Grilling is truly a special pastime — especially for rising BBQ star Morgan Bolling. As a self-taught pitmaster and fan favorite from America’s Test Kitchen, Bolling says you don’t need a fancy setup to make show-stopping grill food right in your backyard. To get the scoop, I chatted with Bolling to find out what grilling gear she uses when she fires up the grill — and why it works.
With her signature blend of Southern charm and no-nonsense approach, Bolling strives to eliminate the “fear of the flame” to make home grilling accessible, fun, and inclusive. Her goal is to help others forget the classic grill-master stereotypes, focusing on cooking with heart, style, and flavor. From thermometers to grilling brushes, here are the basics you need to grab before starting up the grill.
Types of grills
“I own a gas and charcoal grill at home. One of my best friends and favorite people to barbecue with has an offset smoker that I use often. And another close friend has a Big Green Egg I enjoy playing with,” says Bolling. “I love Weber Kettle grills for charcoal; they are a classic, and our team devoted to testing kitchen equipment at America’s Test Kitchen tested and reviewed Weber Kettle grills, finding them a clear winner.”
“They’re durable, have a range of price points based on which features you want, and are genuinely really well designed.”
For gas grills, Bolling recommends Monument gas grills (used on the show) because they have a clear panel on the grill lid that allows you to see through to your food cooking without opening the lid,” she shares.
For charcoal grilling, she urges cooks to avoid using lighter fluid, which imparts a chemical flavor to the food cooked above it. Instead, she recommends using a charcoal chimney to light your charcoal, such as the Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter.
Grilling tools
When it comes to grilling at home, Bolling says having a good grill brush is a must to help keep your grill clean and prevent food from sticking. After extensive product testing, America’s Test Kitchen recommends the Weber 12″ Three-Sided Grill Brush.
In addition, Bolling says every home grill-master should be sure to have a great pair of grill tongs to make it easy to grab hot food off the grill (she recommends the OXO Good Grips Grilling Tongs). Her top tools include tongs, a fish spatula, and a thermometer (and a squirt bottle when cooking something that has lots of grill flare-ups).
Thermometers
No matter what she’s cooking, Bolling says she tries never to cook by feel. “Even if I’m traveling and think I’ll cook, I’ll try to pack a thermometer. I learned the basics of how to cook by feel in my restaurant days. But, there is nothing as reliable as just checking meat with a thermometer. Especially if you are cooking something like a prime rib or brisket or something that costs a good amount of money or takes a lot of time, I am not going to leave that to feel.”
Some of her favorites include the ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE, which is also suggested by America’s Test Kitchen, or the more affordable ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2.
“If you’re planning to do a lot of grilling, it’s worth buying a remote probe thermometer. These allow you to keep an eye on the temperature without opening the grill lid. My favorite is ThermoWorks Smoke 2-Channel Alarm.”
Niche grilling equipment
Beyond the basics, Bolling says there are also lots of niche grilling equipment worth considering, though not necessary for all home grill-masters. “It depends on what you like to cook. For example, some companies make grilling racks so you can fit multiple racks of ribs on a grill at the same time. However, I’m happy smoking 2 racks of ribs at once, so I don’t need to buy this and deal with storing it,” she says.
“Same concept with a burger press; if you make a lot of smash burgers, they are great. But you can also get a similar effect from using the bottom of a saucepan wrapped in foil (and using the base of it to press down on your burger). My space isn’t crazy big, so I tend to try not to see what I can make work with what I have.”
Grilling accessories
As for grilling “extras”, Bolling mostly steers clear of additional accessories such as grilling baskets, special grates, and trays. “I rarely use these types of products. I think they can be helpful for something prone to falling between the grill grates, like thin spears of asparagus or broccoli that are cut into small pieces. But I think with a lot of grill knowledge, you rarely need them. When I’m grilling vegetables, I often keep them in big pieces or planks and grill them that way, then cut them up before serving.
