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The best cooking grates for outdoor and campfire cooking

HappySprout Contributor
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Cooking grates make for an easier clean-up as well as preventing food from sticking to the sheet pan. Not to mention, it’ll leave your food with beautiful grill marks left behind after a nice, even cook.

A good grate won’t cave in, even with the heaviest steaks rested on top of it. This will allow the best circulation of heat and even cooking. Roast everything from burgers, hot dogs, and kebabs on these efficient cooking grates. Great for your at-home outdoor grill or indoor oven, these grates also serve their purpose on the road for use over a campfire. We’ve found the best grates for grill, oven, and fire-pit cooking.

Weber Cooking Grate

Best Grate Overall

Our pick for the best grate overall is the Weber Cooking Grate, which measures 13.5 " in diameter. This circular grate fits 14-inch grills. Alternately, you can set it over a campfire for outdoor grilling. The grate is also designed for use of briquettes to adjust height, resulting in a more indirect cook.

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Ultra Cuisine 100% Stainless-Steel Wire Cooling Rack

Best Value

The strong wire grid of the Ultra Cuisine 100% Stainless-Steel Wire Cooling Rack is made from durable stainless steel, so you won’t have to worry about rusting or flaking. These cooling racks fit snugly inside 13 " x 18 " half sheet pans. The crossbar design ensures stability and a level, even cook.

Checkered Chef Cooling Racks

Best for Baking

The Checkered Chef Cooling Racks are the best suited racks for baking, they’ll prevent cookies from falling through the cracks and make cleanup easier. These racks come in a set of two and can fit perfectly into a standard 9½ " x 13 " quarter sheet pan. These dishwasher-safe, stainless-steel cooling racks won’t twist or warp, ensuring long-lasting use. The ideal size for small kitchens, RVs, and compact ovens.

Stromberg Carlson Stake and Grille

Best with Stake

For added security and support, try a cooking grate with a stake. The Stromberg Carlson Stake and Grille is 15-inches wide and 22-inches long, with the stake measuring 36-inches long. Slide the grate up and down on the stake to adjust your food’s proximity to the heat below, then lock it in place to assure it stays secured. This stake and grill come with a nylon bag for storage.

With the use of cooking grates, you’ll notice a perfectly even cook on all of your grilled meats and baked desserts. Additionally, cleanup after each meal won’t be a pain. So, whether you’re cooking over a fire, your own outdoor grill, or conventional oven, ensure the perfect cook each time with one of these cooking grates.

Topics
Use these 7 tips to build an outdoor kitchen on a budget
Rebecca Wolken
By Rebecca Wolken
October 18, 2021
outdoor eating space

Outdoor kitchens are quickly becoming one of the most coveted features in a home. Not only have the last few years taught us to love the space we're in, but it's encouraged us to spend more time in our outdoor living spaces. An outdoor kitchen is an excellent way to enjoy the fresh air while hosting a party or just cooking dinner for the family.

Unfortunately, outdoor kitchens can be an intimidating project to take on. Once you consider all the features like cooking station, countertops, plumbing, electric, seating, and more, you can see how it can be an expensive addition to a home. However, it's important to remember that an outdoor kitchen can be as complex or as simple as you want it to be. Here are our tips for staying on budget while creating the perfect outdoor kitchen for you and your family.
Planning for success
The most essential part of any project is planning. Without a clear plan, it's likely that your project will go off the rails, over budget, and might never be finished. We recommend taking the time to assess your current space and create a wish list. This might mean going onto Pinterest or Houzz to find some inspiration photos or pulling from your own imagination to create the perfect space for you. Either way, make a plan, write it down, and set a game plan.

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Good, better, best: Outdoor sheds for garden storage
Stacey Nguyen
By Stacey Nguyen
October 17, 2021
Garden storage shed

Once you start to hunker down on the gardening life, you’ll eventually find yourself in need of space to store all of your planting tools. Luckily, plenty of garden storage sheds exist out there. Still, having a host of choices can be overwhelming, in and of itself! If you have limited garage space or don’t want to go back into the house every time you need to grab your supplies, an outdoor garden shed may just be what you need. Ahead, we break down three choices for the top picks out there and give them a good, better, best ranking to help you choose one that suits your home and needs.
Good: Rubbermaid Horizontal Storage Shed
The Rubbermaid Horizontal Storage Shed is a good choice when you’ve accumulated quite a few garden supplies but don’t need a full-blown shed yet. It has a convenient, horizontal size at 34 x 55 x 28 inches, the perfect dimensions for storing your fertilizers, pruning scissors, gloves, watering cans, sprays, and other tools. The construction is also high-quality—it’s made from a water-resistant resin material and features double-walled construction that resists leaking and denting.

Because it’s essentially plastic, this outdoor garden shed resists rot, mold, and insect damage as well. At $230, you get a high-quality product that can compactly store supplies for a small garden, and the assembly shouldn’t take you any longer than half an hour. The drawback is that it is relatively modest in size, so you’ll need extra storage when you expand your gardening toolkit. And while it can accommodate a lock and some shelving, you’ll need to purchase those items separately. Some reviewers have mentioned slight warping when you leave the shed outside for too long, so be careful about extreme temperatures!

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What you should be cooking in your outdoor kitchen this October
Stacey Nguyen
By Stacey Nguyen
October 15, 2021
Pizza spinach

Now that the weather is cooling down, it’s time to fire up the grill in your outdoor kitchen one last time before it gets too cold for outside gatherings. Luckily, there’s no shortage of delicious recipes that take advantage of fresh autumn harvests. In addition to the herbs that you planted in the late summer, you can also whip up meals with all the gourds, leafy veggies, and fruits that you might have in your garden right now. From an herb-stuffed fish as your main dish to sweet grilled apples and pears as dessert, we’ve rounded up the most delicious autumn recipes to try in your outdoor kitchen this October.

Fresh salad with kale, spinach, and arugula
Veggies such as kale, spinach, and arugula do well for early autumn harvests, and they‘re also excellent salad bases. For some autumnal flair, chop up and roast root veggies such as sweet potatoes or beets. Pop in the protein of your choice—chicken breast and tofu are easy go-to's that you can heat up quickly on your grill. To use even more of your garden goods, add herbs such as tarragon and rosemary to enhance the dressing or vinaigrette for your fresh salad.
Barbecued carrots
Barbecued food doesn't only have to be summer fare. A great autumnal recipe for your outdoor kitchen is barbecued carrots with some toasted pecans. After coating your carrots in oil and grilling them for around 20 minutes, toss them in a dressing with vinegar, soy sauce, fresh herbs, garlic, and ginger. Add in toasted pecans or the nuts of your choice for extra texture and flavor. Obviously, carrots aren’t the only veggies that you can grill—you can try cooking broccoli, corn, and more! Grilled veggies make for easy and delicious side dishes that will surely win over your guests.
Grilled fish with lemon and herbs
Fish with lemon and herbs is one of the most laidback recipes you can prepare for your autumn soirées. It’s uncomplicated, but still filling and flavorful. All you need to do is stuff the fish of your choice with lemon, garlic, and herbs. Then, drizzle oil on your fish and leave it on the grill for six minutes or so on each side. Fresh herbs that work perfectly for this dish include parsley, thyme, and dill—whatever is handy in your herb garden!

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