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Top 10 Barbecue Gifts for Dad

Get Dad something he will really use!

By , About.com Guide

If you are like me, then finding the right gift for Dad can be a real challenge. You can always opt for the traditional tie, send a nice card or maybe Dad would like it if you did a little coloring for him.

If your Dad is a backyard cook though, you might want to get him something for the patio. Of course a new grill (gas, charcoal, or a portable or maybe a smoker would be fantastic. Otherwise, I suggest something like the following (despite the numbers these really are not in any specific order):

1. Weber Charcoal Chimney Starter

Weber Charcoal ChimneyWeber-Stephen Products Company
If your Dad lights the charcoal, whether for smoking or grilling, get him the most useful charcoal tool there is, a Charcoal Chimney. This handy little gadget lights charcoal quickly and easily without lighter fluid and lets Dad get more charcoal going anytime he needs it.
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2. Personalized Branding Iron

Interchangeable Branding Irons by Texas Irons
Get Dad a set of his own branding irons. You heat these up in your grill and use them to place a personalized brand on any meat. A great way for him to show off is grilling skills and really impress his guests. This branding iron allows you to change the characters so Dad and change it any time he wants
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3. BBQ Sauce of the Month

BBQ Sauce of the Month
Get Dad a different barbecue sauce every month for him to try out. A subscription to the BBQ Sauce of the Month club will get great sauces on his door step every month. There are a wide range of gift packs to choose from.

4. Broil-King Crown 70

Broil King Crown 70 Gas GrillOnward Manufacturing Company LTD
If you are serious about grilling and want a grill that delivers both high, even heat and gives you a lot of control, then this is a great grill for you. It might not look modern but Broil King has been making great grills for years. This model will give you wide versatility, including a full rotisserie kit with rear mounted rotisserie burner. The details in this grill like the control valves and the three position cooking grates make it great for grilling. The technology and quality of this Broil-King grill make it vastly superior to most any comparably priced grill.

5. The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, & Down-Home Barbecue

Thrill of the GrillHarpercollins
Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby are masters of grilling, barbecue and meat. This book is their first pairing and is the book that tought the world that backyard grill was more than burgers and steaks. This is probably the one book you have to have whether you are a serious master of the grill or just starting out. This book almost single-handedly changed the landscape of the cookout.
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6. Smokestack Lightning: Adventures In The Heart Of Barbecue Country

Smokestack LightningTen Speed Press
This book has become a legend in barbecue not because of its loads of great recipes (which it doesn't have) or its careful, step by step instruction (which is also doesn't have), but because it so perfectly captures the culture and history of true Southern Barbecue. This book will give you not just a taste of real barbecue but enough knowledge to not only make your own great, low and slow, traditional barbecue. If you are serious about barbecue, you already own this book.
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7. Outdoor Chef City Grill

European Outdoor Chef City GrillRegarding BBQ Inc.
This is a little, lightweight portable gas grill with the features, function and power of a full sized grill. The internal engineering centers around a pair of baffles (for lack of a better word) that allow you to focus the heat or distribute it. This gives you heating versatility in a single burner design. Under normal grilling you actually get a hot zone around the outside so you have lots of searing space and since you can reach over 500 degrees F. with this unit you can actually sear a steak. This is an excellent portable grill as well as a great apartment grill.

Or shop for other Portable Grills.

8. E-Z Que Cradle Rotisserie

E-Z Que Cradle Rotisserie KitE-Z Que Inc.
The E-Z Que cradle rotisserie unit is a truly unique rotisserie kit. This system uses a half cylinder basket that hold foods easily and firmly without a spit. Since the food is controlled by the basket you don't need to worry about balancing the spit before you put it on the fire. And because there is not spit this is the best unit for rotisserie cooking roasts. You don't have to try and run that spit through a whole roast to get it on the spit. Drop it in the basket, lock it down and cook.

9. Food Saver V3835 Vacuum Sealer Kit

FoodSaver V3835 Vacuum Food SealerSunbeam Products, Inc.
The FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer does much more than just saver food from freezer bite. You can use this handy gadget for saving so many things for when you need them. Trim of the dried edges of your smoked brisket and save them for the next time you want to add some flavor to baked beans or virtually anything else. With a few extra attachments you can also use your food sealer as a vacuum marinator so you can be ready to grill a marinated flank steak in minutes instead of hours. This is a great gift and one that will give you gift ideas for years to come.
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10. Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5 Inch Smoker

18.5 Weber Smokey Mountain CookerWeber Stephen Products Company
It would seem almost insane to change a smoker as popular at Weber's Smokey Mountain (WSM) Smoker, but Weber has listened to the fans and made only slight (requested) changes to this unit. The addition of a lid mounted thermometer and a bottom mounted heat shield doesn't affect how this unit works but gives you a better smoker. In the past you either had to drill a hole and put in your own thermometer or set one inside and lift the lid to check the temperature. Now you can see the cooking temperature easily. The heat shield will protect whatever surface you put your smoker on. All together, a better WSM.

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