Note: while this post is sponsored by Kingsford, I feature a variety of other products that I highly recommend, too.
Looking to get into BBQ? Or shopping for someone who loves to BBQ? This BBQ Holiday Gift Guide will give you a variety of suggestions, ranging from grills to gloves and tools to outerwear. The 20 recommendations are divided into categories below:
GRILLS
Kamado Joe Classic III
Ceramic grills are my overall favorite to cook on. I love their versatility: you can smoke, grill, sear, bake, braise, roast, etc. If you follow me on social media (IG: @learningtosmoke), you know I use the Kamado Joe a TON for grilling and smoking. This grill comes with two tiers for cooking with adjustable half moon grates and offers a lot of awesome accessories to enhance your outdoor cooking experience. You can get yours by clicking HERE.
Camp Chef Woodwind 24″ w/WiFi
Pellet grills are quite popular these days and it is easy to see why. They are simple to use, maintain temps for hours, are very hands off, and flat-out produce good food. I have been using the Camp Chef Woodwind 24″ with WiFi not only because of its ease of use, but also for the two full levels of horizontal grill space that allows me to fit 5-6 racks of ribs, 8 pork butts, or four briskets at the same time. The wifi connection, along with the app, allows you to monitor and adjust temps, as well as set alarms. The ash can below the grill makes for easy cleanup of the auger, too.
KUDU Grill
If you love cooking over an open fire, the KUDU grill will be perfect! With the 24″ round fire pit sitting near waist level, this grill comes with elevation bars that allow you to easily raise and lower the 19″ round grill grate or 16″ cast iron skillet that come included. Another thing I love about this grill is it’s portability. Easy to set up and take down anywhere!
TOOLS
Thermapen Mk4
One of the BBQ mottos I swear by is “cook to temp, not time”. Cooking times given in recipes, including mine, are merely suggestions of how long it will take. This is why I swear by my Thermapen Mk4. I use it when I BBQ. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It provides super accurate, quick temps and is used by many professional chefs and BBQ champions from all over.
Nitrile Gloves (food handling)
Handling raw meats can spread bacteria. And it also sucks having to wash your hands a whole bunch. That’s why I like using nitrile gloves when doing food prep. I’ve been using Gloveworks nitrile gloves for a few years because I love their durability and fit.
Heavy Duty Grill Spatula
In the world of BBQ, you’ll be cooking with heavier meats than a simple steak or chicken breast on the grill. When smoking pork butts, briskets, or whole chickens, you’ll want a stronger spatula for transferring from the grill to your cutting board. When I first got a heavy duty spatula, I didn’t think I’d use it much. Turns out, I use it way more than I thought I would. That’s why I included it in this BBQ holiday gift guide.
Dalstrong Chef’s Knife
The chef’s knife is an all-purpose knife that every BBQer should have in their arsenal. I’ve been using Dalstrong knives for a while now and love how sharp they are, as well as the unique designs they offer on some of their blades. This chef’s knife from them is entry level and will do the job just fine.
Smoke X (BBQ Alarm w/Remote)
Remember earlier when I said to cook by temp, not time? Would you like to monitor temps throughout the cook without having to keep going out to the grill? This is exactly why the Smoke X from Thermoworks is in the BBQ Holiday Gift Guide. You can monitor temps the entire time and the Bluetooth enabled remote has powerful range of up to a mile! Granted, that’s with no obstacles in the way. But still strong enough to walk around your house or go to a neighbor’s house with.
High-temp Gloves
If you can’t take the heat, then get yourself some high-temp gloves! I use my high-temp gloves all the time for handling hot trays, hot meat, hot grills, and even hot coals. Regardless of which type of grill you own, these gloves are quite handy (no pun intended. Sorta).
BBQ Skewers
Sometimes you want to grill meat and veggies on a stick, right? Don’t just get any skewers. I recommend getting flat, metal skewers because that way, the meat and veggies won’t spin around and you can get a more even cook.
Bristle-free Grill Brush
The more you use your grill, the more you will need to clean it. A grill brush is a must-have and while you could use any ordinary grill brush, beware of the health hazards that can come from using grill brushes with loose bristles. Because of this, I recommend using a bristle-free grill brush.
ACCESSORIES
YETI Hopper Cooler by Kingsford
Having an extra insulated cooler is not only great for keeping your beverages cold for days, but also for keeping your BBQ warm for hours. This travel cooler is perfect for doing both! It has a shoulder strap for easier carrying to your next tailgate, picnic, etc.
Rotisserie Attachment
Want another way to cook on your grill? Give the rotisserie a try! There’s something about spinning meat over hot coals and having it baste in it’s own juices that makes it taste better. I love using the rotisserie for whole chicken, picanha, and even pineapple. NOTE: while the header link is for a rotisserie attachment for ceramic grills, there’s also one for the classic Weber Kettle.
Cutting Board
Cutting boards are a must-have for anyone who cooks in general. Having a quality cutting board that will last through years of cuts and washes is also helpful.
YETI Rambler
Gotta have an ice cold beverage, or hot one, by your side when you BBQ, right? With double-walled vacuum insulation and a no-sweat exterior, this Kingsford YETI rambler is the perfect companion for any gathering around the grill.
MISC. MUST-HAVES
BBQ Hoodie
If you BBQ year-round like me, dressing for the warm weather is a must. I love wearing hoodies and this zip-up hoodie from Kingsford is super comfy and very convenient to put on and take off for the many times I’m in and out of my house while grilling. They also make a women’s hoodie that has become Mrs. Learningtosmoke’s new favorite. These reasons make this a must for my BBQ Holiday Gift Guide.
BBQ Cookbooks
While I hope you enjoy the recipes you find here on my blog, I have friends in the industry that have mad skills, too. For example, my friends Sean Martin and Mary Cressler of Vindulge.com recently released a cookbook called Fire & Wine and it is full of excellent grilling recipes and wine pairings.
Another friend of mine, Susie Bulloch from Heygrillhey.com has a couple of e-books you can get from her website.
While we’re at it, my buddy Matt Eads from Grillseeker.com has a cookbook that has a variety of mains, sides, and desserts. You can check it out HERE.
BBQ Butcher Paper
If you’ve ever been to a legit BBQ joint, then you’ve most likely seen this brownish, pinkish paper they use to wrap their meats in and line their trays with (and some places use it for writing their menus on, too). The advantage to using this waxless pink butcher paper for smoking meats like brisket and pork butt is it helps trap some heat to help the meat cook faster, but allows for air flow (unlike foil) so the meat can breathe a little and not get soggy while wrapped. Also, it’s cool to have that look and feel of a BBQ joint because, in a way, you’re backyard is your very own BBQ joint.
Omaha Steaks
There are a variety of meat delivery companies out there, but Omaha Steaks is the standard and has been around for over 100 years. They offer a wide variety of beef, pork, poultry, seafood, sides, and desserts. Not only that, but they have different qualities of beef for every budget. I’ve been using them for a while now and love their Private Reserve steaks and bacon-wrapped chicken breasts.
Kingsford “Dad Hat”
Whether you’re a dad or not, bald or full of flow, man or woman, it doesn’t matter. This quintessential dad hat from Kingsford is styling! Also, it helps keep the sun out of your eyes, so added bonus there. It pairs perfectly well the matching sweatshirt as seen in the picture above.
Thanks for checking out this BBQ holiday gift guide! Now gear up, get out there and grill!
