Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Six Essentials to Ease You into Grilling Season

grilling essentials
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Feasting is our column dedicated to cooking, grilling, eating and discovering what’s on the menu across America and the world.

It’s that time of year again when we’re all dusting off our grills to get some good ole marks on our favorite meat, fish and veggies. But a new season deserves some new tools, especially if you haven’t upgraded your grill or gear in quite some time. Check out our grilling essentials guide, and you’ll be ready to fire up every meal like a pro this season.

Recommended Videos

Kenyon City Grill $475

Kenyon City Grill
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Those of us who live in urban areas where open flame grilling is prohibited tend to feel left out when grilling season begins. VERY left out. Thankfully, Kenyon thought of us apartment dwellers with nary an outdoor space in site. The City Grill is virtually smokeless and can be used indoors in your kitchen our outside on your balcony (if you’re lucky enough to have one).

Napoleon TravelQ 285 Portable Grill

$299

Napoleon TravelQ 285 Portable Grill
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Whether you don’t have a lot of space, love to camp or simply want to take your BBQ on the go, the Napoleon Portable Grill delivers big performance from a small package. Cast iron WAVE Cooking Grids provides a non-stick surface and even heat distribution while the JETFIRE Ignition System is wind-proof to help the grill perform in any weather condition. The large grilling area can fit 20 hamburgers at once, and the lightweight design (28 pounds) makes it easy for anyone to transport.

Personal Creations King of the Grill BBQ Set $50

Personal Creations King of the Grill BBQ Set
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Perfect for gifting to yourself or a fellow grill enthusiast, this 7-piece set will equip you with everything you need at arm’s reach. The slotted spatula, BBQ fork and tongs are all designed from professional grade steel with solid wood handles. An oven mitt and salt and pepper shakers round out the set, and it all folds neatly into the apron for easy storage and travel. Personalize the apron with any name up to 10 characters.

Grillinator Brush $40

Grillinator Brush
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Funded in a mere 24 hours during their Kickstarter campaign, the Grillinator Brush is already in high demand, and it’s still in the pre-order stage. Designed with multiple rows of dense, overlapping bristles that vary in length to clean both the tops and sides of the grates and a stainless steel shaft that comes with a lifetime guarantee, it gets the grill clean in no time with half the effort.

Jacobsen Salt Co 6 Vial Salt Sampler $30

Jacobsen Salt Co Core Salt Trio Gift Set
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Harvested from the cold, pristine waters of Netarts Bay on the Oregon Coast, Jacobsen is the first company to harvest salt in the Pacific Northwest since Lewis & Clark. This six salt set is perfect for finishing just about anything you have on the grill and includes Pure Flake Salt, Lemon Zest Salt, Vanilla Bean Salt, Pinot Noir Salt, Ghost Chili Salt and Smoked Cherrywood Salt.

Bronx Brewery Beer

Bronx Brewery Beer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You didn’t think we’d let you stand over a hot grill with no refreshments, did you? The Bronx Brewery is a small team with a big mission: to craft the absolute best pale ales on the east coast. With six year-round beers, seasonal ales for spring, summer, fall and winter and a handful of unique, rare B-side brews, they dive deep into a few styles and do it really really well. Crack and ice cold one while you watch those steaks sizzle.

Amanda Gabriele
Amanda Gabriele is a food and travel writer at The Manual and the former senior editor at Supercall. She can’t live without…
World Whiskey Society is releasing 20-Year-Old Family Reserve Whiskey
This 20-year-old whiskey was made for a special reason
World Whiskey Society

For those unaware, the World Whiskey Society is so named because its mission is to find the best, most interesting, complex whiskeys from all corners of the globe. Its newest release is no different. This popular brand is launching a 20-year-old Family Reserve cask-proof whiskey.
World Whiskey Society 20-Year-Old Family Reserve Whiskey

This 20-year-old cask-proof whiskey is being released to pay tribute to AIKO Brands (the parent company of the World Whiskey Society) on its 20th anniversary.

Read more
Gather (most of) a pour-over coffee system for $116 at Amazon
The Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper on a white background.

Have you been looking for coffee maker deals and thinking you’d prefer to create your own full pour-over system? Right now, Amazon has the deals for you, with great discounts on a coffee dripper and an electric gooseneck kettle. We’ll take a look at how each works separately, but you can combine them to make most of a full pour-over system. All you need to do is add some filters and you can start making some great blends, like the Cafe Grumpy festive coffee that’s available right now. If you still need to learn what pour-over coffee is, we can help you with that too. Here’s a look at the deals involved.
Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper -- $27 $30 12% off

If you’re learning all about how to make pour over coffee, you know how vital a coffee dripper is. The Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper is specially designed to produce an evenly brewed cup of coffee. It’s made from durable Japanese ceramic so it retains heat to ensure a balanced temperature throughout the brewing cycle. It has a minimalist look with a single large hole, which improves pour flow and provides you plenty of choice: Pour quickly for a light flavor or more slowly for a rich and deep taste. If you’ve been studying the differences between pour over and drip coffee, you’ll soon see what a world of difference a good coffee dripper makes.

Read more
Can you make great coffee in a single serve? Klatch Coffee’s answer
Is there a better option than K-Cups?
Crazy Goat coffee

While K-Cups can be appealing to coffee drinkers who value convenience at home or in the office, they're not the right choice for everyone. Although it's a fast and easy way to prepare a single cup of coffee, there are a few downsides to the system — namely that K-cup pods can be difficult to recycle (and while refillable pods exist, that depends on the user choosing that option, which isn't always a given considering quick and convenient are two of the main appeals of the system). We interviewed Klatch Coffee's expert roaster, Heather Perry, to learn more about the specialty roaster's approach to single-serve coffee.
Klatch Coffee's single-serve coffee alternatives

Klatch Coffee's single-serving Bruvi pods make it easy to enjoy high-quality, specialty coffee wherever you are. The brand has partnered with a few select providers who share their vision, one of which is Bruvi.
"Bruvi is an improved pod coffee system with a couple of unique features," Perry said. "First is taste and quality; the proprietary brewing system brews to the same high standards as specialty coffee roasters like Klatch Coffee, including adjusting the brewing parameters to match our brewing recipe. That’s why premium coffee from roasters like Klatch is offered on the Bruvi platform. Second, Bruvi’s B-Pods are enzyme-infused and designed to be tossed in the trash, making them guilt-free. B-Pods degrade faster in the landfill without leaving microplastics behind."
It’s also worth noting that for coffee drinkers who only want a single cup at a time, single-serve brewing can be more efficient on resources like water, coffee, and energy. Pre-portioned coffee doesn’t spill, and machines only heat the water needed for a single cup. There’s no waste from discarding leftover coffee from a large pot.

Read more