grilling gadgetsgrillinnovations.com/pdfs/bbqaccessories.pdfanufacturers and retailers alike are...

anufacturers and retailers alikeare taking barbecue acces-sories more seriously and giv-

ing the category the respect it deservesas a true profit center. Accessory prod-ucts are moving well beyond the stan-dard tongs-spatula-fork sets. Offeringsnow include cookware speciallydesigned for the grill, ethnic cuisine-inspired implements, well-designed,high-quality tools, charcoal-lightingproducts, gourmet rubs, sauces and sea-sonings, and even gift-perfect gadgets.

“The use of accessories in grillingis rising rapidly,” says Sean Tegart,vice president product marketing atWeber-Stephen Products Co. “In fact,one-third of Americans report usinggrilling accessories more now than they

did in the past. We believe this trendwill continue to grow as more peopleare using their grills for a wider arrayof foods – like seafood, fruits, vegeta-bles and pizza. As a result, consumersare looking for the proper grilling tools,and dealers who carry a broad range ofaccessories are seeing a tremendousamount of sales success.”

Manufacturers are paying attentionto cooking trends and translating themto fantastic barbecue accessory prod-ucts that have consumers returning tothe retail store for the latest gear tokeep on top of new grilling recipesand techniques.

Barbecue Accessories

New gadgetsfrom innovativemanufacturers makeit easier for outdoorchefs to cook awider array of foodswith a greater rangeof techniques.

M

By Lisa Readie Mayer

68 HEARTH & HOME OCTOBER 2010

GrillingGrillingGadgetsGadgets

Tools from Grillfinity.

H10A068 BBQ Accessories 9/21/10 1:57 PM Page 2

your indoor oven without heating up yourhouse,” notes Hamlin. “And it’s good tohave on hand in case of a power out-age, too. We’ve had people tell us theywere able to cook every meal despite along power outage.”

SavorRest was developed out of frus-tration over meat getting cold during therecommended resting period before carv-ing. At her husband’s request, Sally Wait-

ley searched for a thermal insulatingblanket to cover meat to keep it hot untilserving time. When she couldn’t find oneanywhere, Waitley, a seamstress, stitchedone up herself and before long all thecouples’ friends wanted one too. Believ-ing this was a marketable concept, theyformed GrillTenders and began manu-facturing and marketing the SavorRestmeat resting blanket.

SavorRest is currently available infive attractive fabrics and three sizes,including an extra-large blanket that’sperfect for competition barbecuers andfor keeping food warm during retailcooking demonstrations. According tothe company’s Johnny Williams, a turkey

covered by the SavorRest lost only fivedegrees of heat while “resting” in a recentstudy. “Foil doesn’t do the job alone,”Williams explains, adding that the con-sumer response to the product has beentremendous, frequently selling out dur-ing demos. “The concept is so simple,”he continues, “but it solves a problemand makes food taste better.”

The name may inspire snickers, butthe BBQ Hooker is a very handy four-in-one tool incorporating a hook for turn-ing meats, a spatula, a serrated knife-edgeand a bottle opener. “This simplifiesyour cookout,” says co-owner CynthiaSchultz. “You only have to clean onetool, and there’s less to store. From awoman’s perspective, that’s important.”

If your store caters to hunters,campers or fishermen/women, considercarrying the CanCooker. The light-weight aluminum cooker, which lookslike a miniature, old-fashioned milkcan, sits on a grilling grid, camp stoveor propane burner and cooks food bysteaming or boiling it inside the closedcan. According to national accountmanager Sonja McGinn, it’s great forfish boils, clam bakes, brats boiled inbeer or other one-pot meals.

The latest products from Diver-siTech, makers of the Original GrillPad, a mat that sits beneath a grill orfirepit to protect the deck from greasestains and sparks, have nothing to dowith grilling at all. Yet, predictsnational sales manager Ray Shelor,they should still be of interest to bar-becue dealers looking for a good wayto boost counter-seasonal profits.

The Christmas Tree Stand Mat is a30-inch reversible red and green matmade out of breathable fiber materialsand a protective barrierthat safeguards floorsfrom tree stand waterspills. The smaller Hol-iday Surface Saver isideal for protectingfloors and furniture fromstaining, scratches, con-densation rings andmore caused by poin-settias and other deco-rations.

“Both these prod-ucts answer a need andwill be compellingimpulse purchases forconsumers this falland holiday season,”Shelor explains.

How to Sell MoreTo beef up accessories sales, the expertssuggest taking advantage of manufac-turers’ display systems to showcase thebreadth of your accessories department.You want to make a clear statement onyour sales floor that you are in theaccessories business.

“But it does no good if the displayrack is tucked in a corner far away fromthe grills,” notes Burch. “It’s a good ideato display accessories directly on a grill

or side burner to show how they wouldbe used.” For instance, showcase ajalapeno pepper rack, a pizza stone or apaella pan on the grilling grid or placea sauce pot on the side burner.

Burch also explains that enlarged oreven poster-sized photographs of foodbeing grilled using accessory productscan be helpful, as well. “Give peopleideas about what they can cook,” hesays. “Show a photo of a chicken ona roaster or a colorful stir fry in a top-per. Accessories really do make foodtaste better and give people more vari-ety in what they can cook on a grill.”

According to Burson, one of themost important tricks to selling acces-sories is to work them into demos.“Talk about the rack you’re using to

hold the ribs, the woodchips, the seasoning rubs,”she explains. “The moreyou talk about accessoriesand show people how touse them, the more theywant to buy.”

Buy indeed. Manufac-turers report that, althoughpeople still seem hesitantto part with money for anew grill, they are willingto purchase new accessorygear to upgrade theirgrilling experience. Andwith excellent margins,accessory products couldhelp dealers survive untilthe economic tide turns.



The SavorRest Meat Resting Blanket byGrillTenders.

The Splatter Mat byDiversiTech.

“It’s a good idea to display

accessories directly on a grill

or sideburner to show how

they would be used.”

– Joe Burch, Alfinity USA

BBQ Hooker.


The entire Big Green Egg acces-sories line has been updated recentlywith new packaging. The company alsohas introduced new display rack sys-tems to help retailers “make a pres-ence” for accessories on the sales floor,according to Burson.

But one of the greatest sales boostsfor its accessory line has been the newBig Green Egg cookbook developedand produced by the company this year.The multitude of recipes and dozens ofmouth-watering, full-color photos in thebook were designed to showcase the ver-satility of the EGG and show how, withthe help of various accessory products,it’s possible to bake breads and desserts,cook casseroles, roast meats, slow-cooktraditional barbecue fare, make brick-oven-style pizzas, stir-fry and more onthe ceramic cooker.

“The cookbook has had a greatresponse,” says Burson. “Dealers havedoubled and tripled amounts on reorders.And the secondary success is that it hasdefinitely helped boost sales of the acces-

sory products used in the recipes.”Just as Big Green Egg built

its business exclusivelywith specialty dealers,Alfinity USA, makersof the Grillfinity line ofaccessories, hopes to dothe same. “We don’t sell tomass retailers,” insists Joe Burch,the U.S. representative for the HongKong-based company. About three yearsago the company launched a line of pre-mium, professional-quality grilling toolsand accessories targeting consumers whoappreciate good design, sleek styling, andbetter-quality products, according toBurch. For example, Grillfinity grill top-pers range from 1 to 1.5 millimeters thick,depending on the style, as compared toa .6 millimeter thickness on typical top-pers. “Thicker steel lasts longer and per-forms better with no warping, burn-out,or other adverse effects from the heat,”he points out.

They have since added a secondbrand, Thing-a-Ma-Bob, which offersa variety of multi-functional gadgets,including a 6-in-1 topper which com-bines a grill topper, skewer rack andbasting systems in one unit.

Burch says the company has focusedas much on packaging as the product,investing significantly in its design. Theentire line will have a new look in 2011as the former black packaging will bereplaced with an orange flame andsmoke design on a solid white back-ground. “The goal is to be more eye-popping and attract more attention inthe store,” he says.

Ones to WatchSome of the year’s hottest accessories

were born out of cool ideas. TheLooftlighter, a 2010 Vesta Award

finalist for best hearth/barbecuecomponent or control, wasinvented by Swedish theaterdirector Richard Looft, after agrilled chicken dinner was

ruined by the flavor of lighterfluid and he had to order pizza

instead. The electric Looftlighter resem-bles a hair dryer and uses hot air tolight lump or briquet-style charcoalquickly and easily without chemicals.With 70,000 units sold over the lastthree years in Europe, according toLooft, the product has a promising futurein the U.S. (It also lights wood fires infireplaces, stoves and chimineas.)

Another pizza order necessitated by

a spoiled meal on the grill led to thebirth of the Grill Innovations grill plate.Creator Ed Hamlin attempted to cook ameatloaf on the grill for the weekly lunchhe prepares for his employees every Fri-day. The disastrous result required a quickcall for pizza delivery and inspired a mis-sion to develop a product that wouldfacilitate baking on the grill.

Hamlin’s patented, stainless-steel GrillInnovations grill plate sits on top of thegrilling grid and holds baking dishes,roasting pans and even cookie sheets tomake everything from roasted potatoesto lasagna to mac and cheese to cook-

ies. The heat circulates through the baseof the plate creating a convection effect,while the dimpled surface and insulat-ing air gap prevent foods from burning.A 16-by-12-inch rectangular unit designedto fit most gas grills is available now,and a round version for kettles and ceramicgrills is in the works.

“This product is great because it turnsa grill into a convection oven and allowsyou to cook anything you can cook in


Grill Plate from Grill Innovations.


Patented Grid Lifter by Big Green Egg.

Looftlighter, a 2010 Vesta Award finalist.

Professional-qualitygrilling tool-set by GrillFinity.


Mindful of statistics from its “Grill-Watch Survey” showing 10 percent ofgrill owners have tried cooking pizzaon their grill, Weber has introduced theWeber Pizza Stone. The heavy-dutystone sits atop a metal frame so thepizza bakes like it’s in a brick oven,but doesn’t burn. Clever handles lift thestone from grill to table.

The new pizza stone is part ofWeber’s new line of grilling accessorieswith upgraded materials, smart designfeatures and cool looks.

Another company recognizing thepotential of the category is Bull Out-door Products, which launched a newline of barbecue accessories this year.The “very comprehensive” offering was“designed to increase footsteps in thestore,” according to vice president ofsales and marketing, Frank Mello. Thecompany also has developed a conve-nient display rack system that is freeto dealers who purchase a minimumamount of product. “Accessories are akey to a retailer’s success,” Mello adds.

Napoleon has amped up its acces-

sories line, as well, expanding the selec-tion and upgrading the packaging.Napoleon now offers one of the indus-try’s most extensive lines of accessoryproducts, including a large variety ofgourmet items, cookware, grill racks andtoppers, tools, wood products, and evenseveral cookbooks by company spokes-chef Ted Reader.

Barbecue guru Steven Raichlen saysaccessories help backyard chefs accom-plish more complex grilling techniques,recreate restaurant trends and prepareethnic specialties. To that end, his lineof Steven Raichlen Signature Acces-sories, produced and marketed by Com-panion Group, has added a host of newproducts this year including a cast-iron,griddle-like plancha for Spanish-stylegrilling, a crème brulee set for makingthe classic French dessert on the grill,a paella pan, a seafood rack for grill-roasting oysters and clams, a paninigriller, and slider burger basket kit,among other items.

“We try to make grilling easier, moreprofessional and more fun,” Raichlenexplains.

Companion Group certainly puts theemphasis on fun with its own Char-coal Companion brand of acces-sories featuring nifty gadgetsand colorful, attention-grabbing packaging.But the productsare practical too,offering relatively inex-pensive solutions to every-day grilling issues. For instance,the Steak Station has internal meatprobes that register the desired rare,medium or well-done-ness on up to four

different steaks. Smoke in a Cup holdswood chips in a disposable, cupcake-sized aluminum container, making itconvenient to add wood smoke flavorto any type of grill. The V-ShapedSmoker Box fits between the flamedetector bars on a gas grill, convertingit into a smoker. And the TurboQue isa retro-fit fan system that turns a basic,no-frills grill into a professional, con-vection style cooker.

Big Green Egg launched 20 new“EGGcessories” in 2010 to add to itsalready extensive line-up. The new introsinclude “fun, gifty stuff like EGG-shapedcorn holders, salt and pepper shakers andcandles,” notes Big Green Egg market-ing manager Jodi Burson. But the mostexciting new accessory products includecookware and bakeware specificallydesigned for the EGG, such as paellapans, pizza stones, baking dishes, roast-ing pans and multi-tier grilling grids to

expand the cooking surface.

ABOVE: Steak Station.RIGHT: Crème Brulee Set,

both from Companion Group.

Rectangular Wok Topper and Pizza Topperby Napoleon.

Rotisserie from Bull Outdoor Products.

Kabob set and Pizza Stone by Weber.

OCTOBER 2010 HEARTH & HOME 69


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