BHQF

I’ve been grilling for over 15 years, and I’ve burned through more cheap tool sets than I can count. The handles bend. The tongs snap at the hinge. The spatula gets so flimsy you can’t lift a burger without it folding in half. After testing dozens of options for this guide, I finally found the … Read more

When our team loads up the truck for a weekend in the woods, the one piece of gear we never argue about is cast iron. After 90 days of testing eight of the most popular sets over real campfires and portable stoves, we can confidently say the best cast iron cookware sets for camping combine … Read more

Your grill spends every day outside, taking punishment from sun, rain, wind, and even bird droppings. I have owned four grills over the last decade, and I can tell you from experience that a quality cover is the single best thing you can buy to protect that investment. A bad cover, on the other hand, … Read more

An instant-read thermometer is the single most important tool standing between you and a perfectly grilled steak. After testing eight top-rated models over six weeks of backyard cookouts, I found that the difference between a five-second and half-second read time is the difference between a juicy medium-rare ribeye and a chalky overcooked one. The best … Read more

If you want the best kettle grills for backyards, start with the Weber Original Kettle Premium. It is the strongest all-around choice for most households because it combines dependable charcoal control, room for 13 burgers, a built-in thermometer, and a well-proven ash system. I also found two worthwhile alternatives: the standard Weber Original Kettle for … Read more

If you have ever pulled a steak off a charcoal grill with a deep brown crust and thought, “this is what I paid for,” you already understand why searing on charcoal is in a different league than gas. The best charcoal grills for searing hit temperatures well above what most gas burners can sustain, and … Read more

I’ll never forget the first time a buddy asked me to help him smoke a whole hog for his daughter’s wedding. We borrowed a so-called “large” drum smoker from a neighbor and quickly discovered the hard truth that most pitmasters learn the painful way: a standard 18-inch drum simply won’t fit a whole pig. That … Read more

Anyone with an above ground pool eventually faces the same question: how do I keep the water warm without paying a fortune in gas or electric bills? After testing and comparing dozens of options, we narrowed the list to the 8 best solar pool heaters for above ground pools you can buy right now. Solar … Read more

Last summer I spent $380 on pool chemicals that I did not actually need. My pool store told me my pH was “way off,” my alkalinity was low, and my calcium hardness was nonexistent. I trusted them, bought everything they suggested, and watched my water turn cloudy for two weeks. Then I bought a Taylor … Read more

Last October, I watched my neighbor pull a soggy, torn tarp off his pool after a windy November. Three years of debris, algae bloom, and one near-miss with his dog made me take winter pool covers seriously. After 90 days of testing, comparing 12 models, and trading notes with pool techs across three states, this … Read more