Grilling season is officially upon us! The connoisseurs are already busy buying specialty coals and pellets and outfitting their grills with 100 different accessories, but how about the rest of us? Whether you are finally trying to get into grilling or you simply want to up your game, we’ve got you covered.

We have already taken a deep dive into the most essential piece of equipment, the grill itself, but how about everything else? The tools, the accessories, the add-ons? Let’s look at the best pieces of equipment you can buy to take your grilling to the next level.

When it comes to the spatula, there are a few things to look for. First, the handle has to be sufficiently long enough and the surface area has to be large enough as well. You want to be able to firmly get underneath the food without any falling off the sides, and you don’t want to be too close to the flames and singe your arm hair. Additionally, you’re going to want to find a model with a good amount of give in the handle, which will make it easier to angle down and scrape under the food, but at the same time be strong enough to not buckle under the weight. To that end we have to recommend the Mercer Hell’s Handle Large Fish Turner. Despite the name, this spatula can handle all types of food, not just fish. This model was at the top of the list for almost all of the sites we surveyed for a large surface area with great flexibility and strength.

Next up on the list are the tongs. Tongs are essential for moving food on, off, and around the grill. You need to look for a set of tongs that are sufficiently long, sturdy, and easy to open. Additionally, you want to consider the grip on the ends, if it is sharp metal, there is a good chance it will slice up the food as you try to move it. We recommend the OXO Good Grips 16-Inch Locking Tongs. Similar to our spatula recommendation, these tongs received high marks across the board for their length, sturdy construction, and rubber grips.

You may have come across a few grill masters that can perfectly gauge the temperature of meat and poultry by a side glance and a quick prod. For the rest of us, a thermometer is an invaluable tool to take the internal temperature of the food you’re grilling and make sure everything is cooked through properly. Our pick is the Thermoworks Probe Thermometer. This model excelled at every test thrown at it and was singled out for its very high accuracy with an easy-to-read screen.

If you’ve ever grilled before, you have noticed that in addition to the open flame, there is frequently sizzling fat and condensation flying up in the air. The last thing you want to do when handling the grill is expose yourself to all of that - risking burns and dirty, greasy clothing.

Let’s talk about grilling aprons. There are a ton on the market now, with many of them going the novelty angle with a cheesy phrase on the front. However, a good grilling apron is really worth its weight in gold. It will protect you from grease and splashes, can have pockets to store dirty utensils and access them on the fly, and with the right material won’t make you sweat. Our pick for the best grilling apron is the Hedley & Bennett Crossback. This apron is adjustable, lightweight, and comes with deep pockets. This made its way to the top of multiple review sites and it is easy to see why.

The next crucial accessory is of course the grilling gloves. Whenever you’re around the hot grill handling cast iron, hot metal, and sizzling food, you absolutely need heat resistant gloves. Much like grilling aprons, there are a ton of different gloves on the market. What you want to look for is a glove that will cover enough skin so you don’t get burned by splashes, as well as a glove that is easy to grip with and one that is actually heat resistant enough to grab anything on the grill regardless of temperature without dropping it immediately. We recommend the Rappicca BBQ gloves. Not only are they heat resistant up to a whopping 932 degrees Fahrenheit but are also slip resistant and coated with waterproof neoprene, making them resistant to grease and easy to clean.

One final addition we want to make to your grilling accessories is the grilling prep tray. This is an oft-overlooked accessory that most new grillers won’t think about until they are loading and unloading food onto dirty dishes. Prepping your food is essential to cooking everything on time and getting everything on and off the grill. For this accessory there is no real magic answer, you simply want a tray that is large enough to hold all of the food you’re preparing and light enough to lift with one hand. Additionally, look for trays that are either metal or shatterproof, and have raised edges to keep any juices from spilling all over the ground.