Best Weber barbecue accessories, tried and tested

Buying a BBQ grill is just the beginning of the story. A huge range of Weber barbecue accessories means there’s almost no limit to your creativity when it comes to cooking outdoors.

While it’s possible to sear and smoke meat and vegetables in a number of different ways simply using the grill grates your barbecue came with, there’s a whole other world of techniques you can unlock via the modular Weber Crafted and Gourmet Barbecue System.

So, if you’re bored of flipping a few burgers and sausages on a Sunday afternoon and want to flex your culinary creativity, give your outdoor grill an upgrade with these Weber accessories. Whether you’re craving a pizza, smoky rotisserie chicken or even a breakfast waffle, there’s a tool or attachment for you.

Best of all there are options for barbecues of all sizes, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got a small charcoal kettle tucked away in the corner of your garden or a four-burner gas grill taking up half the patio. Or both.

The best Weber accessories

Weber Crafted Griddle

Overview

In terms of innovation, this isn’t the most complicated piece of kit – it’s a 40cm square of porcelain-enamelled cast iron - but the rim around the edge and lack of holes mean you can cook things on it that either require high heat or would normally fall through barbecue’s grill grates. Like batter.

There’s a small amount of preparation needed before you use it, in the form of ‘seasoning’ the cooking surface. This requires getting the griddle hot before spreading a thin layer of oil across it, which is then allowed to burn off.

Cleaning requires getting it blisteringly hot and then scraping anything off with a big spatula. Washing up liquid will strip the non-stick “seasoning” off so Weber recommends using baking powder on any really tough spots. I find squirting a bit of plain water helps or you can pick from the best bbq cleaners for more options.

What I’ve used the Weber Griddle for

Initially, I used this mainly for breakfast items like pancakes (I used to have to use two frying pans on the hob to make enough for my family) and fried eggs with hashbrowns, and even huevos rancheros and shakshuka.

More recently though I’ve been experimenting with birria (style) tacos, using leftover brisket as the filling and then frying tortilla wraps that have been dipped in a mixture of the roasting juices and stock. Actually getting quite hungry thinking about it now.

I’ve also got Philly Cheesesteak on my to-do list, having seen this famous sandwich made properly in Philadelphia a few years back, I'm keen to recreate it at home now I've got the appropriate kit.

The flat-top is a supremely versatile addition and I feel like I’m only just scratching the surface. Make sure you get a couple of big metal spatulas for the authentic noise and combination of scooping and chopping this griddle is characterised by. And a laser thermometer if you’re a real pro.

Weber Crafted Grilling Basket

Overview

Useful for cooking things like chopped veg that you wouldn’t normally be able to balance on the grill, or delicate cuts of fish that need a flatter, more even surface to cook on.

You may be thinking that sounds like a similar proposition to the griddle and you’d be right, but the small gaps in this basket allow a bit of flame grillage flavour to find its way into your food, as opposed to frying in oil on the flat-top. It’s a subtle but noticeable difference.

What I’ve used the Weber Grilling Basket for

Primarily vegetables but also for chicken fajita wraps where I wanted a bit of charring but also the ability to mix the chopped peppers, meat, and onions around and add spicy seasoning without it all falling through the grill grates.

Also, it’s really good for adding colour and smokiness to a load of par-boiled potato wedges, which I used to put straight onto the bars of the barbecue, but find it much easier to turn them in the Grilling Basket.

Weber Crafted Glazed Baking Stone

Overview

This is probably the most interesting addition to a barbecue because it means you can make everyone pudding once they’ve had their main meal, without retreating to the kitchen for an hour.

But it’s not just for sweet things as I’ll get onto, as baking obviously covers bread and things made of bread. Like pizza.

What I’ve used the Weber Baking Stone for

If you’re a pizza purist you might want to skip this paragraph – but I’ve perfected a method of making big fluffy Neapolitan-style pizzas using a frying pan and the grill in my oven. Get both really hot, drop the stretched dough into the pan, cover with toppings and finish off under the grill.

It works so well I’ve not bothered trying a wood or gas-fired pizza oven, I reckon my pan and grill method is even faster and requires less tidying up.

However, that has all changed with this barbecue baking stone. You get it and the barbecue roaring hot, then turn down the burners directly under, and cook pizza with the lid shut using indirect heat (plus the residual heat of the stone). It works amazingly well – crisp base, soft but crunchy crust, and perfectly cooked toppings.

I’ve also made batches of biscuits, pouring the mixture straight onto the hot stone - this requires a bit of finessing in terms of heat because you don’t want to burn the bottom and leave the top raw, so I turned the burners under the stone right down and left the one to the side on full heat, and it worked well.

How I tested the Weber Crafted accessories

Over the past ten years, I’ve become a backyard barbecue expert, and enjoy nothing more than spending a long Sunday smoking a pork shoulder or beef brisket on my 57cm Weber Master-Touch Kettle.

On my Weber Genesis EPX 335 gas grill, I like to experiment with different recipes, especially ones that you wouldn’t normally cook on a barbecue. Gas is more controllable and this opens up lots of possibilities for new and exciting methods, enabled by the Weber Crafted range.

Here are the best barbecue upgrades I’ve tested so far, and I’ll keep adding to this list as and when I try something new.

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Adam Binnie is the Affiliate Operations Editor and reviewer for WhatsTheBest, specialising in bikes, fitness, cars, parenting and cooking.