Coal & Char

Charcoal Grilling Gear That's Actually Worth It

Skip the 20-piece gadget set. The short list of accessories that genuinely make charcoal easier — a chimney, a thermometer, and good gloves.

By Stephen V.Last updated How we pick

Walk into any hardware store in grilling season and you’ll hit a wall of charcoal “accessories” — 20-piece tool sets in a shiny aluminum case, novelty branding irons, a laser-cut basket for every vegetable. Almost none of it matters. The honest truth is that a good charcoal cook needs a very short list of gear, and most of that wall exists to pad out a gift box.

Here is the whole list that actually changes your cooking: a chimney starter to light coals fast and cleanly, a thermometer so you stop guessing whether dinner is safe and done, a pair of long heat-resistant gloves so you can handle a hot chimney and grate without a burn, and one good long pair of tongs. That’s it. Buy those four things and you are better equipped than someone who spent three times as much on a gadget set.

We rank the picks below in the order we’d actually buy them. The chimney starter comes first because it’s the single upgrade that most improves a cheap grill — it removes the lighter-fluid taste charcoal gets unfairly blamed for. A thermometer comes next, because the USDA is blunt that the only reliable way to know food has reached a safe temperature is to measure it, not to judge by color or time. Good gloves and one honest pair of tongs round out a kit that keeps you safe at the fire.

Prices below are pulled live from Amazon and dated. We have not cooked with every one of these — here is exactly what we do instead: read the published specs, do the value math, and check every temperature against USDA food-safety guidance.

How this is funded:we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which grill we recommend, and we’ll tell you when we’d skip one. Full disclosure.

Quick picks

Ranked on published specs, beginner-friendliness and value. Select a row to jump to the full write-up. We haven’t cooked on every one of these — here is exactly what we do instead.

#ProductBest forPrice
1
Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter

Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter

The single accessory that most improves cheap charcoal. Stuff a sheet of newspaper under a chimney of coals, light it, and in about 15 minutes you have evenly lit, ashed-over charcoal with zero lighter-fluid taste — no propane, no chemicals. This large-capacity model lights enough for a full kettle at once. If you buy one thing on this page, buy this.

Buy this first
$13.80 · View on Amazon

$14.535% off

Price as of July 22, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

2
ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Dual-Probe Thermometer

ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Dual-Probe Thermometer

The best-value way to actually know your temperatures. Two leave-in probes — one for the meat, one for the grate — read on a handheld receiver with a stated 500-foot range, so you can watch a low-and-slow cook from inside the house. No app, no WiFi to fight with, and a price that makes 'I'll just eyeball it' indefensible.

Best thermometer
$39.89 · View on Amazon

$56.9930% off

Price as of July 22, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

3
RAPICCA 932°F Heat-Resistant BBQ Gloves (14-inch)

RAPICCA 932°F Heat-Resistant BBQ Gloves (14-inch)

The accessory that pays for itself the first time you dump a hot chimney or move a grate. Long 14-inch cuffs protect your forearms — the part that actually gets burned — and the textured grip handles greasy meat and hot metal without a fistful of paper towels. Cheap, and genuinely part of a safe charcoal kit.

Best gloves
$28.99 · View on Amazon

Price as of July 22, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

4
OXO Good Grips 16-Inch Locking Tongs

OXO Good Grips 16-Inch Locking Tongs

Boring, cheap and the pair you'll actually keep using. Sixteen inches keeps your hand back from the coals, the stainless pincers grip a chicken thigh without shredding it, and they lock closed for the drawer. Skip the 12-piece 'grill tool set' — a good long tong and a spatula are 90% of what you need.

Best tongs
$20.95 · View on Amazon

Price as of July 22, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

5
ThermoPro TP19H Waterproof Instant-Read Thermometer

ThermoPro TP19H Waterproof Instant-Read Thermometer

The cheap instant-read everyone should own, even alongside a leave-in. Touch the probe to the thickest part of the meat and get a fast, accurate reading — the only reliable way to know a burger, chicken or steak has hit a safe temperature. Waterproof, foldaway probe, a few dollars. There's no reason to guess doneness.

Best instant-read
$13.99 · View on Amazon

$19.9930% off

Price as of July 22, 2026. #ad How we’re funded

The picks in full

#1Buy this first

Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe Charcoal Chimney Starter

The single accessory that most improves cheap charcoal. Stuff a sheet of newspaper under a chimney of coals, light it, and in about 15 minutes you have evenly lit, ashed-over charcoal with zero lighter-fluid taste — no propane, no chemicals. This large-capacity model lights enough for a full kettle at once. If you buy one thing on this page, buy this.

What’s good

  • Lights a full grill's worth of coals in ~15 minutes, evenly
  • No lighter fluid — no chemical taste in your food
  • Large capacity and heavy-gauge steel for the low price

Trade-offs

  • You need a scrap of paper or a fire starter to light it
  • The steel gets very hot — always use a glove
TypeChimney starter (large capacity)
MaterialZinc-coated steel
Lights~15 minutes to ashed-over coals
Best forLighting charcoal without fluid

Specs read from the product listing, on July 21, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#2Best thermometer

ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Dual-Probe Thermometer

The best-value way to actually know your temperatures. Two leave-in probes — one for the meat, one for the grate — read on a handheld receiver with a stated 500-foot range, so you can watch a low-and-slow cook from inside the house. No app, no WiFi to fight with, and a price that makes 'I'll just eyeball it' indefensible.

What’s good

  • Two probes track the food and the grate at once
  • Long stated 500-ft range on a dedicated receiver — no phone needed
  • Cheap enough that there's no excuse not to own one

Trade-offs

  • No smartphone app or temperature graphing
  • Two wired probes to route past the lid
TypeLeave-in wireless (handheld receiver)
Probes2
Stated rangeUp to 500 ft
App / WiFiNo — dedicated RF receiver

Specs read from the product listing, on July 21, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#3Best gloves

RAPICCA 932°F Heat-Resistant BBQ Gloves (14-inch)

The accessory that pays for itself the first time you dump a hot chimney or move a grate. Long 14-inch cuffs protect your forearms — the part that actually gets burned — and the textured grip handles greasy meat and hot metal without a fistful of paper towels. Cheap, and genuinely part of a safe charcoal kit.

What’s good

  • Long cuffs protect your forearms, not just your hands
  • Rated to high heat and grippy on wet, greasy food
  • Cheap and hard-wearing

Trade-offs

  • Not for holding your hand in live coals for long periods
  • Bulkier than bare hands for fine tasks
MaterialNeoprene-coated, cotton-lined
Stated heat ratingUp to 932°F (per listing)
Length14 in (forearm coverage)
Best forChimneys, grates and hot coals

Specs read from the product listing, on July 21, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#4Best tongs

OXO Good Grips 16-Inch Locking Tongs

Boring, cheap and the pair you'll actually keep using. Sixteen inches keeps your hand back from the coals, the stainless pincers grip a chicken thigh without shredding it, and they lock closed for the drawer. Skip the 12-piece 'grill tool set' — a good long tong and a spatula are 90% of what you need.

What’s good

  • 16-inch length keeps your hand away from the fire
  • Stainless pincers grip without tearing the food
  • Lock closed for storage; dishwasher-safe

Trade-offs

  • Not as delicate as a dedicated fish spatula for flaky food
  • Long length is slightly unwieldy on a tiny tabletop grill
TypeLocking tongs
Length16 in
MaterialStainless steel
Best forFlipping and turning over live coals

Specs read from the product listing, on July 21, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

#5Best instant-read

ThermoPro TP19H Waterproof Instant-Read Thermometer

The cheap instant-read everyone should own, even alongside a leave-in. Touch the probe to the thickest part of the meat and get a fast, accurate reading — the only reliable way to know a burger, chicken or steak has hit a safe temperature. Waterproof, foldaway probe, a few dollars. There's no reason to guess doneness.

What’s good

  • Fast, accurate reading for the all-important doneness check
  • Waterproof body wipes clean and survives grill spills
  • Cheap enough to be a stocking-filler

Trade-offs

  • You must be at the grill to use it — no remote monitoring
  • Single probe, manual reading only
TypeInstant-read (spot check)
Probes1 (foldaway)
WaterproofYes (per listing)
App / WiFiNo

Specs read from the product listing, on July 21, 2026. “Not published” means the maker doesn’t state that figure there.

Go deeper in Gear

Narrower picks, model reviews and guides for exactly what you’re shopping for.

The gear that actually matters (and what to skip)

The rule for charcoal gear is simple: buy the few things that make the fire easier to light, easier to read, and safer to handle — and ignore everything that only exists to fill a box. Here is the short list, in the order it earns its place.

1. A chimney starter — buy this first

If you buy one accessory, buy a chimney starter. Stuff a sheet of newspaper underneath, fill it with coals, light it, and in roughly 15 minutes you have evenly lit, ashed-over charcoal with zero lighter-fluid taste. It costs only a little, it lights a full grill’s worth of coals at once, and it improves a cheap grill more than spending the same money on a fancier grill would. It is also the reason the “charcoal tastes like chemicals” complaint exists — that’s lighter fluid, not charcoal, and a chimney makes it go away. Our top pick is the large Kingsford Heavy Duty Deluxe; if your grill is a small kettle or a tabletop, size down so you don’t waste fuel.

2. A thermometer — the end of guessing

The USDA is clear that color and cooking time do not tell you when meat is safe; a food thermometer is the only reliable way to know. There are two kinds and most cooks eventually want both. A leave-inprobe like the ThermoPro TP20 sits in the meat through a long cook and reads on a receiver from across the yard — ideal for low-and-slow, where you also want to watch the grate temperature. An instant-read like the ThermoPro TP19H gives a fast spot check at the thickest part just before you pull the food. See our thermometer picks for which to buy, and our temperature guide for the numbers to hit.

3. Long gloves — because the forearm gets burned

The moment you dump a hot chimney or reach across the grate, you find out why cheap short oven mitts aren’t enough. A pair of long, heat-resistant gloves with 14-to-18-inch cuffs protects the part that actually gets burned — the forearm — and gives you a grippy hold on greasy meat and hot metal. Neoprene-coated pairs like our RAPICCA pick are the most dexterous; waterproof silicone is better for wet, saucy work. Either way it’s a few dollars of genuine safety, not a gimmick.

4. One long pair of tongs — skip the tool set

A good 16-inch locking tong keeps your hand back from the coals and grips a chicken thigh without shredding it. Together with a decent spatula, it does about 90% of everything you’ll ever do at a charcoal grill. That is the whole case for skipping the 12- or 20-piece “grill tool set” — you use the two long tools and the rest lives in the drawer forever.

What to skip

The gadget sets, the fork (it pierces meat and leaks juice), single-use vegetable baskets, novelty branding irons, and battery-powered fire-blowing gizmos. None of them make the food better. A chimney, a thermometer, gloves and tongs are the whole honest kit — and once you have them, put the rest of your money into a better bag of charcoal instead.

Frequently asked questions

What charcoal grill accessories do I actually need?

Four things: a chimney starter to light coals cleanly, a thermometer so you know when food is safely done, a pair of long heat-resistant gloves, and one good long pair of tongs. That short list covers real lighting, safety and handling. Everything in a 20-piece gadget set beyond a tong and a spatula tends to sit in a drawer.

What's the one accessory worth buying first?

A chimney starter. It lights a full grill's worth of charcoal in about 15 minutes, evenly, with no lighter fluid and no chemical taste. It costs only a little and improves a cheap grill more than spending the same money on a nicer grill would. If you buy nothing else, buy this.

Do I really need a grill thermometer?

Yes. The USDA is clear that you cannot judge doneness by color or cooking time — a food thermometer is the only reliable way to know meat has reached a safe internal temperature. Poultry needs 165°F, ground meats 160°F, and whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb 145°F with a 3-minute rest. A cheap instant-read handles the doneness check; a leave-in probe is the upgrade for long cooks.

Are expensive grilling tool sets worth it?

No. Most multi-piece sets pad the box with tools you'll never use — forks that pierce meat and leak juice, single-use baskets, novelty gadgets. A single long pair of tongs plus a good spatula does almost everything. Spend the saved money on a chimney starter, a thermometer and gloves instead.

Sources

  • USDA FSIS — Food Thermometers — USDA on why a food thermometer is the only reliable way to know food has reached a safe temperature, and how to place the probe (accessed July 21, 2026)
  • USDA FSIS — Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — USDA safe minimum internal temperatures: 145°F for beef/pork/lamb steaks, chops and roasts (with a 3-minute rest), 160°F for ground meats, 165°F for all poultry (accessed July 21, 2026)

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