Cookerati

We’re not Grill Masters yet.  We’re working on it, slowly trying to improve our technique.  We saw some classes we wanted to try, but we had conflicts (probably track) and couldn’t go.  I watch Bobby Flay and the others when I can (Alton too) to learn and we’re getting better.  Our grilled chicken was really delicious.  I love that the grill doesn’t heat up the kitchen – someday I’d like to try solar cooking, too. Though we’ve cooked over our firepit and a propane stove when we go camping, the grill is the one I want to master now.

  Grill Daddy  – My husband usually wants to wrap everything in foil and seal it up good when he grills. I’ve been trying to get him to grill the meat right on the grill, but he hates the clean up.  The Grill Daddy takes care of that.  It has a wire brush, plus a reservoir for water.  You squirt the water onto the grill and use the wire brush to clean off any residual stuck meat and grease.   If the grill is still warm (but turned off), the water will steam everything off.  We have the Grill Daddy which is plastic, there is another one called Grill Daddy Pro, which we didn’t test out.  Our Grade A- for the plastic.

  CDN DUAL-SENSING PROBE THERMOMETER/TIMER – When my husband was in college and working at one of those fast food places, he heard all about salmonella, Clostridium Perfringens and all of those other lovely food diseases, so he always worries about the meat reaching the right temperature.  This meat thermometer that I use is perfect.  You can use it on the grill or in the oven.  It has a long heatproof cord so you can leave it in the meat while it cooks.  There are magnets on the backside so that you can stick it to the side of the oven.  Don’t stick it on the side of the grill because the grill gets too hot, though off the grill on a side cart or table would work. I love my thermometer, roasts are not over done, or underdone.  No need to slice into it to check.  You can test each individual chicken, just by poking it with the rod. Burgers, steaks, fish, no problem – this will help your meals become flawless.  And hey, use it inside too – no more dry turkey.  My grade A+

Kuhn Rikon Nonstick_Dual Knife -  I like that the knife is double sided with a smooth blade on one sided and serrated on the other.  This means you only need to bring one knife to your picnic or cookout.  I don’t like to carry my really good knives with me when we go out to the park because it could get lost or misplaced.  So this is more of a functional, multi- bladed/purpose knife.  It even has it’s own little cover for the blade portion, making it easier to pack. The knife is coated to slide through the meat/veggies more smoothly.  My only complaint is that the blade is a little more flexible than some of my others.  My grade B.

Long Armed Silicon Brush – I love the silicon brushes because they clean so easily.  I always worried with the nylon and other basting brushes that there was food residue left down in the brush.  Not with the silicon, I’m completely confident it’s clean and I can stick it in the dishwasher without a problem.  I have a longer handled one for my husband so that he doesn’t singe his hands while basting.  My grade A.

Long Handled Tongs – Long Handled Tongs are the best for the grill.  You can’t grab chicken or hotdogs with a spatula.  Ours has a nice hand grip and also a grip for the meat, so it doesn’t slip.  Easy to wash – stick it in the dishwasher.  This one is a keeper and will last forever.  My Grade A.

So what other tools would you suggest for your grill meister?