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The modern kitchen, with its precision instruments and computer-aided appliances, is a marvel. But something is energizing about the primitive pleasure of cooking over an open flame. I got hooked early, as I watched my dad work our family’s Weber kettle in the Virginia suburbs back when I was a kid. That interest really ignited when my mom taught our Cub Scout troop how to make a grill out of an overturned coffee can stuffed with twigs.
So at this time of year, when the evening air warms, I take the covers off my dueling Weber charcoal and gas grills and break out the accessories for the outdoor cooking season.
I’ll take a look at some tools of the trade that make grilling so fun and rewarding. I took stock of my own experience and also spoke with some grill-addicted friends. Among us, we have years working amid the flames, and this article takes stock of what wisdom has shaken out after all that time.
It’s a curated list of some must-have items for starting fires, controlling heat, adding flavor, managing your grill and cleaning up. There are hundreds (probably thousands) of grilling accessories out there, but I’ve focused on time-tested fundamentals from which to start — or modify — your own grilling journey.
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