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As the fall looms, your chances to impress with a backyard cookout are coming to an end. Go out with a bang with these five essentials, the high-end equipment, ingredients and tools that will make your grilling fête one to remember. After toasting your artistry of meat and char, your guests surely will be marking their calendars for next summer.
The editors of Robb Report scour the globe (and the Internet) for the best of the best and only endorse products we love—and think you’ll love, too. If you purchase a product or service through a link in this story, we may receive a small commission.
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You can’t grill a good steak without starting with a good steak. Holy Grail’s USDA “Upper Prime” Black Angus is hand-selected from a rare genetic line of cattle; only 1,000 head are harvested a year. Not available in stores, these flavorful steaks are considered the top (“Upper”) tier of Prime Black Angus in the US due to their intense marbling. Holy Grail offers a steak flight—chosen in partnership with Robb Report —that includes the best of its extra succulent “Upper Prime” Black Angus collection: two 16-oz. ribeyes, two 16-oz. NY strips, two 8-oz. filet mignons, one 32-oz. tri-tip, and one 24-oz porterhouse.
Some people pass down their cufflinks; others pass down their spatulas. The Laguiole en Aubrac 4-Piece Grill Tool Set, available exclusively at Williams Sonoma, contains the kind of heirloom pieces you’ll want to keep in your family for generations. Handmade in France by solo craftsmen since 1829, Laguiole en Aubrac barbecue tools are forged from indestructible Sandvik stainless steel and are then riveted to grained wenge wood handles. This svelte, durable set includes a 17 ¾-inch knife, 17 ¾-inch fork, 15 ¾-inch tongs, 15 ¾-inch spatula, and a leather roll-up pouch to store them in.
Picking out a high-end grill can feel impossible. You want to feel primitive, to tune out the world and tune into the fire. But you may not want to breathe in all that smoke. The Traeger Timberline 1300 solves that problem. This pellet grill—which has enough space to cook 12 chickens, 15 rib racks, or 12 pork butts at once—is Wi-Fi enabled and connects to an app on your phone. From there, you can monitor the grill’s temp, the meat’s cooking progress, and the fuel levels, no matter where you choose to stand.
The difference between an underdone and an overdone piece of meat can come down to a matter of seconds. While you want to trust your instincts and rely on your grilling expertise for determining when something is ready to come off the heat, a thermometer can take out the guesswork. The Thermapen ONE is the go-to temp gauge for cooks looking for precise and lightning-fast readings—this little digital device provides its calculation in less than one second. Waterproof and accurate to within half a degree, the Thermapen ONE has an automatic backlight, a five-year warranty, and is available in 10 striking colors.
Splatter is unavoidable when grilling, but ruining your clothes is not. Pro chefs—including those who work at L.A.’s Chateau Marmont and those who appear on Bravo’s Top Chef —reach for Hedley & Bennett aprons when they want protective gear between them and a flame. The rugged yet functional design has deep pockets and cross-back straps to take the strain off your neck, plus they’re made from water- and stain-resistant heavy-duty waxed canvas and leather. That means they’re just as effective in a workshop as they are in an outdoor kitchen.
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