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Grilling tools put to the test: Cool tools for hot BBQ evenings

2022-06-18T07:16:25.554Z


Why put the fries in the oven when you can also bake them crispy and crunchy on the grill. Our cooking expert has tested accessories that make these and other tricks possible.


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Grilling with conventional kitchen equipment

Photo:

Arnulf Hettrich / IMAGO

When the grills are smoking again in continuous operation these days, it awakens the desire for suitable accessories in many people.

Be it as a lifesaver for nights on the grill, as a rotating basket with which everything runs smoothly with the side dishes, or as a souvenir for Agent Angus MacGyver's next barbecue party - we took a closer look at three unusual BBQ gadgets.

Grillfürst universal rotisserie basket

If the next BBQ party doesn't really want to get going, it may be because the host slams the food on the grill instead of spinning it effectively on a skewer.

So it's high time something turned around.

Because one of the oldest grilling methods is roasting meat on a rotisserie.

Even the »Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs«, organized as an elite cooks’ guild, goes back to the »goose roasters« of the early 13th century - to this day, tens of thousands of rotisserie chickens rotate in open or partially glazed rotisserie ovens in France’s butcher shops and brasseries.

In the meantime, also in the private sector, more and more often with an electric drive instead of tedious cranking.

Direct rotisserie grilling moves the meat past the heat source, allowing for even cooking and roasting, similar to indirect grilling.

An unbeatable advantage of this grilling method, which is no longer reserved for the classic rotating protagonists such as rolled roast, roast chicken or horizontal doner kebab.

There are a few alternative tools that can be attached to spit construction, of which the drum-shaped basket roasters are the most interesting from a culinary point of view.

These containers, made of metal mesh, are placed on a rotisserie, fixed with a wing screw, filled via a flap and slowly rotate their contents over smoldering heat or a gas fire.

We tried the Grillfürst Rondell at a cookout with frozen oven fries, homemade potato wedges, mixed vegetables, and a medium portion of defrosted scallops.

In autumn you could also roast chestnuts, nuts or almonds.

Our potato side dishes, for which you would otherwise actually need either an oven or a frying pan on the side burner, got the biggest hello.

The fries are crispier in the rotisserie basket than on the baking tray and, unlike the equally crispy wedges, they don't even need additional cooking oil.

The vegetables – finely chopped carrots, zucchini, quartered onions and mushrooms – were cooked more evenly than when prepared with a plancha (roasting plate on the grid), but developed too few roasted aromas.

The seafood, on the other hand, didn't get the rotation at all.

They quickly lost their structural identity in the drum, becoming mushy without imparting a hearty grilled flavor.

In contrast to similar constructions, the flap on the Grillfürst basket can be easily opened and closed even when it is on the skewer.

Cleaning is easy: the stainless steel is dishwasher safe and, unlike powder-coated baskets, no paint chips end up in the food.

Practical: The basket fits skewers of different thicknesses and, with a diameter of just under 14 cm, is small enough for sausages to fit on the grate underneath on most gas grills.

So that the fries are also properly perfumed.

What is that?

A useful addition for anyone who already has an electric rotisserie.

who needs this

Anyone who wants to roast the side dishes while grilling.

What does this cost?

Rotisserie baskets are available from around 25 euros, the Grillfürst is around 45 euros.

5-in-1 grill spatula

After we were already able to swing the mighty grill machete "Spartula" at this point, I now got my hands on a slightly smaller but much more versatile multi-tool: In view of the almost endless possibilities of the Hasull grill spatula, which is still quite long at 42 cm, I would have TV agent Angus MacGyver immediately shook the 1980s mullet quiff with excitement.

Anyone who, like him, can escape from a Siberian gulag armed only with a paper clip would certainly have fun with this multiple barbecue tool.

The long metal tip is suitable as a grill fork, with the sharp, smooth grind underneath, the finished roasted neck can be divided fairly.

The serrated edge opposite is just as good for bread as it is for poultry bones.

If you like, you can also open your beer bottle with the integrated bottle opener.

And by the way, the food can also be grilled with the spatula, which can be attached to the other tools with a ribbon on the handle.

It's a shame that the ladle, despite its stainless steel design, can't be put in the dishwasher.

What is that?

Spatula, fork, knife, saw and bottle opener in one.

who needs this

Actually anyone who has a grill.

What does this cost?

About 12 euros.

Tonglite Champ LED barbecue tongs

O.K., on this BBQ gadget, we're really glad MacGyver is still with us.

In view of this rather expensive combination of barbecue tongs and flashlight, he would otherwise probably rotate in his grave.

For something like that, the Phoenix Foundation (his employer in the TV series) would have shelled out at best a third of the requested 85 euros.

Angus could probably have made something similar in a matter of seconds using pliers, a thin LED flashlight and a slightly stiffer rubber band.

You can, but you don't have to, because the Tonglite tool is expensive, but also very well thought out.

The lighting does not have to be removed to change the battery or to clean the tool in the dishwasher (much more often), because it is in a stable holder and the battery compartment is accessible from the rear.

In addition, it will be difficult to find another pair of barbecue tongs that are as stable as this, that are large enough to turn a roast chicken, have non-slip rubber inserts and are also equipped with a mini flashlight.

In any case, my old BBQ buddy, for whom we gave the Tonglite as a present for a birthday barbecue, has been wondering for weeks how he was able to put his steaks in his tongs for so many years without a light.

more on the subject

Grilling accessories tested: advanced BBQ by Peter Wagner

Whatever the case may be: the item is extremely practical, especially in the off-calendry areas of the barbecue season, i.e. when it gets dark in spring and autumn before the BBQ guests are full.

A real lifesaver for anyone who neither wants to set up a floodlight nor has a luxury grill station with a built-in cover lamp.

And for those who have dropped their cell phone in the grill while trying to light up the grilled food with its flashlight.

What is that?

An extremely practical barbecue tongs with integrated flashlight.

who needs this

Everyone who wants to continue grilling after dark without someone else shining a light on the grill.

What does this cost?

85 euros.

Background: Product tests in the Tests department

Expand areaWhich products are reported on?

We decide for ourselves which products we report on in the test department and which we test or not. We do not receive any money or other consideration from the manufacturers for any of the test reports.

It can happen for various reasons that we do not report on products even though we have corresponding test products.

Open areaWhere do the test products come from?

Test devices and review copies of games are usually made available to us by the manufacturer free of charge for a certain period of time, sometimes even before the official release.

This allows our test reports to appear in time or close to the release of the product.


We only test pre-release versions or devices from pre-series production in special cases.

As a rule, we wait until we can get test devices or game versions that are identical to the retail versions.

In some cases, if they are already available in stores or online, we purchase test devices at our own expense.

Expand areaCan the editors keep the products?

As a rule, test devices are returned to the manufacturers after the end of the test.

The exceptions are review copies of games and long-term loans: For example, we have game consoles and smartphones in the editorial office that we are allowed to use for a longer period of time before they are returned.

For example, we can report on software updates, new accessories and new games or make long-term judgments.

Such products and review samples are often collected at the end of a year, for example, and sold at a company flea market, with the proceeds being donated to charitable causes.

In some cases, review copies are donated directly to charitable organizations.

SectionWhat's up with the affiliate ads in some articles?expand

Articles in the testing department contain so-called affiliate ads that contain links to online shops.

If a user visits one of these shops via such a link and makes a purchase there, DER SPIEGEL receives a share of the sales in the form of a commission, but never the author individually.

The ads appear in articles regardless of whether a product test is positive or negative.

You can find a detailed explanation of affiliate links by clicking on this link.

Source: spiegel

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