Your must have accessories?

[Erica LaBarre]

Hey All... Just curious what everyone's must have accessories are? Always curious what others are using, and comparing what I am using.

I would for sure say my #1 is my nitrile gloves. https://amzn.to/2FAlD7q

Then I would say my thermopop. A lot of times I just use it to check resistance.

 

[fivetricks]

Apparently my must have items includes about a dozen thermometers

 

[bluewhisper]

Let's see, a big long spatula and fork, big tongs, a probe thermometer, maybe some sort of heat mitts, depending on what I'm doing. Dedicated cutting boards and platters.

Since I'm running a stick burner, a propane torch. Also, I have a set of tongs for food-only use and another set for fire use only.

Basting brush, injector, foil, etc.

 

[Jeff Wright]

Mine has to be the smoke maze. And the torch to light it.

When using my kettle, has to be the vortex.

 

[foamheart]

If you are just starting, I highly recommend just a remote temperature sensing device. It does two things, it keeps you from raising the lid continuously letting all that heat dissipate. But much more important is the fact that it guarantees that everything you cook is safe for consumption AND in 95% of your smokes it will be juicy and delicious. This IMHO is the most important item, and your very first investment. You can get them most anywhere for less than 50.00.

I think you'll be happier with some type auxiliary smoke generator, if you are not dealing with a firebreather.

A fire breather needs a sauce pan and a mop, where an electric needs the door to stay closed.

If you have an electric you'll need a stand to make it more comfortable to use. A second hand bedside table works great.

 

[SonnyE]

Too numerous to list, Erica.
Tongs - I use tongs everywhere when handling meat, alive or dead. I recovered some cheap tongs when crabbin with the Grandson on Peuget Sound. He got pinched, I did not.
Thermometers - I like my remote Thermometers. I use them a lot, especially to monitor the pit temperature. Wifi and Bluetooth. But for me, my go-to is the WiFi for it's range. Bluetooth has more wow factor.
Mats - My mats are pretty much an every smoke accessory.
AMNPS - I was a hold out on this. Now it is my mainstay for every smoke. And a "Mailbox Mod", perfects the art of smoking with any outdoor smoking oven.
Cookie Sheets - Not really an accessory, more a necessity to move items in and out to the outdoor "kitchen".

If you ever decide to make your own bacon, then Bacon Hangers. It's a time honored tradition to hang meat in smoke. You can use a rack, sure, but you'll get lines. I like the 4 prong for my uses.

I don't know what else to tell you kid. You need to browse and decide. I have never gone wrong buying heavy duty anything, but I have definitely been screwed by cheap. But often cheap is a roll of the dice I'll take after careful consideration.
You are going to amass a bunch of interesting seasonings during your adventures in Smoking/Bar-B-Queing. I have a drawer in a pantry cupboard where I have my seasonings the wife would never use.
You will probably one day decide to make your own "rub", seasonings you like, combined and put in an emptied seasoning container, that you can simply shake and pat on for a consistent flavor to your masterpieces.
I'm discovering a coffee grinder for blending and powdering some often used spices. Like SPOG (Salt-Pepper-Onion Powder- Garlic Powder) I do a 1-1-1-1 ratio, put it in the grinder, and pulverize it. Then put that is a Table sized cheese shaker in the the spice rack. Ready to use, pre-mixed basic SPOG. I use it a lot as a basic seasoning, and often my only seasoning.

These are a few of my favorite things.

 

[chilerelleno]

Must Haves.
A good/reliable dual probe digital thermometer for air/meat temps.
And a handheld instant read thermometer, for double checking temps and probing tenderness.

With those I can cook great BBQ 97.899% of the time.
Without them I can still turn out some good BBQ, and just maybe keep a consistent quality of production.
Everything else is nice to have but not must have.

 

[banderson7474]

Yep, my must have is a dual thermo for meat and air temp. Once I got the temp steady, I like to do things around the house.

 

[bbqbrett]

Some good heavy duty tongs, some heat resistant gloves and a good instant read thermometer. Also as basic as it sounds some good foil.

 

[gmc2003]

Aside from some type of meat to smoke. A good supply of cold PBRs is all that's needed.

Chris

 

[johnmeyer]

I second everything at the beginning of SonnyE's list: Thermometers, Mats (I use QMatz), AMNPS, Mailbox Mod, Tongs, and Cookie Sheets.

The last one (cookie sheets) is important for at least two reasons: it provides a base for disposable aluminum pans that, when full, will warp and spill. Having a solid unwarpable surface underneath is really important; and the second use is to put on the ground under the smoker door to catch drips when spraying, mopping, turning, stirring, or doing anything else to the food during the smoke.

 

[pops6927]

Long PVC gloves, 6-probe wireless thermometer, Instant probe thermometers, AMNPS, QMatz, pellets and torch, tongs and meatcutting knives (6" and 12" cimeter), ham and bacon hooks, cotton ham bags (multiple uses!), ingredients for rubs, sausage-making, basting, mopping, etc., , weight (postal) scale up to 50 lbs., grinder, stuffer & stuffing tubes, casings, slicer, non-iodized (plain) salt, sugar, brown sugar, pink salt (6.25% nitrite), brine tester (salinometer), different sized buckets that are food safe, cutting glove (non-metal mesh), basting and mopping tools.