Keeping your grill clean is essential for producing top quality meats and veggies. Nobody wants crusty remnants of past meals stuck to their main course. Unfortunately, maintaining a sparkling clean cooking surface is sometimes easier said than done. While the market is full of grill cleaners and accessories, the Grill Daddy company has created several innovative products for keeping your grill clean and your hand's safe.

The Grand Grill Daddy is a large, stainless steel cleaning tool with two wire brushes fixed to it. The tool features a chamber that holds a couple ounces of water. Grill Daddy relies on the slow release of water through the brush to create steam on the hot grill surface. The steam makes those caked on charred bits much easier to remove.

My initial impression of the Grand Grill Daddy was that it was really bulky. For small/medium grills, I typically use lightweight plastic or wood handled brushes. In addition to being somewhat cumbersome to handle, it's also too large to fit in the storage container that houses my grill brush. Before ever using it, I had immediate concerns about the Grill Daddy's practicality.

Testing the Grill Daddy was easy enough. Dirty grills aren't hard to find in my family. Ultimately, I decided to use the grill daddy on my old charcoal grill. With the cold winter relenting just a bit this weekend, I fired up the long dormant grill for Christmas Eve T Bones.


As you can see, this grill's surface was in need of a good scraping. After lighting the coals, I shut the lid for 15-20 minutes to make sure the fire and grill grate were nice and hot. I then turned the valve on the Grill Daddy to release the water and let the brush do the work.


I can't argue with the results. Though I felt the water was dispersed unevenly, it was more than enough to do the job. After just a 10 second scrub, the grill was filled with steam and the grates were as clean as they had been in years.

There is no doubt that the steam was the key to great results. While I have to wonder if dipping a small wire brush in water before scraping would yield the same results, the Grill Daddy definitely worked as advertised.
The complete unit is very sturdy and will likely last for years. Both brush heads detach easily and are replaceable. There really aren't many components on the brush than can break.

I still can't get past the Grill Daddy's bulk. For someone who grills 3-5 times per week (weather permitting), I just don't see myself reaching for a large brush every day. However, when the grill is in need of a serious clean, having the Grill Daddy will be handy.

In addition to the steam powered grill brushes, Grill Daddy produces a number of other grilling tools. Their telescoping spatula is especially noteworthy for its versatility and durable design. Their tools also feature unique heat guards meant to protect your hand while flipping burgers over a hot flame.

You can see the full line of Grill Daddy products here. They're also available for purchase at major retailers like Target, Home Depot and Amazon.

Every pitmaster and backyard grill king needs a quality set of grilling tools. The right tools are essential for handling each cut of smoked or char grilled meat. Grill tool sets are popular gifts this time of year and there's no shortage of options. Nearly every big box store and online retailer offers one or more sets. The key is finding the right tools for your needs.

If you've got a large grill and/or often find yourself handling large cuts of meat, Cave Tools may have the grilling set you're looking for. These over-sized, stainless steel tools are designed to do some heavy lifting. Cave Tools' website says that they are produced with 20% more stainless steel than competing grill sets. They are definitely on the heavy side. However, they don't feel quite as stout as the Man Law grill set I reviewed (and currently use at home) two years ago.

The extended length of the Cave Tools set is ideal for large grills. The long spatula allows you to reach the back of the grill without getting your hand too close to the flame. It's the type of spatula that I would use when grilling burgers for a crowd. The tongs work well for situating larger cuts on the grill or smoker. They're particularly useful for full racks of ribs. They are, however, cumbersome when trying to handle smaller items. If cooking a large quantity of chicken wings or hot dogs, for example, it takes quite a lot of grip strength and stamina to constantly move and turn the meat.

Other features worth noting are the hooked ends making each piece easy to hang from any grill station. The spatula also features a serrated edge for scraping the grill. More importantly, the spatula can be used as a bottle opener ensuring that the pit master stays refreshed as he/she prepares dinner.

I've used a pretty wide variety of grilling products over the years. These days they come in nearly every size, shape, color and material. While I wasn't blown away with the Cave Tools set, it definitely falls on the higher end of the scale. They're pretty stylish and appear to be well made. I expect they'll hold up well for quite a long time as well.

Check out the grill set at http://mycavetools.com/ or you can order your own set through Amazon.

Yankees seemingly apply the term "Carolina BBQ" to any pork slathered with a vinegar based sauce. Those living within the Tarheel state will tell you that there are actually two very distinct styles of NC "Q". Fans of both types vehemently defend their style of "Q" and declare it the truest form of North Carolina BBQ.

"Eastern" style BBQ typically features whole hogs smoked over hickory and seasoned simply with salt, pepper and vinegar. "Western" or "Lexington" style BBQ uses only the pork shoulder. Their sauce is also vinegar based, but is typically accented with ketchup or Worcestershire sauce. East meets west in the state's Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill).

Being located in the middle of the debate, Bart's Old North State (Chapel Hill) is a North Carolina BBQ company blending the best of both worlds. Bart's is a restaurant, caterer and competition team that started in 2002. Their restaurant and catering company have garnered rave reviews on social networks like Yelp and Foursquare  while the competition team has won numerous contests including the last two North Carolina BBQ Sauce Championships.

Photo courtesy of www.bartsoldnorthstate.com

I never got the opportunity to enjoy their "Q" while living in North Carolina, but Bart's did send me a bottle of their award winning sauce to review. I've had my eye on their sauce for quite some time so I was really looking forward to testing it out. They market their sauce as the "Perfect Blend of Eastern and Western N.C. Sauces".

Bart's Old North State is, of course, a vinegar based sauce. What sets this sauce apart are accent ingredients used to enhance the sauce's flavor. Ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, molasses and assorted spices make Bart's a much more complex blend. The thin sauce is sweeter than most Carolina sauces. For me, that's a welcome change. It also in no way diminishes the requisite vinegar tang that traditionalists expect from NC "Q".

Any good Carolina sauce needs to be paired with smoked pork. I poured half the bottle over a pile of smokey pulled pork shoulder. The flavors couldn't have complimented the meat any better. I loved the balance of vinegar tang and sweet brown sugar. Their was even a slight spicy element. I later tossed shredded roast beef in the sauce with similar success. In fact, I found that I liked Bart's as a dip for just about everything.

Bart's take on Carolina "Q" is a pleasant addition to the genre. Though I have a feeling traditionalists may scream about the inclusion of some the ingredients, I think they've created an delicious, innovative flavor that still pays homage to their Carolina roots.

Learn more about Bart's and purchase their Carolina sauce for yourself at www.bartsoldnorthstate.com .  You can also check them out on Facebook.