The ones that change your cooking
- A chimney starter: lights coals fast, no chemical taste, and measures your fuel. The best few pounds you will spend.
- An instant-read thermometer: turns guessing into knowing on every cook.
- Charcoal baskets: the cheapest route to a reliable two-zone fire.
- A cast iron plate or grate: the only way to a proper smash burger and a harder sear.
- Heat-resistant gloves: let you move grates, chimneys and whole joints by hand.
The ones worth it if you cook a certain way
- A leave-in probe, if you cook low and slow: watch a brisket from indoors.
- A rotisserie ring, if you love roast chicken and porchetta.
- A pizza stone, if you want pizza off the kettle.
- A cold smoke generator, if you want to smoke cheese, salt and salmon.
The gimmicks
Plenty of accessories solve nothing. Grill-topping gadgets you use once, single-purpose tools that a knife does better, and anything promising to make cheap fuel behave like good fuel. When in doubt, spend the money on better charcoal instead; it does more for your food than most gadgets.
Chimney, thermometer, baskets, cast iron, gloves. That order buys you the biggest improvement for the least money, and covers almost everything most cooks ever need. Add the specialist kit only once you know why you want it.
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