Last Updated on December 5, 2022
There are a wide variety of the best grill tool set you can get to help with your grilling. Some are necessary, some are simply helpful, but all will make your life easier.
You can buy a lot of these separately, for sure, but it’s often far more cost efficient to buy them as a set unless you need some very specialized variant of something you can’t usually get as part of a set; some kind of fancy spatula, or knife, or whatever.
Still, not all grill tool sets are created equal. They might have different tools in them you don’t need and lack one you do, or just are lacking in overall quality of materials. Over the course of this article I’ll be breaking down the different kinds of things you usually find in the best bbq tool sets like this, what you should look for in them, and break down a list of my favorite options.
Our Top Choice
- Modern design, stainless steel handles.
- Compact size is great for an RV or for tailgating
- Makes a pefect gift
- Quality is great and the hard storage case is very useful
|
Image |
Product |
Price |
|---|---|---|
 |
Cuisinart CGS-5020 Deluxe Grill Set   BEST CHOICE
|
|
 |
Home-Complete BBQ Grill Tool Set  RUNNER UP
|
|
 |
Alpha Grillers BBQ Grilling Tools Set  VALUE CHOICE
|
What Should I Look For The Best Grill Tool Set?
Choosing what to look for in a grill set is a bit complex, because there is a huge variety of items that can go into any given one. So first, let’s break down the things you can expect to find in best grilling tool set.
Found In Every Set
In every single one of these sets you’re going to find three things: a set of tongs, a spatula, and a meat fork.
Your spatula should have a wide head, but not too wide. Something along the lines of 4 inches wide by 6 to 8 inches thick on average. The front edge should be beveled and sharp, for light slicing and getting under whatever you’re flipping more easily. A good pair of serrated edges are also always welcome, with a finely serrated edge on one side and a coarse edge on the other being common.
Your fork should be relatively long (a little over a foot at least) with tines that curve slightly, either outward, upward, or both. This helps it grips onto whatever you’re lifting, and reduces the chance that the tines bend or let whatever you’re jabbing them into slide off.
Your tongs need to be comfortable, tight (but not too tight, maybe an inch or so of natural gap), and have fairly slim handles for easy use. If you are specifically looking for quality grilling tongs, you can find this page useful.
All of the above should be made of a good quality stainless steel, with a layer of wood, rubber, or some other comfort grip handle on it optional, but nice to have.
Common Items
A lot of sets are going to give you an oven mitts, a grill brush, corn cob holders, a basting brush, and a meat thermometer.
Your grill brush should be fairly long, with stiff bristles. None of the ones you’re going to get from these sets are going to be top of the line brushes, but they should still have those solid bristles and a good scraper or there’s no point in even having it. A replacement head for when one gets worn out is also a nice (and common to find) plus.
Corn cob skewers are simple; they should be stainless steel with sharp points and a comfortable grip.
A basting brush should also be fairly long, but the material of the handle doesn’t much matter. The head should usually be silicone, and replacement heads or multiple brushes are always a nice extra. Replaceable heads in different materials are also good, but very rare to find.
Uncommon Items
This is really a catchall for any of the weird items that a set might include. No matter what these are, they are pretty much to be considered extras, while the previous two categories are “expected”.
Some of these extras can be great (like stainless steel straws, a cutting board, or meat claws), but they need to be factored in after you’ve already decided that the basic quality of the expected items (tongs, spatula, fork) meets your own specifications.
Quality
Stainless steel is by far the most common construction material for any half decent barbeque tools, and that’s for good reason. It’s a strong material and results in long lasting and durable tools.
You want to make sure their grips fit the hand comfortably and the designs are reasonable; nothing too thick, thin, or otherwise weird looking. You can tell pretty easily when design has been skimped on and things just look cheaply made.
Price
You’re generally looking for something in the $30 range, and no more. If it costs anything more than that, it had better be something truly exceptional.
Top 11 Best Grilling Tool Sets (2022 Reviews)
1. Cuisinart CGS-5020 Deluxe Grill Set
Why you’ll love this:
An overall quite solid grill tools set. While no individual piece is the absolute highest quality around, they’re quite good overall, and most importantly come in at a very reasonable price for a complete set of tools. The nice steel carrying case is just the icing on the cake, easily bundling up all your tools for simple storage.
What We Liked
- The Fork: With this set you don’t have to worry about buying a meat thermometer. The thermometer is built right into the fork. The thermometer has preset temperatures for a variety of meat temperatures. It also has a built-in alarm, to let you know when your food is the perfect temperature.
- Variety: This set has everything you need for a great grilling experience. The stainless steel tool set is perfect for weekend grill warriors who want a great set of tools without a big price tag.
- Storage: The perfectly designed storage case is an attractive addition to your outdoor kitchen. The case securely holds all of your grilling tools but isn’t too big. This case is made from aluminum so it’s lightweight and the latches keep the case securely closed even when you’re on the go.
- Portability: This set of barbeque tools is perfectly made for home and travel use. The compact case doesn’t take up a lot of room in your RV, camper or tailgating vehicle. The case also keeps all of your grilling tools organized and protected.
What We Didn’t Like
- Quality: This set isn’t terrible; it just isn’t the quality we expect from Cuisinart. The fork with a built in meat thermometer is a great idea but the fork is really flimsy. We didn’t love the tongs much either, they were really flexible and didn’t hold on to food items well.
- Durability: Besides being a little light in the construction most of the pieces in the Cuisinart 20-piece set are nice looking and made from good materials. The issues we have with quality also lend to durability. We don’t trust that fork to hold up to a larger piece of meat, and the silicone basting brush didn’t last long.
- Skewers: The corn skewers were a great addition, until you tried to put a corn cob on them. They just aren’t sharp enough to push easily into most pieces of corn. The same can be said for the meat/kabob skewers. They looked cool, but they weren’t easy to use.
This is the best bbq tool sets, both in terms of the variety and quality of the individual pieces within it.
It’s all contained in quite a good steel case which latches and provides a convenient way to store these tools out of the way and travel with them wherever you want to go.
2. Home-Complete BBQ Grill Tool Set
Why you’ll love this:
An overall good alternative to our winner, most of the positive things that can be said about this set can be said about the Cuisinart set, and it even comes in at a cheaper price. The main difference: the spatula. It’s a lot lower quality, and would be better replaced with something else.
What We Liked
- Variety: The Home-Complete BBQ grill tool set is a nice collection of BBQ and grilling tools. The set is simple but comes with everything you need for a great grilling experience.
- Quality Materials: The tools in this set are made from high-quality stainless-steel so they are not only durable, but they are stain and rust resistant. The handles are really nice looking and are heat-safe, so you won’t worry about burning your fingers.
- Storage: The Home-Complete set comes in a heavy-duty aluminum case that is not only attractive, but it is also lightweight and portable. The convenient elastic straps keep each tool in place and perfectly organized.
- Value: This 16-piece set has everything you need, plus some added bonuses like the corn cob skewers and a nice basting brush. For the price this set is a great value.
What We Didn’t Like
- Quality of Tools: For a couple of tools in this set, you get what you pay for. The tongs are overly flexible, and the corn cob skewers aren’t sharp enough. The overall quality of the tools is fine, but you can certainly find better than the Home-Complete set.
- Missing Tools: It would have been nice if this set came with a meat thermometer of some sort. We were surprised and disappointed that this set didn’t come with a meat fork, which seems like a pretty standard grilling tool.
This is a noticeably cheaper version of the set above, though the fact that it costs roughly half of what our winner does makes this forgivable.
The grill brush is good, with a great scraper on it, and a good replacement head as well. The corn cob skewers are functionally identical to our winners’, which is nice, and the carrying case is nicely long and thin this time.
Overall this set is not nearly the greatest around, but for the price you really can’t complain too much about what you get.
3. Alpha Grillers Heavy Duty BBQ Grilling Tools Set
Why you’ll love this:
A smaller set, but no less high quality. Arguably each of the individual pieces here is better, but it’s a significantly smaller set. The spatula in particular here stands out, with a serrated side for cutting, and a built in bottle opener. Well worth getting if you only need the basics.
What We Liked
- Large Size: Some of the other sets we considered were a bit on the small size. The Alpha Grillers 4-piece set features really sturdy, good sized grilling tools.
- Quality Materials: Of the sets that we reviewed the Alpha Grillers were made from the best materials. The 403 stainless steel was a joy to look at, and it also handled larger cuts of meat and high temperatures without worry.
- Easy to Clean: After a day of grilling the last thing you want to do is spend hours washing dishes. The Alpha Grillers 4-piece grilling tool set is dishwasher safe, so you get more time with your friends and family.
- Spatula: Most BBQ tool sets come with a multi-purpose spatula. This set is no different, except the serrated edge and bottle opener actually work.
What We Didn’t Like
- Storage: The hanging loops on this set are great for storing at home, but we sure would have liked for this set to have a storage box. It just isn’t as convenient to take this set camping or tailgating.
- Variety: We’re torn on this. While we would love to have more tools, and a storage case, the four tools that you do get with this set are great quality.
- Tongs: These were by far the best BBQ tongs we encountered but, they still weren’t great. We didn’t love the locking mechanism, and after a few washes and some greasy foods, the grip on these tongs got sticky.
Altogether this set commands a pretty high price, but for what they tout as “the last pair of tongs you’ll ever need” it’s not bad at all, with a lifetime replacement guarantee if they break, and excellent durability overall.
If you’re looking for just an all around good set of tools with no gimmicks and no fancy extras, you cannot go wrong with this set. As they say, it is “everything you need and nothing you don’t”, making it the perfect minimalist tool set.
4. Weber 6630 3Pc Ss Tool Set
Why you’ll love this:
Another simplistic 4 piece set, though less interesting than the Alpha Grillers option. These pieces are serviceable, but really only notable because the price is relatively low, though not enough to really be notable.
What We Liked
- Size: The Weber 3-piece grill tool set is a perfect companion for camping and tailgating. It provides the three basic pieces that you need to grill.
- Quality: This is one of the few BBQ tool sets that have no-slip grips on all of the tools. These grill tools are also made from high quality stainless steel, so they are durable and should last a long time.
- Easy to Clean: All three grilling tools in this set are dishwasher safe. The stainless steel does well in the dishwasher and we’ve not noticed any signs of rusting.
What We Didn’t Like
- Variety: This is a very basic set. It’s great if you want the basics, but we do wish that it came with a few more tools.
- Storage: It sure would be nice to have a storage container of some sort for this set. It’s kind of a disappointment that such a high quality set doesn’t have a way to safely store or transport the tools.
- Spatula: The Weber spatula was sort of awkward. The bend in the handle seemed a bit extreme, and not as natural as with other set. Though it was lightweight, it also felt a little flimsy.
Much like the Alpha Grillers set above, this one is a more limited set, with only 3 pieces this time. The idea is, again, to concentrate on making these 3 pieces better for the price. The idea is sound, but the results are mixed.
Basically, each of these 3 pieces is good, but not great, and while the price is good, it’s not much less expensive than the Alpha Grillers set above, which I find to be vastly more worth the price, with better construction and a lifetime of use ahead of them.
5. ROMANTICIST 20pc Heavy Duty BBQ Grill Tool Set
Why you’ll love it:
A very cheap alternative to our winner; it’s even less expensive than some of the four piece sets. Of course, as you might imagine, that means each individual piece is relatively low quality. If you’re looking for a comprehensive barbeque grilling tools set on the cheap, this is a solid choice, though definitely be aware that you’re paying half the price for half the quality, if that.
What we liked
- Variety: This set comes with a really nice collection of tools. The salt and pepper shakers are a nice addition that we’ve not seen with many other sets.
- Quality Materials: The Romanticist set is made from really nice stainless steel, with heat resistant handles. They’re also noticeably more sturdy than other sets we reviewed.
- Storage: This set is really compact and easy to take camping or tailgating. We like the slim storage case that holds all of the tools securely. The elastic straps were not too stiff, but not super flimsy either.
- Spatula: The Romanticist set comes with a 4-in-1 spatula. Not only can this spatula flip your burgers but it can cut, tenderize and even open your favorite grilling beverage.
What we didn’t like
- Durability: The tools of this set are great. But, we lost our confidence in the storage box, when the liner started to fall apart after the first use. It can be easily repaired with some glue, but we hoped it would last longer than one day of grilling.
- Size: We were surprised at the size of the tools in this kit. It’s compact because the tools are small. The only part of the set that wasn’t smaller than expected were the corn cob skewers.
This is similar to our winner in a lot of ways. It’s better in some, but worse in others, making it a bit of a mixed bag.
The spatula is top notch, with a huge wide area and a bottle opener. One side has a finely serrated edge and the other a rough one; great for hacking between ribs and such to check how soft they’ve gotten once cooked. The fork is extremely thick and easy to grip onto and flip whatever you need to, though is a bit too wide to be comfortable to hold.
That’s really a running theme with this set: everything is extremely thick and uncomfortable to hold. I’m not sure why they were made this way, but it especially affects the tongs, which are basically unusable.
The rest of the bits are pretty all right though, with the thick construction aiding how easy it is to use the corn cob skewers, as an example. The basting brush is good, the skewers are as good as any dedicated skewers you could find, and the salt and pepper shakers are good.
Unfortunately the brush is, frankly, complete trash. Short, plastic, shoddily constructed; it’s absolutely terrible.
Overall this is a bit of a mixed bag, but not completely terrible for the price.
6. Grilljoy 24PCS BBQ Grill Tools Set
Why you’ll love it:
This is the widest ranging set we’ve looked at so far, with a variety of interesting features.
It has everything the 20+ piece sets consider standard: tongs, fork, spatula, skewers, corn cob holders, and grill brush.
What we liked
- Huge variety of grill tools.
- Good (if not stellar) quality.
- Good price.
- Convenient aluminum carrying case for easy storage.
- Very good spatula.
- Inclusion of a knife is welcome.
What we didn’t like
- Tongs are unwieldy and thick.
This one also includes the nice salt and pepper shakers the Romanticist set above has, and comes with a pair of basting syringes, a meat thermometer, and a knife.
Of these, the spatula is one of the more standout features. It’s got a good size, is sharpened at the tip, serrated (finely) on the left, and has a coarse serration on the right side, with a bottle opener. It’s comfortable in the hand and quite nice to use.
The meat thermometer is also quite good, if simple, one of Grilljoy’s actual models that works well as a spot thermometer.
The knife is…interesting. It has a very, very long handle which seems a bit awkward, but the blade is good; not stellar (it’s no high carbon stainless masterpiece of a knife by any means), but as something you get “free” with this set, it’s pretty good.
Everything here is well made and it comes in at a very reasonable price, with a convenient carrying case. I prefer this in all ways over the Romanticist 20 piece set above.
7. Taimasi 32PCS BBQ Grill Accessories Tools Set
Why you’ll love it:
If you’re starting completely from zero, this is a great set. It includes a lot of useful items that I assume most people just have around the house, but are nice to have if you don’t have them for whatever reason.
What we liked
- Great variety of items.
- Good construction on most of the core pieces.
- Solid pricing.
- Addition of grill mats is welcome.
What we didn’t like
- Cheaply constructed scissors, oven mitt, and grill brush.
- Nothing particularly stands out as unique.
These items are, honestly, not the best. The scissors are fine, but they’re exactly the same as kitchen shears you can get from a dollar store, and the oven mitt and grill brushes are in the same boat; cheap and poorly made. Still, they’re serviceable.
The other elements are better though. Both of the knives (the meat knife and smaller knife) and forks (large 2 tined fork and smaller 3 tined fork) are good, though the smaller versions have weird thick handles that are a bit uncomfortable.
The spatula is great, with everything we look for. Sharp on every end, with a rough serrated side and fine serrated side, the knives all have good edges to them, forks are sturdy and well made, the skewers work great, and even the tongs are good.
For the asking price though…you could just get a set for a bit cheaper that lacks the crappy mitt, shears, and grill brush and save yourself about $5 and not miss a thing. There’s not much really special about this set.
8. Cuisinart CGS-8036 Backyard BBQ Tool Set
Why you’ll love it:
This is an interesting set from Cuisinart. It has some of the standard bits you’d look for, but also some weird features to it.
What we liked
- Good quality materials on the core tools (spatula, fork, tongs, skewers).
- Excellent versatile basting brush.
- Convenient carrying case.
What we didn’t like
- Weird burger flags.
- Poor quality corn cob skewers.
- Overpriced for what it gives you.
A lot of this set is taken up by burger flags, which are neat, but not something I really look for. The corn cob holders are weird and flat, very uncomfortable to hold.
On the better side, the spatula is nice, with a nice wide head and slightly ovoid shape. The fork is okay, but has weirdly spaced tines, and the tongs are quite good.
The basting brush is one of the more interesting features here, which has both a standard silicone head option in two different colors, and the choice of a mop-like brush with a cloth tip for other purposes. The grill skewers are excellent though, with good ring handles and a nice sharp tip.
Everything else is nice to have,, from the grill glove to the bottle opener, but unfortunately it’s difficult to justify the price.
9. Ohuhu 31-PCS BBQ Tool Set
Why you’ll love it:
This is one of the better sets out there, especially for its relatively low price. It comes with everything you could want here. You’ve got the nice stainless steel corn cob holders, very well constructed core items (except the tongs, so many of these grill set tongs are super wide and uncomfortable), and a few less standard features.
What we liked
- Excellent durable stainless steel construction.
- Great set of meat slaws.
- Great convenient aluminum carrying case.
What we didn’t like
- Apron and oven mitt are super cheaply made.
The weird ones here are an apron, and oven mitt, and my personal favorite: the meat claws.
Meat claws are one of my favorite barbeque tools, and if you don’t own a good set already, this set might be worth getting just for these. The claws are well made, easy to hold, and razor sharp. You could buy a good pair of these claws alone for the price of this whole set, so you’re getting a pretty good deal here.
Everything else is…okay. It’s got a good knife, a decent spatula, and a great grill brush, which I excellent value for what you’re paying to get these quite good grill claws.
10. POLIGO 12pcs Stainless Steel BBQ Grill Tools Set
Why you’ll love it:
This is a great budget option. Let’s get the main draw out of the way first: it comes with a soft cooler that also acts as your carrying case for the barbeque tools. This is nice, and it’s not a bad cooler at all. It has a good capacity, holding (as pictured) 15 cans, though you probably would want to just jam a 12 pack in there and some ice.
What we liked
- Great, cheap, all in one set.
- Good price.
- Great sized cooler.
- Perfect for picnicking.
- Durable stainless steel.
What we didn’t like
- Lacks some of the nice extra tools that other options provide.
The tools themselves are pretty good, being made of a durable stainless steel with a comfortable, grippy, moisture wicking handle. It comes with everything you need to make a good barbeque with none of the fluff, and even comes with normal sized utensils for eating it and a multipurpose corkscrew and bottle opener (which in my experience, you can never have too many of around).
Overall, when you’re preparing for a family grill and you need a way to pack your cooking tools and utensils, then this option is great for you. This set is cheap, useful, and is an excellent grill set for travel and camping especially. Instead of a hard case you put separately, you just carry everything you need (drinks and utensils, or maybe even the food you’re going to cook) in one convenient place. This is the perfect picnicking grill set.
11. grilljoy 30PCS BBQ Grill Tools Set
Why you’ll love it:
This is a great decorative set that also has excellent performance.
The tools are solid stainless steel, with very nice, comfortable wooden handles. The set has a wide variety of tools that work well, look nice, and give you everything you need with very little of the chaff. The spatula is exactly what we look for, with a good sized head, sharp on each of the edges in different ways, and everything else is similarly well made.
What we liked
- Great looking red wooden handles.
- Durable and high quality stainless steel construction.
- Good variety of options.
- Stainless steel straws are nice to have.
- Carrying case is convenient and sturdy.
What we didn’t like
- Oven mitt and meat probe are kind of subpar.
The knife especially deserves a shoutout, with a very nice blade for carving through meat on your grill.
Everything is overall just extremely well made, and that’s the strength of this set. The price is surprisingly low given the quality of these bits, and in terms of aesthetics these are hands down the best tools on this list. If you like having tools that look nice without skimping on performance and can double as a decorative item, these are the perfect fit, and you don’t need to break the bank for it.
FINAL VERDICT
Most of these grill sets are great, largely because most of them are the same, or nearly so, both in terms of quality and in assortment. So, the biggest determiners of whether you should get one of these particular sets is going to come down to a combination of the price, and any unique features.
In terms of the “standard” assortment of tools, I’ll stand by our winner: Cuisinart’s deluxe package, with close seconds and thirds being Grilljoy’s 30 piece set with the nice wood handles, and the Alpha Grillers set, which is limited but has extremely high quality component parts and it makes a great gift.
The only set I’d say avoid is the Romanticist 20 piece set, which is just…awkward, being way too thick to comfortably hold and use. An absolutely baffling design choice.
Everything else comes down to your budget and preferences, whether you value a cooler, meat claws, nice handles, or whatever you choose to focus on.
READ MORE:
- Learn to speak BBQ slang, terms usually used in BBQ grilling.
- How to successfully grill even during rainy season.
- How to Clean a Grill Brush Properly.
--------------------------
By: Jim B.
Title: The 11 Best BBQ Tool Sets (Your Ultimate Guide This 2022)
Sourced From: www.grillbabygrill.com/best-bbq-tool-sets-reviews/
Published Date: Mon, 05 Dec 2022 03:26:29 +0000
