Certain sounds fill the heart with the joys of summer, but the season's undisputed high note has to be the sizzle of a garden barbecue. Beyond clear blue skies, and an excellent potato salad recipe, what more could a griller want besides first-rate barbecue tool sets?
Once you've chosen the barbecue itself - no mean feat with so many lovely charcoal, gas and briquette BBQs to choose from – thoughts inevitably turn to other useful bits like knives, skewers and basting brushes. In the right hands, even the humble wire brush becomes an unsung hero of good al fresco living. From an artisanal, heirloom-worthy collection, to an affordable five-piece set, there’s a perfect pick for everyone in our edit.
The best barbecue tool sets at a glance
Don’t have time to read the full guide? We have rounded up the very best barbecue sets for your al fresco cooking, in one compact list.
- Best BBQ set for gifting: Toast Katto Hand Forged Barbecue Tool Set, £135
- Best BBQ set for beginners: Garden Trading BBQ Tools Set, £45
- Best artisanal BBQ set: The Cook's Atelier Hand Forged BBQ Set, £552
- Best ‘everything you’ll ever need’ BBQ set: Life of Riley Ultimate BBQ Gift Set, £154
How to choose the best barbecue set for you
When you want to purchase some new grilling tools, taking stock of your favourite al fresco recipes is a good place to start. Whether you're likely to smoke a whole chicken, lightly char watermelon wedges or griddle an iceberg lettuce, make sure the set you purchase gives you the tools to match your outdoor cooking.
Barbecue knives and forks with wooden handles are an attractive choice, but bear in mind that you will need to step up the care to keep the handles in tip top shape. Be sure the tools are long enough to keep your fingers at a distance from the open flames; long-handled tongs with heat-resistant handles come in handy when you are flipping food.
Best barbecue tool sets to buy for summer 2024
If you’re looking for attractive grilling tools, Toast is a great place to start. This set is forged, hammered and finished by hand in the UK. It’s exactly the kind of attention to detail you would expect from a brand that only creates what it knows will last a lifetime. Choose this trio for the live-slow feel you only get when something is made with care by artisans.
This barbecue set is ideal for the master griller who wants a professional finish using accessories like a burger press. The Ultimate BBQ Gift Set comes with a lovely waxed canvas tote for easy storage. Snap it up to enjoy rambling outdoor cooking adventures on sunnier days.
For the home griller that settles for nothing short of hand forged perfection, this Cook’s Atelier collection is an absolute must-have – handy skewers, little pitch fork and all.
BBQ Experts make stylish and hard-wearing grilling tools that will last for years. This heavy-duty carbon steel BBQ Grill Tool Set comes with a stylish leather case that makes taking your barbecuing adventures on the road easy.
Big Green Egg make brilliant kamado-style ceramic barbecues. This stainless steel barbecue set adds a welcome pop of deep green to your grilling set-up so you’re not limited to brown wooden handles.
An attractive design from Tramontina, this seven piece barbecue set has all the essentials you need to create your perfect grill-side display. With its Brazilian Muiracatiara wood chopping board and neat zipped-up case, it looks more high end than its price suggests.
The five tools that make up this great value Vonhaus set are the absolute essentials for cooking up a cracking barbecue. We like that a handy wire brush is included to make light work out of grill maintenance. This is a perfect gift for beginners at the start of their outdoor cookery journey.
If you’re looking for a handmade barbecue set that doubles as tabletop jewellery, look no further than Laguiole en Aubrac. This brand has been making intricate knives since 1829–and it shows. Expect artisan quality razor-sharp Sandvik steel and a soft-as-butter leather storage roll.
Garden Trading makes a nice looking barbecue set. Made from acacia wood and stainless steel, this is an elegant and durable choice for cooking up a stylish outdoor feast.
Trust Fenwick to come up with a barbecue set that looks the part and is good value for money. With handy details like a double-bending turner for getting a firm handle on larger cuts of meat, their Oxo Good Grips is a great find for keen grillers.
Lorenzi Milano’s barbecue accessories might just be the ritziest we’ve ever seen. The handles are made from bamboo root and the pouch is soft leather. If only the best will do, snap this one up in time for peak barbecue season. We think this would make a gorgeous gift too.
Top of our wishlist is The Black Farmer’s stylish BBQ Set. We figure that an outdoor cookery set devised by a bonafide husbandry and grilling expert is bound to be up to the job. The four-piece set is made from bubinga hardwood and stainless steel to easily flip and lift larger cuts of meat.
