We Found the Best Memorial Day Deals on Grills and BBQ Gear
May 26, 2021 Off By Rec Room StaffHowever you celebrate Memorial Day, there’s one (nearly) universal truth: It’s a bad, bad day to be a grillable piece of meat. We can already hear the sizzle of hot dogs and burgers on the grates—and, oh boy, are we here for it. This Memorial Day, our cookouts and barbecues are going to be ones to remember. We’re all (hopefully) vaxxed, we’re finally busting out our short shorts, and we’ve been cooped up for a looong time. Bring the coolers, the unbreakable wine glasses, and as many ice-cold longnecks of Bud heavy as you can carry. It’s party time.
But hold your horses, cowboy. You’re not seriously thinking about throwing a Memorial Day BBQ without the proper supplies, are you? You haven’t seen Grandma in a year—how is she supposed to get sufficiently sauced if she can’t put down a good base layer of perfectly cooked porterhouse? And what about the vegetarian next door—are your cast irons clean enough to get those asparagus stalks crispy? These are things you must consider, friend, and we’ve been considering them for a while.
Fortunately, we’re here for you, champ [tousles your hair]. We’re the New-Balance-clad dad that you need when the burgs are burning and the dogs are bursting through their casings. We’re the grilling guru you thought you lost when you moved a few states away from Uncle Bill, here to align your charcoal chakras… sport. We've got the best Memorial Day deals on cookware, grilling gear, and meat-handling machines. Fire it up.
Your first standing grill
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This is a medium-sized boy for anyone who wants to level-up from a portable grill, but isn’t ready for a whopper. It comes with a six-level, height-adjustable charcoal pan, a built-in thermometer and damper, and an easy draw-out ash catcher. Plus, the side table flaps fold in until you’re ready to take up more space and fly to Flavortown. Save 20 bucks on it right now at Wayfair.
Royal Gourmet 22" BBQ Barrel Charcoal Grill, $129.99 $109.99 at Wayfair
The grill that uses less gas
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Short and stout, this grill fires up fast with 1,200 btus without using all the gas needed for a full-sized grill. And that’s perfect for us simple summer folk, whose grilling aspirations include some 10-minute salmon or whatever for a handful of friends. Also, the lid and handles lock on so you can throw it in the back of the car like a discus, or (even better) be the person who brings the grill to the party. Not really, but close. It's $78 off right now at Home Depot.
Metal Outdoor Portable Tabletop Barbecue Grill, $321.32 $257.05 at Home Depot
The backyard classic
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You’ve probably seen this guy—or some version of it—kicking around the backyard of every virtually suburban home you came across growing up. (That is, if you grew up in the ‘burbs.) That’s because it’s awesome. This tried-and-true charcoal grill by Weber doesn’t run out of gas, is easy to clean, and won’t rust or peel if you forget about it over a season or two. It also has a 13-burger capacity, just like you.
Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, 22-Inch, Black, $195 $171.50 at Amazon
A very Hobbitcore grill
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Imagine roasting a Cornish game hen in this mini barrel grill, or training your Dachshund to lift the lid. A dark barrel style will never go out of fashion, and this one is great for grill beginners, collectors, and campers because of its classic and straightforward design. Only caveat? No ash-catcher. But that doesn’t really matter when you can just pick it up and dump it with one hand, you Summer Sasquatch. It's on sale right now at Wayfair.
Black Outsunny 19.5" Outdoor Camping Barrel Charcoal Grill, $64.99 $47.99 at Wayfair
For the apartment celebration
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Not everyone has an outdoor space suitable for a grill. (Or an outdoor space whatsoever, amirite?) That doesn’t mean you’re disqualified from M-day cellies! No, what you’re looking for is a grill pan. These options from Le Creuset (nearly 50% off) and Cuisinart (more than $50 off) are great for stove-top grilling, and just about anything else you’d like to cook with them. Maybe not soup, though.
Le Creuset 13 in. x 8.5 in. Cast Iron Grill Pan, $159.95 $89.95 at Wayfair
Cuisinart 11'' Square Griddle, $80 $29.95 at Wayfair
‘Z’ for “zee best grill in the known universe”
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That’s actually not a promise HR says we can make, but the whopping 553 square inches of cooking surface might beg to differ. The control board also ensures precise temperatures so you don’t give gam-gam food poisoning from undercooked pork. Oh, and it’s easy to clean, burns pellets evenly and with minimal waste, rolls around on wheels, and it's $70 off right now.
Z GRILLS-5502H Pellet Grill , $479 $409 at Z Grills
To match that Carhartt beanie
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Huckberry is like if Kinfolk and REI had a baby whose reclaimed vintage table business went so well, they retired at 40 to the Meditteranean, Montana, or Maine (any of the sexy M’s, really). So, of course they’re slinging an apron that falls between workwear minimalist and earthy chef. Saving almost 20 bucks on it sounds good to us, too.
Denver Crossback Apron, $95 $75.98 at Huckberry
Sausage isn’t the only thing that’ll be stuffed this weekend
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Get your mind out of the gutter—there’s sausage to be made. First of all, grinding your own meat is awesome, but making your own sausage, too? C’mon. You know you’re dying to text your BFF, “hey dude, let’s link up.” This bad boy is 50 bucks off at Amazon right now.
VIVOHOME 1500W Electric Meat Grinder, $129.99 $79.99 at Amazon
Revisit your basic grill tools
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You don’t need much, but you do need the right stuff. A Japanese-style santoku knife will keep you chopping faster and better, while the spatula and tongs will keep you from, IDK, burning your hands off? These are no-brainers, but extra-smart no-brainers thanks to their food-grade stainless steel material and the carrying pouch they come with.
BioLite Prep and Grill Tool Kit, $39.95 $29.96 at Backcountry
A restaurant-grade, on-the-go grill
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“After a long day of hiking, there's nothing more rewarding than a Gruyère-stuffed burger with slices of slightly warmed Granny Smith apple, sauteed onions, and a handful of fries hot off the griddle.” OK, Eureka grill company. We see you. We were fine with eating smushed granola bars on the trail, but your obsession with hiking gastronomy has us intrigued. This grill is named Gonzo, because like Gonzo from the Muppets, it carries the whole damn show on its compact back. A proud piece for beginners, advanced cooks, and pancake lovers (of course it comes with a griddle) alike, and it's on sale at Backcountry as we speak.
Eureka Gonzo Grill, $189.95 $142.46 at Backcountry
Spend this Memorial Day deep in the forest
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Camping nerds, assemble! This add-on to your BioLite stove (which is 25 percent off right now) is everything you need to “Knock your brother-in-law's socks off with fresh caught, grilled trout stuffed with lemon slices, tarragon, and butter, served steaming hot with gently charred asparagus and an ice-cold pale ale.” Is this what other people are eating when they go camping?? WHAT? Anyway, this tiny little grilling machine packs a punch, with features including a fuel intake lid, a steel grill grate, a flame-spreading design, folding legs, a grill cover, and 55 square inches of cooking area.
BioLite Portable Grill, $59.95 $44.96 at Backcountry
You might not BE the sharpest knife in the drawer
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… But you can HAVE the sharpest knife in the drawer. Right now, though, chances are that you don’t—which is why you need to give those bad boys a run across the ol’ whetstone! Contrary to popular belief, honing rods don’t actually sharpen knives, they hone them, hence the name. (Mind blown, we know.) While it’s certainly important to hone your blade before use, sharpening is much more important and effective. And just like you can ruin a good steak with a poor slice, you can ruin a good blade with a poor sharpening technique—namely, running it through a grocery store pull-through sharpener. These might help in the short term, but they’ll never get your edge as sharp as a whetstone will, and they’ll eat your blade over time.
Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone, $35.99 $23.99 at Amazon
Spring clean your culinary arsenal
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This is the only toolbox you’ll actually be using this season, and it blows whatever grocery store spatula-and-tongs set you’ve been using to flip burgers out of the water. Plus, the spatula, fork, tongs and grill brush all have leather straps to hang on grill hooks, so you can rest assured that they’ll match the rest of your earth-tone aesthetic. And right now, they're almost half off.
Cuisinart Grilling Tool Set, $55.99 $29.09 at Wayfair
Bring the bar to you
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We don’t want to be running in and out of the house whenever we want a cocktail—we’re not barbarians! No, we have an outdoor bar cart to compliment the one we have inside, as a gentleman must. This one has, among its other sweet features, a removable ice bucket for perfectly chilled bottles and cans.
Ravenna Outdoor Wicker Bar Cart by Christopher Knight Home, $306.49 $275.84 at Overstock
It’s beer-o-clock everywhere
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Either that’s what my watch says, or I’ve had too much to drink. At any rate, you’re going to want to be able to place a pitcher or two of suds (or batched cocktails) on your picnic table so guests can get in right… “mental headspace” to really let it rip when they bust out a late-night rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
Cantina Glass 90 oz. Pitcher, $28.99 $22.99 at Wayfair
For the griller who truly has everything
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A full-body mister and iPad/media holder? This is like the equivalent of turning your grill station into a DJ booth. You’ll even have the festival-y water feature.
BBMister Cooling Station, $159.99 $125.99 at Wayfair
May your steaks be seared, and your cookouts be weird. Flame-o, hotman!
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