The rating and functionality of a product to a consumer depends on the need it meets. Since you already know what you need in a grill basket (thanks to our buying guide), we hope to indulge you as you read the following individual reviews carefully. Study each feature that’s enumerated and check how it would meet your need. When you do this, you’ll be objective enough to know which features work best for you at your budget, or whether you might need to adjust your budget. The most important thing would be that you’ve gotten the best grill basket for you. That said, let’s move on to the reviews.
Mr. T is so excited that he’s been able to replace his old
camping grill that had served him faithfully for years, with this spanking new
gas grill. He and his family can’t wait to have a family night out so that they can put this new machine to work! The day is finally here; everyone is excited about the cookout. Dad brings out his chef apron and all his BBQ paraphernalia while mum gathers her veggies and small finger foods, and the grilling begins.
Dad places his large chunks of steak and briskets on the grate and is going back and forth, keeping an eagle eye on his grill. Mum wants to roast the veggies to accompany the meal, but has to wait for dad to finish. Dad is done and mum begins to grill her veggies, but it’s so frustrating and annoying because she keeps losing bits and pieces of them to the fire as they fall through the grate. Anyway, despite the frustration and annoyance from that, everyone enjoyed the cookout and had fun together.
Fast-forward to the following weekend. Mr. T’s brother-in-law invites him and his family to a cookout. On arrival, he noticed that the charcoal grill was set quite a ways from where the family was seated, but his brother-in-law was also comfortably seated with the family.
“Why don’t we all move closer to the grill so that you won’t miss out on the fun by going back and forth to check the grill?” he suggested.
“Ah! Not to worry,” said his brother-in-law. “I have a
cooking thermometer with a Bluetooth remote device that helps me monitor the grill from here.”
“Wow! That’s cool!” Mr. T replied.
Well, before you knew it, the meal was ready, along with the veggies that had been grilled to perfection without a one falling through the grate into the fire—thanks to the grill basket that was used. At the end of a wonderful night out, Mr. T said to his wife on the way home, "There are a lot of fantastic grill accessories that we need to get.”
“Yes,” she replied. “But I think we should start with a grill basket, that way we won’t be losing my veggies to the fire.”
We think so too! You need a grill basket, not only for the convenience it affords you, but also for the freedom it gives you to throw together different veggies and finger foods to get a wide range of tastes and flavors from your cookouts.
A grill basket is a pan that’s usually made from stainless steel and coated with non-stick material. It would also have perforations; this is to ensure that the juice in the food flows out and the heat from the grill gets to the food. This accessory is a great tool that helps to make sure that little bits of food items aren’t lost to the fire as they fall through the grate. You can now grill food in any shape and size conveniently.
Now let us show you some important things to look out for when choosing a grill basket.
Price
There are different types, sizes, and shapes of grill baskets, but what they all do is help you grill food without worrying about it falling through the grates. Some grill baskets are generic, while others are specific. The features that each basket comes with determines its price.
Our research shows that you can get a good grill basket for between $12 and $40. These prices, however, are not absolute because there are some high-end grill baskets that are more expensive and other regular ones that are cheaper.
We also saw cheap grill baskets during our research, but decided against featuring them in this review. We always endeavor to make sure that any product/brand we review is of good quality and has the ability to deliver great value for a good price.
Features
Grilling is an exciting outdoor activity and having the right accessories adds a lot to the fun. A grill basket is one of such accessories, and it comes with features that help to enhance your grilling experience. Knowing these features will help you make the right choice when shopping for one. Listed below are some of these features:
- Design – This includes whether it has a handle, the type of handle it has, and the shape.
- Material – This determines the quality and durability of the basket.
- Size – There are different sizes to fit different grills.
- Ease of cleaning – Is it machine-washable or to be hand-washed?
- Type – Is it specifically made for a certain kind of grilling?
All these and more will influence the choice you make. Let us consider them in greater detail.
Construction and Design
There are different types of grill baskets: woks, hamburger baskets, fish baskets, grill toppers, kabob baskets, and more. Each of these baskets is made for specific food items; however, there are grill baskets that are generic as well. They can be used for any type of food that you want to grill.
The essence of a grill basket is to provide a convenient means of grilling that's more effective and time-saving. Before choosing one, therefore, you need to know what you want to use it for. You can't conveniently use a kabob grill basket to make hamburgers or a wok to grill corn on the cob. If you just want a grill basket to keep your small food items from falling through the grate, then you'll do well to get a generic basket that's designed for use with any food item. Just chop up your food, season, spray with oil of your choice, and voila! You're in business.
If you start out with a basket that's designed for grilling corn on the cob or one that’s meant for kabobs, then that means that you'll have to buy other types of baskets. But unless you own an outdoor grill restaurant, it's not a cost-effective idea. The conclusion is that you may want to just start out with the generic baskets that you can use for anything.
Some grill baskets come with handles, while others don’t. This is an important feature to examine. If it comes with a handle, is it detachable or permanent? A detachable handle allows you to remove it and close your grill, to later reattach when you want to toss your food. Some grills, however, can accommodate the handle with a little opening, which some people claim increases airflow to the grill and makes it better. The detachable handles may be prone to a shorter life span than the permanent ones, but it all depends on the brand. Generally, however, handles make maneuvering easier and safer. In the same vein, remember to check for handles that are soft-grip and comfortable.
Finally, most grill baskets are made with stainless steel and coated with nonstick materials. This ensures that the food doesn’t stick onto the basket, while also facilitating ease of cleanup.
Performance and Ease of Use
When choosing a grill basket, don’t forget to check the dimensions of your grill first. Though this looks like a moot point, you might find out that you just see a grill basket you like and it totally escapes your mind that it has to work with a principal product—until you get home and alas, the basket is too big for the grill or not adequate for it. In fact, it’s even safer to have a smaller-sized basket than one that’s too big. Another thing to consider, as per size, is how many servings of whatever food item you make there will be per time. This will help you know the size that would contain the quantity of food you’ll be preparing.
Although many models of grill baskets are dishwasher-safe, you have to bear in mind that you’ll still have to scrape off any stuck-on pieces of food before placing in the dishwasher. Further, some models are easier to clean than others; although this information may not be gotten from product descriptions, you can check out reviews to find out. Note that baskets of any kind are usually not the easiest kitchen apparatuses to clean, making it even more important to check the ease of cleaning.
We appreciate that you took your time to read this review, and we believe that you have gathered enough information on grill baskets to get a grill basket that’ll add value to your grilling. Hurry now and make the purchase so you can start enjoying varied tastes and flavors in your BBQ!
