like it, no ribs for you.

Oh yeah, and an electric smoker.

That said, I’ve been given a number of sets of grill tools throughout the years, and no matter what tools they contain, I always go back to only two of the set: tongs and spatula. I have a nice All-Clad set someone gave me once, and I like the spatula from that set, but as far as tongs are concerned, I like the cheap standard stamped metal ones you get at the restaurant supply store. I have a half dozen pairs around the kitchen and I use them everyday - inside and out

Other than the two necessities, I always need a thermometer - either instant read or the leave-in alarm type, great for long roasts or smoking.

And the ultimate grill accessory…the beer bottle opener.

I first used one while camping and cooking at dusk. Now I find mine indispensable for late-day grilling at home.

I use a propane grill just because I don’t what to light charchol ever other day
I live in BC and the weather here is mild enough to grill all year round and I do
I have my bbq on the back porch under cover so even when it rain or snow’s I can still grill I have been know to Grill in my shorts at 3:00 am in january

but really tongs and some times the big fork
and a flipper/spatula are and basting brush are the nessary things for me

I am not say propane is better than charcol guys I don’t want a debate here
I just find it more conivent I have had charcol grills even made my own charcol a couple of times now if I’m after a certain taste a few smoker chips
in a small pan on the warming rack in the grill does it

My list:

- Grill brush: A grill brush is a grill brush. When it starts to look like a greasy opossum’s pelt, throw it out and spring for another from the dollar store.

- Tongs: Must open wide i.e. 4 inches or more. Not the scissor type.

- Spatula: I’m with John, no forks. My wife got me one of those sets from the “self-indulgent cook”. I only use the spatula, which by the way would take the arm off a grizzly, and is surprisingly easy to clean

That’s it. No basting brush, I marinade. BBQ sauce just burns, warm it on the stove and let everyone serve themselves. No thermometers, use your finger and learn what your steak feels like when it done to your preference (read: rare).

I suppose fuel should be considered a must have as well. My fuel of choice is lump charcoal. Quoting Wikipedia here:

“Commercially, charcoal is often found in either lump, briquette or extruded forms. Lump charcoal is made directly from hardwood material and usually produces far less ash than briquettes. While some briquettes are made from a combination of charcoal (heat source), brown coal (heat source), mineral carbon (heat source), borax (press release agent), sodium nitrate (ignition aid), limestone (uniform visual ashing), starch (binder), raw sawdust (ignition aid) and possibly additives like paraffin or lighter fluid to aid in lighting them, other “natural” briquettes are made solely from charcoal and a binder. Extruded charcoal is made by extruding either raw ground wood or carbonized wood into logs without the use of a binder. The heat and pressure of the extruding process hold the charcoal together. If the extrusion is made from raw wood material, the extruded logs are then subsequently carbonized.”

Look at all the crap that goes in to the briquettes. Borax…. Yummy.

One last note. Anyone else find it amusing that nobody this far has said anything about gas grills. Is the good ole fashion kettle grill a required Toolmonger accessory?