Top 12 Gifts for Grillers in 2022

What do you give someone who loves hosting, barbecuing, and outdoor cooking, but already has everything they need? Do you need some ideas for your favorite grill head's birthday or Christmas present? Our team of outdoor-cooking enthusiasts and craftsmen at Sea Island Forge have devoted our lives to forging memories around outdoor culinary and grilling experiences. We believe in quality culinary instruments and quality time with loved ones and family, and that value exudes itself into each gift we have chosen on this list.

Since gifts for those who love to cook outdoors are what really light our fire, we created a list of the top gifts for the griller or open-flame fan in your life, from pizza stones to cookbooks. We have thought of everything; whether you're looking for the ideal present for a seasoned BBQ master, a fun gift for the daring open fire cooker in your life, or a unique gift for Dad this holiday season.

  • A Wireless Meat Thermometer

Outdoor cooking enthusiasts and grill experts need a high-quality meat thermometer to ensure that steaks are cooked to perfection at temperatures that are safe for eating. We use the MEATER, the first completely wireless smart meat thermometer when cooking with our Sea Island Forge Fire Kettles. This tool for $69.95 assists in consistently cooking the most delicious steak, chicken, turkey, fish, or other meats alongside the easy-to-use MEATER app. We also recommend the Thermapen ONE for $105, known for reading a temperature in one second. The precision and long-lasting quality of these models are what places them at the top of a meat-lovers gift list.

  • Artisan Grill Tools

This robust, hand-hammered tool set comes with a sop mop, pigtail, tongs, and spatula hand forged specially for outdoor fire pit cooking over high temperatures. One review remarks, “Quality is unmatched and having the canvas roll to keep everything together is an absolute lifesaver.” Your outdoor cooking enthusiast friend or BBQ-loving father will relish their time cooking over an open flame with this $400 set of artisan quality tools with their ergonomic handles.

  • Pizza Stone

Pizza has a mouth-watering, smokey flavor when it is grilled over charcoal or wood embers in a fire pit. We recommend the Lodge cast iron pizza pan for $47.95 or an Emile Henry pizza stone ($70) for an even, consistently crunchy crust. (There are tips here for achieving a perfectly grilled pizza crust on an Emile Henry pizza stone).  Let your friend take their ‘za family pizza night to the next level with Emile Henry’s pizza stone and pizza open fire or grilling recipes, like a roasted tomato Margherita pizza.

  • Seasonings/Rubs 

Give your grill-loving friend the gift of explosive flavor with Chef Jay Ducote’s collection of Louisiana Barbeque Rubs. All four are packaged together at $25 and these flavors allow a grillmaster to impress with outdoor Southern dishes like Jay D’s smoked sweet corn or sweet and spicy street steak tacos. We also regularly season our dishes with Pitmaster and classically trained French Chef Tuffy Stone's Cool Smoke Everything Rub for well, everything. This versatile blend for $11.95  adds a cool smokey flavor to any meats and veggies or to our favorite: grilled potatoes.

  • Oyster Bed or Oyster Shucker

Have an oyster-lover in your life? Even experienced grillers and outdoor chefs will value the opportunity to try something new and interesting, and this grill-safe aluminum oyster bed for $150 or hand-made, efficient oyster shucker and shuck guard for $180 are the ideal tools for elevating their flavorful shellfish. Oyster beds made of metal are strong and portable and are lighter than and don't rust like cast iron, yet they still cook meals evenly. In fact, Chef Jay Ducote has a mouth-watering open fire/grilling recipe for sweet and spicy southern BBQ Butter Chargrilled Oysters using this oyster bed.

  • Cedar Plank

The warm, sweet, and smoky aroma of salmon cooked on cedar planks are unmatched, and these cedar grilling planks from Royal Oak are nothing but all-natural cedar wood for adding a new cooking option for the outdoor griller in your life. These are usually priced at $10 for 2-pack of cedar planks. Simply put fish on top of a cedar plank after placing it on your grill. In addition to having one less pan to clean, cedar-scented wood also provides a lovely flavor. To experiment with how various kinds of wood enhance each outdoor cooking recipe, try these hardwood planks with other meats as well, such as chicken or steak. Royal Oak even has a how-to guide for using their cedar planks while outdoor cooking and an excellent grilling recipe for cedar plank lemon dill glazed salmon. 

  • Grill Pan

Emile Henry is best known for its chip-resistant Dutch ovens that combine advanced technologies with age-old techniques. However, Emile Henry also produces a variety of ceramic outdoor grilling cookware. We love using their high-quality $50 oval grill pan on our Sea Island Forge Fire Sidekick because it is perfect for keeping in moisture when grilling shrimp, fish, juicy lamb chops, and other seafood. One reviewer says it is a “Beautiful product… easy to clean and use. Perfect size to grill a whole fish.”

  • Handmade Roasting Forks

Roasting sticks make excellent and necessary outdoor fire pit or campfire gifts for a family. There are many different types of sticks that can be used for roasting, but selecting handmade, hand-forged roasting sticks are fun, timeless pieces for someone you love. For roasting marshmallows for s'mores or grilling hotdogs over fire pits in the fall, use these Sea Island Forge hand-forged roasting forks. A reviewer claims, "My go-to gift! These are beautifully made, so much fun to use, and easy to clean." Each fork is sturdy, hand-twisted, and light thanks to its 29" length and forged stainless steel construction. This $270 set includes dishwasher-safe detachable handles and a gorgeous quiver with polished leather straps and copper rivets. You can’t go wrong with this handmade, family-friendly gift.

  • Hamburger Press

After sweating over an open flame, a good host will want to make sure their feast looks as delicious as it tastes. Presentation matters when it comes to food. A hamburger press creates burger uniformity in shape, thickness, and diameter and reduces mess in the process. Every aficionado of this cast iron hamburger press from Lodge will tell you how fantastic cast iron is for cooking burger patties with a restaurant-quality sear. For $19.95, this Lodge cast iron burger press radiates heat, distributing it uniformly throughout the surface and creating a perfectly even-cooked burger patty every time.

  • Artisan-Crafted Pig Tail and Pecan Shells

The Sea Island Forge pigtail grill tool is the ultimate solution for quick and easy flipping. It is designed to be strong enough to handle substantial portions of meat while being delicate enough for fruits and vegetables. Have a left-handed friend? These $70 hand-crafted tools have both a right-handed and left-handed option. If you want, you can even get a pigtail set that comes with aromatic smoking pecan shells for $85 to add sweet, smoky flavor to your outdoor cooking experience. These easy-to-use flavor bombs are also sold separately by The Art of Pecan for $11.99 per bag to create rich wood and bacon overtones from the pecan shells, and even more flavor from the botanicals. Smoking pecan shells are ideal for flavoring poultry, fish, and other meats.

  • Grilling Plank

We love Emile Henry’s high-quality French craftsmanship. This $50 Emile Henry smooth Burgundian clay grilling plank is perfect for grilling delicate foods as well as beef, fish, and chicken. The grill plank’s high edges and large cooking surface prevent small food items and oil from spilling into the grill. With this Emile Henry outdoor bakeware, your favorite outdoor chef can prepare nearly anything outdoors, from eggs to fruit cobbler and other desserts. One reviewer says it all: “Amazing. Received one as a gift and have used it for meats, and vegetables. So easy… and so good. Cleans easily and pops in the dishwasher. Have purchased two more for gifts.”

  • Open Fire Cookbook

Spark creativity with a new open-fire cookbook under $30. In chef, Michael Symon's Playing with Fire: BBQ and More from the Grill, Smoker, and Fireplace, Symon provides expert advice on using various grilling and smoking techniques, using flavorful woods for smoking, cooking different types of meat, and successfully combining proteins with rubs, sauces, and sides. Need some inspiration for sides? Check out one of our favorite cookbooks by live-fire expert Francis Mallman is Green Fire: Extraordinary Ways to Grill Fruits and Vegetables, featured on Chef’s Table. When it comes to the idea of cooking fruits and vegetables over fire, Mallmann brings his open fire cooking expertise and ingenuity to the fire pit, and then to the table.

For those who dream of savoring smoky cookout smells and are ready to drop the hot summer season, this list is for them. Our Sea Island Forge team hopes these gifts bring people together in new ways this fall and winter season, gathering around delicious dishes, talking around delightfully crackling flames, cooking over an open fire, or roasting heart-and-stomach-warming dishes around glowing embers. 

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About

The hallmark of Sea Island Forge is thoughtfully designed and beautifully executed metalwork - whether it’s our collection of handcrafted entertaining pieces or our signature Fire Pit Grilling System. We forge thoughtful designs for you to forge memories around.