These Are the Kitchen and Grilling Tools You Need for Summer

If you're looking for easy living this summer, that should include cooking and prep work. These brilliant gadgets make easy work of the grill and dinner prep.

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May 15, 2023

If you’re planning on throwing any summer get-togethers this season (or just looking forward to eating a weeknight dinner outside by the grill), there are some things you can get your hands on that will make serving and prep incredibly easy to do. When it comes to the grill, there’s so much room for error: is the temperature right? Is the grill clean? How do I flip this burger when I’m balancing two plates and a beer? Of course, the kitchen has a set of its own issues — most of them involving how to cut fruit and seasonal fresh produce without having to take a quick trip to the ER. To prevent all of those summer mishaps, we’ve rounded up the best things to add to your cart that will make things smooth sailing during the chillest time of the year.

The Best Grill Accessories

When it comes to the grill, what makes life easier than a wireless grilling thermometer that sends an alert to your phone when the steak or burger is at a perfect medium rare? Well, a few things, like a saucepan with a baster attachment, a grill cleaner that only requires steam to work and a cutting board with prep bowls right underneath. These and other picks will make you a grill master by June.

$69.95

If you're an avid griller, this is the type of tool you're going to love: it's a completely wire-free grilling probe that connects to your phone and allows you to monitor the temp of your food. It also has two sensors, so it will also monitor the ambient temperature of the grill itself. The app also helps you adjust your cook to the perfect temperature and will allow you to customize alerts and notifications, too. The wireless range is 33 feet, the probe is dishwasher-safe and you can buy additional probes if you're interested in cooking multiple proteins at once.

$54.95

Created by a firefighter with the hopes that there will be fewer grill-related injuries during the summer (believe it or not, it's actually more common than you think to accidentally ingest a grill bristle, landing people in the ER), this brush is bristle-free and uses steam to get everything sparkling clean. Made with heat-retardant foam and wrapped in a Kevlar layer, simply preheat the grill to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, turn it off, dip the brush in water and clean away. It's dishwasher-safe, has a scraper at the tip for tough grime and the brand sells replacement heads. Plus, a portion of the proceeds goes to the fire and military foundations.

$56.99 $48.44

This sturdy bamboo cutting board will help you prep or cut meat and vegetables right by your grill so you don't have to keep running back and forth from the kitchen. It's got grooves for catching the juice and sturdy handles for easy transport. What makes this unique, however, is the stainless steel bowls that easily slide underneath the board for easy cleaning and prep work.

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The Best Kitchen Accessories

Avocados, watermelon, pico de gallo, ice cream, popsicles and fresh berries: these are the unofficial foods of the summer, and some of the fussiest to prepare homemade. Enter these tools. From a knife made to easily cut through melons (and made from Japanese stainless steel) to a container that keeps your berries fresh for longer, there are plenty of products here that will make being in the kitchen easy and fun.

$21.95

This ultra-sharp (and ultra-cute) knife is made of Japanese stainless steel and has a silicone-based coating to easily and quickly slice through watermelon and other summer produce. It has a comfortable, ergonomic handle and it's dishwasher-safe, too. One five-star reviewer writes: "I wasn’t sure what to expect but this melon knife is the BOMB. I no longer have any issue cutting up large watermelons."

$179.99

This compact, easy-to-use machine by Ninja makes easy smoothie bowl bases, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, gelato and more. With seven pre-set programs that allow you to simply press a button and make a treat, it's a great way to experiment with flavors or choose the ingredients you prefer. There's even an option for mix-ins, allowing you to create your own milkshakes or flavored ice creams, too.

$35.97

Yes, this is a bit funny looking, but if you love making tacos, chicken salad or other poultry dishes all summer long, then it's a must-have kitchen gadget. Place your chicken in the grinder and manually twist it to instantly shred it — and it works for other meats and vegetables, too. (Try it with pork.) It's also BPA-free and dishwasher-safe and will save you major time in the kitchen.

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