Review: Grill Daddy Heat Shield Tongs and Spatula

By Dru Chai

BBQ is a multi-billion dollar industry -- that's BILLION with a "B." A large chunk of that are the accessories. Everyone knows you just can't have a grill and be done with it. There's just so much more to improve upon your BBQ grilling and smoking experience. According to HBPA's 2013 State of the BBQ Report, some of the most popular utensils are long-handled tongs (72%) and long-handled spatulas (54%).

Recently, I spent a few grilling sessions using a couple of GrillDaddy's products:

- Grill Daddy Heat Shield Stainless Steel Tongs
- Grill Daddy Heat Shield Stainless Steel Spatula

I had to entertain some guests during my backyard BBQ, so I wasn't able to capture "in action" photos with food and fire, but you get the idea in the photos below. Both products obviously did its job as a pair of tongs and a spatula, but what sets these apart from the competition is the heat resistant shield that keeps your hands, fingers, and knuckles from being burned on a flaming hot grill.

These Grill Daddy tools are sturdy and made well, so nothing felt flimsy. Time will only tell on how long these tools really last, but it all depends on how frequently you use these tools. From the grip to the length of both the tongs and the spatula, they were a good fit with my 22" Weber Kettle Grill.

You may be asking yourself, so what's the point of having a heat shield when I already have a heat resistant glove? That may be true, but I know there are many grillers who refuse to wear a heat resistant glove or mitt because it's just not "manly" enough or they feel like it takes too much time putting it on and taking it off while grilling. With these tools, you quickly grab and use them with ease.

So the heat resistant shields on the Grill Daddy products are meant to do exactly that -- shield your fingers from the flame. They definitely do get rather hot (of course, it's steel) so it's perfect for a quick flip of the burger while the flames are going up.

A few other things to note. Despite what the packaging or advertisement says, the "telescoping" feature isn't really that reliable. I tried to extend it, but it just didn't really work that well. The pop out meat thermometer from the bottom of the spatula handle is a cool feature in theory, but the thermometer isn't the most reliable. Think of it more of a temperature gauge, more than anything. It's best to have your own dedicated digital thermometer. I recommend the Thermapen.

Overall, a couple of solid BBQ accessories if you spend a lot of time grilling over a flaming charcoal fire. It's also a good gift for that grill master in your family.

Dirty Smoke rating - (3.5 out of 5 stars)
- Grill Daddy Heat Shield Stainless Steel Tongs
- Grill Daddy Heat Shield Stainless Steel Spatula

Review: Mr Grill Heat Resistant Grill Gloves

I can't tell you how many times I've burned myself during grilling and smoking. Okay, maybe the word "burned" is a bit excessive. More like, slight singes. I've always relied on those giant BBQ mitts to keep my hands from any excessive heat. Truth be told, I hated those things. They were clunky, didn't provide much grip, and quickly wore out its "heat resistant" capabilities. I quickly banished my oven mitts to indoor oven, cookie-making status.

Recently I came across the Mr Grill Heat Resistant Grill Gloves and they definitely keep my hands and wrists singe-free. When I first put them on, I felt like climbing the walls like Spider-Man because the non slip silicone grips were so sticky. One box comes with 2 gloves (not just one like some other ones) and they fit really snug and tight--especially around the fingers. The gloves are "one size fits most," but I can see how someone with really fat sausage-sized fingers could have some trouble fitting these gloves.

Luckily, I don't have any fat sausage fingers (not yet, anyway), so I was able to use them several times to get a good feel for them. I didn't take any selfies with the actual hot charcoal and burning flames because I didn't want my phone to suffer any unfortunate mishaps, but I did take a few reenactment pictures. The gloves are perfect for when I'm handling the chimney starter and my Weber Smokey Mountain.

Those of you living in the East coast might be suffering from just a little bit of chilly weather right now, so these gloves might provide some warmth for the fingers. Living in Southern California, these gloves kept my hands warm in 40 degree weather at night (don't hate me). Recently, I had an itch to make some spare ribs at night. I found myself gnawing on some ribs for a late-night snack. Burnt free and singe free.

Dirty Smoke rating - 4.5 out of 5 stars 
Mr Grill Heat Resistant Grill Gloves do what they're supposed to do--keep your hands and fingers from burning while BBQ'ing. They are ultra snug around the fingers with a good grip. Max temperature is 450F and they are washing machine safe. Recommended -- check them out on Amazon.com.