Ultimate BBQ setup: 11 grilling gadgets to get your party started

Ultimate BBQ setup: 11 grilling gadgets to get your party started

Putting on the perfect barbecue isn’t just about the weather. With these BBQ gadgets on your side, people will be talking about your shindig for many summers to come.

Everdure Cube (£149)

You can’t do much barbecuing without a BBQ, can you? The Everdure range might have culinary crusader Heston Blumenthal’s name slapped on it but that doesn’t mean it only cooks snail porridge or testicle curry. The portable Cube has a porcelain enamel firebox to fill with coals but has chrome handles that remain cool when it’s in use, plus the top doubles as a bamboo prep board and underneath there’s a storage tray.

Looftlighter (£55)

It might look like a gigantic curling tong but the last thing you should do with a Looftlighter is put it anywhere near your hair. Touch the end against your unlit coals and the super-heated air being pumped through the Looftlighter will make them start to glow. Pull it away slightly and after 60 seconds your barbecue will be lit. Your days of nasty artificial firelighters and shouting at stone cold charcoal will be well and truly behind you.

BBQ Dragon (£54)

Want something that works hands-free? The BBQ Dragon is a battery powered fan that clamps to the edge of your barbie and gently blows air onto the coals. If you’ve ever cultivated a campfire you’ll know exactly what effect that has: it burns hotter and faster so you’re ready to cook in no time. You can even use it to extend cooking time when things are starting to die out.

Meater (£79)

For a lot of people the uncertainty of cooking raw meat over flames is part of the barbecue experience, but if you want to ensure your steak is done to absolute perfection, you might want to invest in a Meater. This stainless steel thermometer has two separate sensors: one for inside your meat, the other for the ambient temperature on the grill. It connects to your phone over Bluetooth and the app will give you an estimated cooking time based on how well you want it done.

KitSound Diggit (£40)

Like a hotdog without mustard and ketchup, a barbecue without music just isn’t the same. But don’t just play it out loud from your phone, get a specialist in for the job. KitSound’s Diggit isn’t going to knock your sausages off the barbie with its bass but the chassis is splashproof (aka resistant to the great British summer) and it comes with a detachable stake (not that kind) so you can stick it in the ground.

Fuego Element F21C (£300)

Looking for something a little different? Something that ideally looks a little like a dalek and doesn’t require any messing about lighting coals? The gas-powered Element F21C was designed by a former Apple employee, so it looks suitably stylish and with casters on the bottom it’s easy to wheel around. Despite its small footprint there’s a nice big grilling surface on top, so nobody will have to go hungry. Not even Android fans.

Weber iGrill 2 (£90)

Need a meat monitor that can cope with cooking more than one cut at a time? Weber’s iGrill 2 comes with two probes but has the capacity to attach two more. Insert each one into your meat, set the desired doneness and it’ll ping your phone when each one is ready to eat. Lovely jubbly.

Char-Broil LED Grill Handle Light (£23)

It’s getting dark, so everyone has retreated indoors, but some of the sausages aren’t done yet. Guess who’s left outside to finish them off? That’s right, it’s you, but you don’t have to do it in total darkness. If your barbecue has a lid with a handle this LED lamp from Char-Broil can be attached to it in order to shed some light on the cooking situation.

Grillbot (£80)

You’ve got a robot vacuum cleaner and a voice assistant to turn your lights on and off, why not get a little help to clean up the grill too? Grillbot isn’t exactly high tech but it will take a bit of the strain off you. Its three electric motors drive a set of wire brushes, so all you have to do is set it running, stick it on the grill and close the lid. It’ll skitter around for 30 mins scrubbing off the dirt and grease, leaving you with a much cleaner grill.

Asado Barbecue Backpack (£20)

Taking this BBQ business on the road? Unfortunately the Asado Barbecue Backpack doesn’t allow you to cook your lunch as you walk, but when you find a spot that’s safe to light up, it includes everything you need to get a barbie going: a disposable grill and tools, plus it’s lined like a cool bag so it keeps your food fresh until arrival.

Disc Jock-E (£27.99)

What better way to work up an appetite than with a game of frisbee? How about a game of musical frisbee? The fantastically named Disc Jock-E looks like a standard frisbee but pay closer attention and you’ll see music playback buttons in the middle. That’s because it has a speaker and Bluetooth built-in, so you can connect your phone and play music while you chuck it about.