Grill & Accessories

Burger patty paper can be also called patty paper or patty liners and is a super helpful disposable product, that will make preparation of a burger a super easy process. If you have a burger press, you can adjust the further thickness of the burger between the two burger patty papers. If you do not have a burger press, you can simply form the balls from the burger meat and then press it between two papers to form a perfect burger patty.

I would recommend purchasing patty paper precut to convenient a size of about 5 x 5” that will save you time and allow you to do pretty much any size or shape of burger. Always select a square shape (the round can be a little harder to work with) and preferably without holes (patty paper with holes makes most sense in the restaurant industry when prepared on a flat grill). Make sure that the paper is waxed to make working with the burgers easier.

The great news is that burger patty papers are very inexpensive. Optionally, you can cut squares out of parchment paper at home, which means more work for you and is also a less-cost effective option.

There are never ending discussions whether a gas grill can produce the same taste results as a charcoal grill. For this reason, I will leave it up to you to decide which kind of grill you prefer.

I will share with you my experience and what led me to what I have and like to use now. I started with a charcoal grill and totally loved it from day one. For many years I would never want to use any other kind of grill. When our neighbors moved away and gave me their old gas grill, my life suddenly changed. Even though it was one of the cheapest gas grills you can buy, I immediately fell in love with it. The convenience of having a grill, which is always ready, was spectacular.

I was also surprised that I didn’t notice any major difference in the flavor of the grilled products — at least definitely not big enough to hassle with charcoal again. By getting a gas grill, I immediately gained perfect control over cooking temperatures, which led to better cooking results. Unfortunately, the grill totally rusted in a couple of years, so it was time to find a new one, which I had hoped would last longer.

In getting a new grill, I had to decide to add a permanent gas line to fix the major issue of the gas grill — the gas tank always ran out at the least convenient moment. I started to research the best possible new grill in the price range of $300 – $400, but based on customer reviews, all grills in this price range had major problems with rusting after a relatively short period of usage (usually one to two years). For this reason, I started to consider more expensive options, and did not just focus on performance but also on rust resistance.

Eventually I ended up spending over $800 for Weber Genesis 300, which came with a 25-year replacement warranty for potential rust problems and had great reviews on all aspects. Yes, it was twice as much as I planned to spend, but imagine how much money I will save over time by not having to buy a new cheaper grill every 2 – 3 years. This is a huge benefit but is not the only benefit for me.

I love how the grill performs. It is right next to my kitchen on the deck, so I can grill the whole year. Since it is connected to our gas line, I never have to buy a new gas tank and is ready in no time. Because it can hold the temperature well, I use it for more than just grilling. I use it for baking pizzas, bread, rotisserie, and even smoking meat (with a special but very inexpensive smoker box). I use my Weber Genesis 300 grill more than my stove all year long. The functionality and convenience of the permanent gas connection allow me to do this and has truly transformed how I cook. And, even though it’s not charcoal, none of my guests have ever complained about the flavors produced from my gas grill.

If you decide to go with a gas grill, I would recommend that you consider adding a gas line to save money, too. Prior to getting the gas line hooked to the grill, I went through about 8 – 10 gas tanks a year, each were about $20, so I spent about $200 a year just on gas tanks for the grill. Because of the price and extra trip to exchange of each tank, I used the grill only for grilling. Since I added the permanent gas line, I’m not buying gas tanks anymore, and am saving a lot of time and money since my gas bill went up only about $3 -$4 a month. Also, because the whole process of using the grill became easier and cheaper, I dramatically increased my usage of the grill for other kinds of food preparation. And in the end, I only need to pay a plumber about $100 dollar to install the gas line and my cooking experience was changed forever.

I don’t prefer a large grill brush since I find it too sloppy and hard to clean after using. I prefer to use a small silicone brush instead because it works perfectly with the grill too. Read more about silicone brush here.

Grill tongs are usually very long, and I find manipulation with them a little bit awkward. For this reason, I prefer to use regular all stainless tongs (without silicone tips). If you share my opinion that grill tongs are a little too long, you can use any 12″ stainless steel tongs (or any other length you may prefer). Of course, you can go ahead and purchase any grill tongs that you would like. If you do so, make sure that they are made from stainless material and are well built. Tongs that are not well built will crisscross when you are using and not be able to hold the object securely.

For reaching great results with your grill, you will need a grill turner or you can use any regular turner as long as the main part is not made from wood or plastic (the handle can be made from other materials, such as wood, melamine, etc.). For a grill turner, I recommend choosing a larger and longer one to be able to easily manipulate the meat or food on the grill.

A meat injector is a game changer to reach the right tenderness. You can buy one fairly inexpensively online. I promise that it will be one of your favorite kitchen tools yet. If you wish, you can avoid using one and just pour the marinade over the meat.

Using a rotisserie is an extremely tasty, easy to prepare, and very convenient method for preparing meat, chicken, and turkey. These are most often an accessory for your grill, but some kinds of ovens have rotisserie attachments too. You can buy multiple brands, but I would always encourage you to purchase the one recommended (or made) by the manufacturer of your grill or oven as it will simply perform better. I use my rotisserie attachment from Weber (to use with my Weber Genesis 300) and I have been really happy with it. See section “Rotisserie” here.