My Favorite Smoking and Cooking Tools

A brisket knife I still use

Mairico 11-Inch Brisket Slicing Knife

This is a brisket knife I own, still use and like. A long slicing knife is handy when it’s time to turn a finished brisket into slices, and this one has earned its place among my cooking tools.

• 11-inch blade: a long cutting edge for slicing brisket and other roasts.
• Stainless steel blade: with a scalloped edge and rounded tip.
• Carving versatility: useful for slicing turkey, ham and cooked meats.

Get your charcoal started

Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter

A chimney starter keeps lighting charcoal straightforward, whether you’re getting a smoker going or preparing briquettes for Dutch oven cooking. Light the starter underneath, let the charcoal catch, then pour it where you need it.

• Charcoal lighting: starts a batch of charcoal without lighter fluid.
• Vented metal body: lets air move through the charcoal as it lights.
• Two handles: help control the pour; wear heat resistant gloves.

A useful pan and rack setup

P&P Chef Stainless Steel Pans with Racks

A pan and rack combination is useful for carrying food to the smoker, keeping smaller pieces together and catching drippings. The removable racks also give you a place to rest or cool food after the cook.

• Stainless steel construction: pans and removable wire racks.
• Four-piece set: two pans and two racks.
• Raised cooking surface: the racks lift food above the bottom of the pans.

A pellet blend I use often

CookinPellets Perfect Mix

CookinPellets Perfect Mix is a pellet blend I’ve recommended on the website for years. It combines four hardwoods in one bag, giving you a convenient blend for pellet smoker cooking.

• Four hardwoods: hickory, cherry, hard maple and apple.
• 40-pound bag: fuel for your pellet grill or smoker.
• Hardwood blend: the bag identifies no oak or alder fillers.

Add a separate source of smoke

LIZZQ 12-Inch Pellet Smoke Tube

A pellet tube gives you another way to generate smoke inside an outdoor grill or smoker. Fill it with smoking pellets and follow the lighting instructions, leaving enough airflow for the pellets to keep smoldering.

• 12-inch tube: holds pellets for a separate source of smoke.
• Perforated stainless steel: lets air reach the smoldering pellets.
• Hexagonal shape: helps keep the tube from rolling on the grate.

A helper for hot cast iron

Lodge Camp Dutch Oven Lid Lifter

A lid lifter belongs alongside a camp Dutch oven, especially when you’re cooking with briquettes on the lid. It gives you a way to lift the lid by its handle while keeping your hands farther from the hot cast iron.

• Hooked end: catches the Dutch oven lid handle.
• Crossbar: helps steady the lid while lifting.
• Steel construction: a simple tool for camp Dutch oven cooking.

For the pulled pork stage

Bear Paws Meat Shredding Claws

Once a pork butt is tender enough to pull, a pair of meat claws gives you a way to hold the meat and pull it apart. They’re also handy for steadying a roast while you work, without handling the meat directly.

• Paired claws: use one to hold the meat and the other to shred.
• Nylon construction: lightweight handles with pointed shredding teeth.
• Large hand grips: give you room to hold each claw.

Four timers, one easy-to-read display

ThermoWorks TimeStack Timer

I have the yellow TimeStack and use it all the time, both outdoors and in the kitchen. The magnets on the back let me stick it to the refrigerator or the side of my pellet hopper, and all four timers stay visible so I can keep track of three or four things at once.

• Four independent timers: run separate countdowns or count up, with large backlit digits you can see at a glance.
• Direct-entry numeric keypad: enter the time you want instead of holding a button while the numbers scroll.
• Distinct alarms or recorded voice alerts: identify which timer finished, with adjustable volume for your kitchen.

A straightforward electric option

Masterbuilt 30-Inch Digital Electric Smoker

I like Masterbuilt’s electric smokers, and this 30-inch model is a straightforward option for backyard smoking. The electric element supplies the heat while wood chips supply the smoke, with digital controls for setting your cooking temperature and time.

• Digital controls up to 275°F (135°C): set your temperature and cooking time without tending a charcoal fire.
• Side wood chip loader: add more wood chips without opening the main door and letting heat escape.
• Four racks and 710 square inches: multiple cooking levels in a compact vertical cabinet.

A charcoal smoker I recommend

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker, 22-Inch

The 22-inch Weber Smokey Mountain is one of the charcoal smokers I like. If you enjoy cooking with charcoal and wood, it gives you room to work on two levels, with adjustable vents that put you in charge of the fire.

• Two cooking grates and 726 square inches: room for multiple cuts without needing a wide cooker.
• Adjustable dampers: manage airflow to raise or lower the cooking temperature.
• Removable front fuel door: add charcoal or wood without lifting off the cooking section.

My go-to for several cuts at once

ThermoWorks RFX Four-Probe Wireless Set

I have the four-probe RFX set and use it all the time. The connection has been really reliable for me, and I can check the temperatures on my phone while each piece of meat cooks at its own pace. Even with four steaks on the grill, I can keep track of every one individually without running probe wires out under the lid.

• Four wireless meat probes: monitor four steaks, roasts or other cuts individually instead of guessing from just one.
• Long-range radio connection: rated up to 1,500 feet line of sight from probe to Gateway; walls and other obstacles reduce range.
• Temperatures and alerts on your phone: the Gateway sends readings to the ThermoWorks app, so you can follow each cook and set temperature alerts.

The link opens the four-probe set I use; one-, two- and six-probe kits are also available.

New model · On my list to try

ThermoWorks Thermapen NANO

I’ve been working with ThermoWorks since 2013, and their gear has earned my trust over the years. This is the one I want to get my hands on soon. The NANO brings 0.4-second readings and built-in magnetic storage to the familiar folding-probe design.

• 0.4-second readings: check temperatures quickly when working over a hot grill.
• 300% brighter backlight: compared with the ONE, with a rotating display for reading at different angles.
• Built-in rear magnets: keep it close by on a suitable magnetic surface.

The instant-read thermometer I use

ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE

This is the instant-read thermometer I use. A quick reading lets you check several pieces of meat and get the smoker closed again instead of waiting over the heat for the numbers to settle.

• One second or less: ThermoWorks’ rated response time for a full reading.
• Precise where it counts: ±0.5°F (±0.3°C) accuracy from -4 to 248°F (-20 to 120°C).
• IP67 waterproof body: built for splashes and cleanup around the kitchen or smoker.

One of my favorite remote thermometers

ThermoWorks Smoke Remote Thermometer

This is one of my favorite remote thermometers because it’s easy to set up and, in my experience, it just works every time. The base stays by the smoker or grill while I keep the little receiver with me. For those of us 55 and older, those big numbers are a lot easier to read at a glance, and I appreciate being able to check the cook without connecting anything to my phone.

• Dedicated radio connection: uses 2.4 GHz radio to its handheld receiver, without Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a phone app to set up.
• Two probe channels: watch the meat and smoker temperatures at the same time, with high and low alarms.
• Up to 300 feet of range: ThermoWorks’ line-of-sight rating; walls and other obstacles can reduce the distance.

HexClad Hybrid BBQ Grill Pan, 12-inch

For vegetables, shrimp and other small pieces that can slip through the grates, this pan keeps the food together while letting the grill do its work.

• Perforated cooking surface: lets heat and smoke reach smaller ingredients without losing them through the grill grates.
• Tri-ply construction: an aluminum core spreads heat across the cooking surface.
• Metal-utensil and dishwasher safe: use your grilling tools, then simplify cleanup.

HexClad Hybrid BBQ Grill Topper, 16-inch

Choose the topper when you want more room to spread food out and turn it easily. It gives you a wide cooking surface for vegetables, seafood and kebabs.

• 16-by-16-inch surface: more room for cooking a larger batch.
• Perforated, flat design: allows heat circulation while keeping smaller foods above the grates.
• Hybrid cooking surface: stainless-steel ridges with ceramic nonstick valleys; metal-utensil and dishwasher safe.

The cookware set I own

HexClad 12-Piece Hybrid Pots & Pans Set

This is the HexClad set I have. It brings the everyday frying pans and deeper pots together, so you have a useful range for searing meat, making sides and simmering a pot of soup.

• Three frying pans with lids: 8-, 10- and 12-inch sizes cover smaller meals and bigger batches.
• Three pots with lids: 2- and 3-quart saucepans plus an 8-quart stockpot.
• Tri-ply construction: an aluminum core helps distribute heat; the cookware is metal-utensil and dishwasher safe.

The smaller frying-pan set

HexClad 6-Piece Hybrid Fry Pan Set with Lids

If you want the frying pans without buying the full pots-and-pans collection, this is the smaller set to look at. The six pieces are three pans and their matching lids.

• 8-, 10- and 12-inch frying pans: choose a size that suits the meal instead of crowding one pan.
• Three tempered-glass lids: vented lids let you follow the cook and are oven-safe to 400°F.
• Hybrid cooking surface: stainless-steel ridges with ceramic nonstick valleys; the pans are metal-utensil and dishwasher safe.

One we use all the time

HexClad Hybrid Double Burner Griddle

We have this griddle and use it all the time across two burners on the stove inside the house. That extra room is handy when you want several things cooking at once instead of working through one small pan at a time.

• Spans two stovetop burners: turns two burners into one larger, flat cooking area.
• 19.4 by 12.4 inches overall: room for a bigger breakfast or a batch of burgers.
• Oven-safe to 900°F: metal-utensil and dishwasher safe, with an aluminum core for heat distribution.

My wider camp oven

Lodge 12-Inch Standard Camp Dutch Oven

This is my 12-inch, 6-quart standard camp Dutch oven, the wider and shallower of my two Lodge ovens. That wider cooking area makes it a useful choice for biscuits, cobblers and other outdoor baking, and it’s the oven I’ve chosen for our beginner baking tests.

• 12-inch diameter and 6-quart capacity: a wider pot when you want more room across the bottom.
• Camp cooking design: legs raise the pot above the coals, while the rimmed lid holds coals on top for heat from both directions.
• Made in the USA and already seasoned: cast iron retains heat well and comes seasoned with vegetable oil.

My deep camp oven

Lodge 10-Inch Deep Camp Dutch Oven

This is my 10-inch, 5-quart deep camp Dutch oven. I like having a deeper pot alongside the wider 12-inch oven, especially for dishes with more liquid, and this is the one I’ve chosen for our stew and braise tests.

• 10-inch diameter and 5-quart capacity: the deep design gives you room for soups, stews and braises in a smaller footprint.
• Built for cooking over coals: integral legs support the pot, and the rimmed lid lets you add heat from above.
• Seasoned cast iron, made in the USA: holds heat well and arrives seasoned with vegetable oil.