The tested and rated Tool Wizard 20-inch BBQ Tongs are an essential addition to your BBQ and grilling tools arsenal.
They've gotten a gold review on the main site, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. Even when picking up a tiny 2.5 lb pork butt it is almost impossible to hold on to. Worst tong ever. I still have it, all it's good for is moving a log or two in the fire in my offset.
Yeah, these are useless for moving food, utter crap in that respect. Mine live by my fire pit now, they're much better than a poker for moving burning things.
These tongs just LOOK awkward. Might good for picking up a sausage link or hot dog, but the design doesn't seem conducive to grabbing anything large or heavy.
Have a pair also, and they are strictly used for picking up and moving splits in the fire, which they are excellent at. Also used for getting B&B Char-logs out of the bag when I only need a couple, to keep my hands clean! lol. Not my worst purchase, but they aren't good for food at all, in my experience.
Grill Grates for the traeger. They did not work at all. Now they just sit there. I am thinking of cutting them to make them fit on the kettle. Not sure it I should tho.
I wouldn’t use them with a charcoal grill. I bought some and used em twice on my Weber….Hated em, the grates got too hot and didn’t do squat for grease flareups. I’d sell em if I was you, that’s what I did.
Various pairs of gloves that still don't let me pick up and hold hot cast iron or a hot rotisserie spit.
I found it really interesting what people are listing on this thread, a lot of which I wouldn't have expected. Like GrillGrates. I don't have them and so don't have an opinion, but with as many people on the site that like them I was surprised at the number of times they were listed on the thread.
Same. I’ve never used grill grates…and come to think of it, I don’t know anyone that does. And with a dedicated griddle I’m even less likely to try them. Still, I was surprised by the first post mentioning them…and fairly shocked by the several following. I just sorta figured they were universally loved.
I was hesitant to post, but I bought a custom cut set of Grill Grates for my 3 Embers gas grill, and I don't see a problem with them. My grill gets hotter and gets there faster with them. I don't think they are any harder to clean than any other grill grate. No warping, no rusting. Much less flare up with burgers and chicken. But to each their own, I guess. I don't regret my purchase.
Gear includes: Char-Griller's Grand Champ off set stick burner/smoker, SnS Kamado Deluxe, Weber 22, PBC, Victory gasser, Victory 36 griddle, Smoke Hollow electric smoker. ThermoWorks Thermapen Mk4, Smoke, Signals, and RFX4, Meater+, SNS-500, roti fits 22 n gasser, Emeril countertop TO, InkBird Sous Vide, Potane Vac/Sealer. Fire&Ice griddle/cooler ensemble.
3-pkg of Collapsible Prep Tubs
Junior, Original, Xtra Lg. SS D. Norcross
Complete set (Tx PJ!) Wusthof Knives n block.
Dalstrong:
Phantom Series Paring knife
Shogun SeriesX 6" Chef knife
Gladiator Series 12"Cleaver knife
Just got into charcoal Dec ‘21 (PBC)
fav is brisky. Love Turkey on PBC. also Turkey in the glass,(any nice bourbon)
Bud has always been my barley pop.
Been smoking a handful of years, just got serious in the last two or three years. Thanks to AR n @glemn picked up an SnS Kamado for appx 1/3 price of new. I dont think he used it twice. Love AR! keep calm n smoke on! Miss you Bonesy.
The 4 x 6 Lifetime shed my SWMBO demanded I get to put all my bbq thingy’s n accys. Shoulda built a garage instead. Maybe I should go for an OG outdoor kitchen?!?!
Last edited by Alan Brice; June 6, 2022, 09:55 AM.
Reason: On second thought!
They've gotten a gold review on the main site, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why. Even when picking up a tiny 2.5 lb pork butt it is almost impossible to hold on to. Worst tong ever. I still have it, all it's good for is moving a log or two in the fire in my offset.
I bought a pair of these many years ago. They weren't my fave either so I talked to MH about it. As I recall the company changed the length and the tongs MH liked aren't the ones we got. Did you get the 20"?
Last edited by David Parrish; June 7, 2022, 08:24 AM.
Man, if that is the case Meathead should really update the review to say product not available. That is a shame as my favorite pair of tongs disappeared recently so I need to find them or get new ones.
Did a little digging and the tongs on the review page show he’s recommending the 20†tongs. Based on the pictures supplied in the previous posts here, those are the 16†tongs. So, maybe the larger ones are much better.
I got the 20" tongs. They just suck all around except for wrangling a runaway briquette, but I didn't buy them for that. If you got gloves on, you ain't getting your fingers through the loops either.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
I asked for it from my kids for Father's Day several years ago, and all 3 of them chipped in and got it for me. It has been used EXACTLY once.
The design of the Genesis II (made from 2017 to 2021) was such that the side walls are lower than on prior and more recent models. You had to remove the cooking grates to spin even a 4 to 5 pound chicken, and even THEN, tightly trussed, it was flopping against the flavorizer bars. I tried to put a drip pan with veggies in it on top of the flavorizer bars, under 2 chickens, and the veggies had to be pushed to the front and back, as the chicken was hitting the bottom of the pan. Forget spinning a turkey - ever. And its sad, as I could fit a lot on that long spit rod if I wanted to.
I feel guilty that my kids spent money on it every time I notice that long spit rod for my Genesis II E-410 hanging from a hook in the garage. I've since gotten a rotisserie for the Weber kettle, and it is far superior due to the huge clearances the rotisserie ring for the kettle provides.
EDIT:
I see a lot of hate for Grillgrates in the other posts. I have a love/hate relationship with them after a grease fire below the grates nearly destroyed my 2019 Genesis II 4 burner last year. But aside from that they are great for smash burgers on the flat side, and for reducing flareups when the grill is not having a grease fire due to pre-heating on high too long. Since I rarely use the Genesis anymore, where I would say I use them is any time I want to do full-grate 1 zone direct heat cooking on my kettle or kamnado. They are great at that, so that I can fill the charcoal grill with food and not burn it up. I've even put the set from the Genesis on top of the grate on my offset when using it as a charcoal grill.
Bruceski44 I am glad to keep someone else from wasting their money on it. I've looked at the new Genesis lineup (they've dropped the II) at Lowe's recently, and they've raised the sidewalls of the grill, and I think you could run the rotisserie just fine on these new ones without even removing the cooking grate. I hate that the Genesis II even has the mounting points for a rotisserie, as it caused my kids to waste money on something that is practically useless on that series of grills.
I have a Hasty Bake that I won right here on Amazing Ribs ! Also have a pellet grill but the HB is the best for daytime BBQ. Like my Thermoworks chef alarm and heat resistant gloves.
I talked my brother in law to buying a very expensive stainless gas grill. ($2000) It was supposed to have a lifetime warranty. That was good only as long as they were in business though.... It is now a non working stainless steel built in ornament . The gas feeder tubes are worthless. The rest of the grill is fine including the grill grate rods and 7 burner tubes. I did order some stainless steel tubing and tried drilling it out but it was a tremendous amount of tiny holes and I broke too many bits ... so gave up for a while . Not giving up completely yet but ... The HB and Memphis makes it less necessary.
Caveat...I did find a local BBQ joint that had, yes had, some of the best brisket I have wrapped my lips around. Tired Texan BBQ in Omaha. Unfortunately, he closed his doors on Mother's Day. The last couple of years kicked his butt with the pan-damn-demic, grease fire that wiped out his smoker and had to wait close to 8 months for a replacement, supply chain crap, no worker bees, lease was coming due, so he made the difficult decision to close up shop.
22” Blue Weber Kettle with SnS insert
Kamado Joe Jr with Kick Ash Basket
Char-Broil Smartchef Tru Infrared Gasser
Anovo Hot Tub Time Machine with Custom Hot Tub
I've got one of those pasta strainer thingies, I don't think I've ever used it for pasta but it's great for getting boiled eggs in and out of the water.
How about the Smoke E-Z for my 26.75" Weber kettle. Shoulda just bit the bullet and bought a WSM. I will say it is a chicken cookin' machine if you're in the mood for hangin' half chickens PBC style. Other than that, it was a total waste of money. Part of that I blame on the crook who claims he is Helping U BBQ, that sold it to me, and another part on me for trusting the guy.
RiverJeff I lived at Thomasville back in the day and would go to the duds & suds on 96th to cure my Sunday hangovers and do laundry. I shed a couple of tears when they tore it down to put in the Hy-Vee.
RiverJeff On the laundry note, the Top Grills owner is in the laundry equipment business as his money maker. This location actually used to be a laundromat. He converted this location so his hobby could become his side hustle. In the back room, he has sample of all of the rubs so you can taste them before buying. Eventually he wants to have some cooking classes back there too...or at least that used to be the plan.
@Craigar
This all sounds good can not wait to visit. I live up here in Tekamah after growing up in CB work whole life in Omaha 144th at Dodge was gravel both north and south That is showing my age!
Jeff
Another cool thread that’s given me several chuckles…
I don’t have notable purchase regrets, other than not buying Weber Kettles and WSM’s sooner than I did…
Another regret is taking so long to build my pit…. It took me a long time to decide what I’d be pleased with, bypassing the disappointing engineering change orders…
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