Over the years I’ve tried a lot of different BBQ gear — some of it great, some of it not so much. These are the tools I actually reach for every time I fire up the pit. I use every single item on this list regularly, and they’ve all earned their spot in my rotation. These are the exact tools sitting in my garage right now — nothing here is here because of a sponsorship deal.
Heads up: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I actually use and trust.
🔥 New to BBQ? Start here. These cover 90% of your cooks right out of the gate:
- ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE: the first thing I’d buy. Fast, accurate temps on everything.
- Pit Boss Competition Blend Pellets: the pellets I run 90% of the time.
- Meat Church The Gospel: if you only buy one rub, make it this one.
- Inkbird IBBQ-4T: once you start doing long cooks, so you’re not babysitting the pit.
If you’re just getting started, you don’t need everything here. But if you’re looking to upgrade your setup or fill in a gap, these are the tools that make BBQ easier, more consistent, and way more enjoyable.
Smokers & Grills
Pit Boss 440 Mahogany Series Pellet Smoker
This is my workhorse. My Pit Boss 440 Mahogany is reliable, holds temperature well, and doesn’t break the bank. The 5 lb hopper is on the small side, so I top it off during long cooks, but the temperature control is solid once you get familiar with it. I’ve done everything from brisket to wings on this thing, and it hasn’t let me down.
Like any pellet grill, it needs a little upkeep to stay that way. Here’s how I clean my Pit Boss (with a printable maintenance schedule), and if you ever see an ErH error code, here’s what it means and how to fix it.
If you’re new to pellet smokers, Pit Boss is a great entry point without the premium price tag of some other brands.
Blackstone 36″ Flat Top Griddle
When I want a big, screaming-hot cooking surface, I fire up my 36-inch, 4-burner Blackstone with a hood. It’s what I use for smash burgers, and more flat top recipes are on the way.
Pellets & Fuel
Pit Boss Competition Blend Pellets
These are the pellets I run in my smoker 90% of the time. They’re a hickory-maple-cherry blend that gives balanced smoke flavor without being too heavy. Easy to find in stores, burn clean, and produce consistent results.
I’ve tried a bunch of different pellet brands and keep coming back to these. They’re what I ran on my smoked brisket.
Flat Top Gear
Blackstone Smash Burger Kit
If you make smash burgers, get this. I’ve used this kit more times than I can count for my smash burgers, and it makes them easy.
Uniflasy Flat Top Griddle Insert
No flat top? This insert sits on your regular grill and turns it into one. It’s what I used before I got my Blackstone, including for my first smash burgers.
Level-Up Gear
Hexagon Stainless Pellet Smoke Tube
This is one of those tools that punches way above its price point. If you’ve got a gas grill and want to add real smoke flavor, this smoke tube is your answer. Just fill it with pellets, light it, and let it smoke for hours.
Even if you already have a pellet smoker, a smoke tube is great for cranking up the smoke flavor on lighter woods or shorter cooks. I use mine when I want a heavier smoke profile without switching out all my pellets.
Simple, effective, and costs less than a bag of charcoal.
Thermometers
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE Instant-Read Thermometer
This is hands-down the most-used tool in my arsenal. Accurate, fast, and built to last. Whether I’m checking the thickest part of a brisket or making sure chicken hits 165°F, the Thermapen ONE gives me a read in about a second.
If you don’t have a good instant-read thermometer yet, this is the first thing you should buy. On a tighter budget? I compare cheaper options in my Best BBQ Thermometers guide.
Inkbird IBBQ-4T Wi-Fi Thermometer
Game changer for long cooks. I can monitor my smoker temp and meat temp from inside the house without opening the lid every 20 minutes. The range is solid, the probes are accurate, and it saves me from babysitting the pit all day.
If you do a lot of low-and-slow cooking, a Wi-Fi thermometer like this one is worth every penny. Pair it with my meat doneness temperature guide and you’ll know exactly when to pull every cut.
Tools & Accessories
ANBOSON Nitrile BBQ Gloves with Cotton Liners
I used to go through cheap oven mitts like crazy until I switched to these: heavy-duty nitrile gloves with cotton liners underneath. The liners take the edge off the heat, the nitrile keeps grease and sauce off your hands, and the grip is way better than any mitt. I use them for pulling pork, moving ribs, and handling hot meat straight off the smoker. Just know they’re for hot meat, not hot grates or cast iron. For those, grab a real grill glove.
Once you use gloves like these, you won’t go back to mitts.
SimCoker Heavy-Duty Poultry Shears
Essential for spatchcocking chicken or cutting through rib racks. These shears are sharp, sturdy, and make trimming way easier than trying to wrestle with a knife. I also use them for trimming brisket fat and cutting bacon into smaller pieces.
Good shears are one of those tools you don’t realize you need until you have them.
Stainless Steel Meat Injector
For brisket, pork butts, and turkey, an injector adds moisture and flavor deep into the meat where a rub can’t reach. I use it for beef broth injections on brisket and butter injections on turkey. The stainless steel needle is easy to clean and doesn’t clog easily.
Not a must-have for beginners, but if you’re serious about taking your BBQ to the next level, this is a solid upgrade.
Gorilla Grip Meat Claws
If you’ve ever tried shredding a pork butt or a whole chicken with two forks, you know how much of a pain it is. Meat claws make the job about 10 times faster and way easier. They’re also great for lifting big cuts of meat off the grill without tearing them apart.
Once you use these, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without them.
HOTEC Silicone Basting Brush
I’ve gone through a bunch of cheap brushes that either melted on the grill or fell apart after a few uses. Silicone brushes hold up to high heat, don’t shed bristles into your food, and clean up easily.
I use mine for brushing on BBQ sauce, butter, or marinades — especially during the last stages of cooking when you want a nice glaze.
Black Wire Grill Rack (16″ x 10″)
This is one of those simple tools that makes a huge difference. I use this rack when I’m cooking smaller items like wings, drumsticks, or chicken thighs on the smoker. Instead of dealing with pieces stuck to the grill grates or falling through, everything sits on the rack and you can grab the whole thing at once.
It’s also great for getting air circulation under the meat for more even cooking and better bark. Easy to clean, and way easier than trying to flip 20 individual wings with tongs.
If you cook a lot of chicken parts or smaller cuts, this is a cheap upgrade that’ll save you a ton of hassle.
Pit Boss 15″ Pizza Stone
Yeah, you can make pizza on your smoker — and it’s awesome. A pizza stone gives you a crispy crust and even heat distribution, whether you’re doing flatbreads, homemade pizza, or even baking bread on the grill.
I use mine more than I thought I would, even for my smoked meatloaf. If you’re looking to expand what you can do on your smoker or grill, this is a fun addition.
FoodSaver FM2100 Vacuum Sealer
This isn’t BBQ-specific, but it’s a game changer for meal prep and storage. After a big cook, I’ll vacuum seal portions of brisket, pulled pork, or ribs and freeze them. They stay fresh way longer, and there’s no freezer burn.
Also great for marinating — you can vacuum seal meat with a marinade and it’ll penetrate way faster than just sitting in a bag.
If you’re doing batch cooks or meal prepping, a vacuum sealer pays for itself fast.
Pink Butcher Paper
Brisket is the big one for me, but butcher paper works for wrapping pork butts and other long cooks too. See it in action on my smoked brisket.
GRILLART Grill Brush & Scraper
This is the combo tool from my Pit Boss cleaning guide: stiff bristles and a scraper blade on the same head. Spend a few dollars on a decent one, it makes a real difference.
Sauces
Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
Making your own BBQ sauce is fun, but when I don’t have time, Sweet Baby Ray’s is my go-to. It shows up on a lot of my recipes, like my baby back ribs and pulled pork.
Rubs & Seasonings
I’m a rub addict. My wife will tell you I have way too many — they take up an entire cabinet in our kitchen, and she’s not wrong. I love trying new blends, testing out different flavor profiles, and experimenting with what works on different cuts of meat.
That said, the three Meat Church rubs below are the ones I reach for most often. They’re reliable, they’re versatile, and they deliver every time. If you’re just getting started or you want to simplify your setup, these three will cover 90% of what you need.
Meat Church The Gospel Rub
This is my go-to all-purpose rub. It works on chicken, pork, beef, ribs — basically everything. Good balance of savory and sweet with just a touch of heat. I keep a shaker of The Gospel on hand at all times and use it more than any other rub in my arsenal.
If you’re only buying one rub to start, this is the one.
Meat Church Honey Hog Rub
Sweet, savory, and perfect for pork. I use Honey Hog on ribs, pork chops, and pork butts. The honey flavor comes through without being overwhelming, and it creates a killer bark on low-and-slow cooks.
If you do a lot of pork BBQ, this one’s a must-have. It’s on my baby back ribs, bourbon brown sugar pulled pork, and country style rib burnt ends.
Meat Church Holy Cow Rub
This is my brisket rub. Bold, beefy, and built for beef. Holy Cow is a little more aggressive than The Gospel, which is exactly what you want on a big piece of meat that’s going to cook for 12+ hours. Also great on steaks.
If you’re smoking brisket or reverse-searing ribeyes, this is the rub you want. You can see it in action on my smoked brisket and smoked meatloaf.
Other rubs in my cabinet: Beyond the Meat Church trio, two more I reach for all the time: Heath Riles Competition BBQ Rub, my everyday rub for just about anything, and Fire & Smoke Society Fishmonger for seafood like my honey citrus glazed salmon and garlic butter shrimp.
BBQ Subscriptions
Grill Masters Club
If you want a fun way to discover new rubs, sauces, and ingredients you’d never pick off a shelf yourself, Grill Masters Club is worth checking out. Each month you get a curated box of grilling products plus a recipe card to put them to use. I’ve been a subscriber and it’s one of those things that consistently surprises me — in a good way.
It also makes a great gift for the BBQ lover in your life who already has all the gear.
👉 Check Out Grill Masters Club
Final Thoughts
You don’t need every piece of gear on this list to make great BBQ — but these are the tools that have made my cooks easier, more consistent, and more fun over the years. Start with the essentials (a good thermometer and solid rubs), then build out your setup as you go.
If you have questions about any of this gear or want to know how I use something, feel free to reach out through the Contact page.
🔥 Fire up the pit, and let’s grill and chill.