BBQ Accessories Buying Guide

An optional necessity, barbecue covers keep your unit safe from the elements, usually made from vinyl or heavy-duty PVC. The fitted covers are designed to rest snugly on top of your BBQ, so you’ll receive the best protection possible. It doesn’t matter whether you have a compact, portable BBQ, a freestanding model, or a built-in kitchen, you should purchase a cover to protect it from the rigours of the Australian climate. The main consideration when looking at covers is to ensure the cover is designed to comfortably fit your model.  

Available for most barbecues, BBQ Trolleys, Stands, or Carts can place your barbecue within easy reach for comfortable grilling or smoking. Most stands will also feature side shelves on either side of the cooking surface for food preparation and utensil storage, as well as additional storage on the bottom of the cart. Depending on the size and style of the trolley, stand, or cart, the amount of storage will differ, with some models able to accommodate full LPG gas bottles. Stands and trolleys are great for not only tidying up your backyard barbecue area but can be ideal for picnics and outings where you may not have anywhere to place the physical barbecue unit.

Elevating your food above the grill surface, warming racks help keep your meats and veggies warm while you finish off the rest of the cooking. Warming racks can also be great for toasting burger buns without subjecting them to the direct heat of the grill surface. After all, a burger isn’t complete without a nicely toasted bun. 

If you’re going to be barbecuing for any length of time, you’re going to need the right tools, in many cases the specific barbecue utensils have been optimised for their particular job. The cooking utensils are constructed from durable materials, able to withstand the higher temperatures of charcoal and LPG barbecues, as well as being easier to use when grilling or smoking. Barbecue tongs, for example, are generally longer than their kitchen counterparts, able to handle food from further away as well as reaching into the interior of the barbecue and moving coal. Stick to the staples such as spatulas and tongs or add basting brushes, sauce mops, and carving forks. 

If roasting is more your speed consider a rotisserie, not only a fantastic way of evenly slow-roasting your food, it also frees up space within the barbecue itself. Usually reserved for larger barbecues such as the Napoleon Five Burner, rotisserie kits allow you to achieve mouthwatering roasts imparted with the classic barbecue flavour. If you still want to enjoy the experience and flavour of rotisserie cooking with a smaller barbecue, there’s even a specialised kit for rotisserie cooking on a 57 Centimetre Weber Kettle.

Of course, if you plan on doing a lot of rotisserie cooking, you can even consider a barbecue designed around that type of cooking, such as the Everdure by Heston Blumenthal Hub Charcoal BBQ.

Anything your oven and cooktop can do so can your barbecue, all you need are the right tools. With an assortment of pans and dishes from cast iron skillets, frying pans, baking trays, and even casserole dishes, you can create delicious barbecued meals or scrumptious desserts with ease. If you want a complete all-in-one unit, Weber has incorporated a Q Ware Casserole Dish and Frying Pan in one pack, complete with an interchangeable handle and heat-proof silicone mat. 

Much like a BBQ cover protects your barbecue from the elements, aprons, gloves, and mitts protect you from your BBQ. Designed to withstand high temperatures, barbecue gloves allow you to get closer to your food or charcoal without the risk of burning your hands. The main consideration when looking at purchasing gloves or mitts is that they fit comfortably and cover your wrists for added protection.

Aprons are just as important, particularly if you don’t want to accumulate stains on your clothing. Spitting fat, dripping sauces, or dropping whole cuts of meat can quickly turn one of your favourite shirts from a fashion statement to a faux pas. Aprons, such as the Everdure by Heston Blumenthal BBQ Apron, are usually composed of durable materials and often feature front pockets for the storage of cooking utensils. 

Particularly good if you’re just starting out with barbecue cooking or don’t want to have to keep track of your cooking time, thermometers and probes provide an accurate temperature reading of the interior of your meat. With a range of instant thermometers and probes, great for quick checks, to probes designed to monitor your food over the entire cooking process, grilling your meat to the optimal temperature is effortless.

For a smarter touch, consider the Weber iGrill, not only providing a readout on the convenient LCD screen but able to be monitored from your smartphone with the handy iGrill app, linking to the probes via Bluetooth.

Depending on your type and brand of barbecue, you may be able to add some additional plates or cooking surfaces designed for a large array of different food types. At the base level, you may be looking for flat plates to cook bacon and eggs, vegetables, rice, and more, or different types of grill plates, such as the Weber Hinged Cooking Grill which allows easy access to the charcoal baskets. Much like the covers and stands it’s important to note the size of the hot plates themselves to ensure they will fit on your barbecue.

Want to cook up some delicious veggies or chips on the grill? Look into Stainless Steel Grill Baskets or grill pans and infuse your favourite produce with an unmistakable BBQ flavour. What about creating a delicious barbecued pizza? With durable pizza stones and trays such as those from Weber and Beefeater, you can enjoy an all new flavour experience.

If roast meat, kebabs, or racks of ribs are more your style, there’s an accessory just for that, with a Reversible Rib and Roast Holder and Stainless Steel Kabob Set from Weber, great for keeping everyone well-fed. 

One of the prime reasons for using a smoker is the unique flavour it can impart into your food as it cooks. This comes down to what fuel you decide to use, whether it be wood chips, wood chunks, or charcoal, each imbuing your food with a different delicious flavour.

Wood chips are great for quicker cooks due to their smaller size, burning rapidly and giving off plenty of smoke. Wood chunks are larger in size than their counterparts, designed for longer cooking times or larger cuts of meat, such as ribs or roasts. After all, you want to give the smoke as much time as possible to infuse into the meat. Wood Pellets are made from compressed sawdust and burn hotter and slower than wood chips, ideal for those longer low n’ slow cooks.

You don’t need to incorporate wood chips, chunks, or pellets into your charcoal grilling routine, able to create mouthwatering dishes with just charcoal. Charcoal cooking imparts an unmistakable smoky flavour that you can only accomplish on a great smoker.