You might have seen people use special containers on their grill and wondered what these baskets are.
Grill baskets (also called grilling baskets), are metal mesh pans or clamps that are used to cook small or delicate food items on the grill.
The fine mesh avoids pieces of food falling between the grates of your grill.
Grilling baskets are ideal for cooking vegetables, fish, and small meats like meatballs on your BBQ.
Different types of grill baskets
There are different models and styles of grill baskets.
Most look almost like square stainless-steel cake pans with sloping sides and lots of openings. Others are more like mesh baskets.
The close-and-flip or hinged basket has a clamping lid and works well for keeping fish in place so it’s easy to turn without it falling apart.
While many grilling baskets can be used for a variety of foods, some are specifically designed to hold whole fish, kebabs, corn on the cob, meatballs, burgers, or quesadillas.
What’s the purpose of a grill basket?
The grill basket has solved the messy problem of delicate foods (like fish and vegetables) sticking to the grill and disintegrating, as well as the problem of smaller foods falling through the grid and ending up in the coals.
It offers an easy and efficient way of turning foods on the grill, and it is especially useful when it comes to grilling fish.