Natural Control of Garden Plant Diseases

Plants and diseases go side by side; you cannot manage a one hundred percent disease-free garden even when you are doing everything right. For sustainable and environment-friendly farming, we have to shift towards the natural means of controlling diseases and insects. 

Non-Chemical Control of Common Garden Plant Diseases:

Chemical control of trouble-causing disease might seem quick, cheap, and easy to adopt, but the long term damage those chemicals do to the soil, air and underground water cannot be ignored. Biological, cultural, and mechanical control are enough to control most diseases commonly found among garden plants. Natural control is long-termed, beneficial for the soil, plants, and environment.

Physical/Cultural Control:

“Prevention is much easier than treatment.” A healthy soil, well maintained and the right choice of plants and plant species are the most critical factors in keeping the disease away from your garden. 

Crop Rotation:

As the name indicates, rotate your crops. Do not plant the same vegetables/plants every season in the same beds. It is used to control certain soil-borne plant diseases in which the pathogenic organism resides in the soil to survive the unfavorable conditions. They obtain their food from live plants. When a crop is rotated, and the pathogen does not find its food, it cannot multiply, and thus, its population crashes.

For example, if you plant tomatoes in one season, grow some annuals in the next season. It will allow you to grow a crop off and on without the attack of any serious disease and spending additional money on their control. 

Appropriate Irrigation Practices: 

Most pathogenic fungal spores, foliar nematodes, and bacteria require one drop of water on the leaf surface to penetrate it, i.e., dry leaf surface area does not let the pathogenic spores enter it. 

Overhead irrigation, either through water cannons or sprinklers, wet the foliage of plants and creates a favorable environment for the pathogens to grow. On the other hand, drip irrigation or furrow irrigation drops water on the soil surface near the plant’s roots, preventing the wetting of foliage. This prevents the plants from foliage diseases. 

However, the fungal spores of powdery mildew do not germinate on a wet surface in Roses. That is why rose growers keep the foliage misted during the severe attack season. (Trigiano & Gray, 1999)

Tillage Practices:

The pathogens can survive either in the soil or in the litter/fallen leaves/stubbles. Cultural practices like plowing, removing fallen leaves, and previous crop stubbles decrease the 60% chances of disease attack because the spores, eggs would be exposed to the air and would not germinate or hatch. 

For example, Sclerotia’s spores survive only for one year in the soil. When proper crop rotation is practiced, it will eliminate its spores from the soil. 

Organic Mulching: 

Mulching is a practice of covering the soil surface with organic material such as compost, leaf manure, wheat or rice straw, Vermicompost, etc., to minimize water loss through evaporation. Mulching has a clear role in controlling the spread of disease. It stops the mobility of spores within the soil, releases beneficial microbes into the soil that kills the pathogenic microbes, and prevents the spread of disease. 

Mulching plays an indirect role in the control of diseases. Whether it is alive or partially decomposed mulch, it does never involve directly controlling any disease-causing mechanism or pathogen. 

Adopt Good Sanitation Practices:

Good sanitation is crucial for all types of gardens but most importantly, in the vegetable garden. It involves: 

  • The annual trimming and pruning of plants to remove the diseased or dead leaves and branches.
  • Keep the soil clean; no plant debris and weeds should be present within/near plants.
  • Check plants regularly to keep track of and detect the attack of disease or insects. 
  • Properly disinfect all the garden equipment before and after use.
  • Preferably, select the disease-resistant varieties of plants, plant at the right time.

Quick Solutions to Gardens Plant’s Diseases: 

Powdery Mildew and Blackspot in Roses:

The appearance of white power on the leaves first and then on the shoots and remaining parts of the plant. It is a fungal disease caused by Podosphaera panosa. In the black spot, black-colored fungus grows on leaves, stops photosynthesis, and severely reduces the plant vigor. Diplocarpon rosae causes it. Both diseases attack in spring when moisture is high.

Take two teaspoons of baking soda, half teaspoon of any liquid soap, 2 quarts of water, mix well, pour in a spray bottle, and mist on the plant before the symptoms show.

Garlic Soup for all kinds of Bacteria and Fungi:

 Common garden plants like tulip, peony, chrysanthemum, lemon, guava, etc., are all susceptible to and attacked by bacteria and fungi when environmental conditions are favorable. “Garlic Soup” is a natural remedy, prepared by grinding two cloves or 4-5 leaves of garlic, add one-quart of water into it, and blend for six minutes. Strain the mixture, add 1/8 teaspoon of liquid soap, and store it in an airtight bottle. Whenever you have to spray it, take out 1 part garlic soup, mix ten parts of water and spray it on sick leaves. Garlic leaves and cloves have been scientifically proven to have disease-preventing properties. (Slusarenko, Patel, & Portz, 2008)

Biological Fungicide:

Biological fungicide utilizes the “Bacillus subtilis” as a control in stopping the fungi from producing spores. This naturally occurring bacteria is present in both our soil and the human gut, where it interferes with fungal spore/disease destruction. It controls anthracnose, botrytis, black spot, early blight, etc. It is widely available in the market, manufactured, and sold by different brands. Bacillus subtilis also has growth-promoting properties. (Wang, Zhao, Shen, Jing, & Zhang, 2018) 

Remedy for Fungal Headaches:

Plant pathologists have recommended an “Aspirin” solution to control fungal diseases such as powdery mildew, rust, black spot, etc., in vegetables (tomato, beans, etc.) and flowering annuals. Take two tablets of uncoated aspirin (650 mg total), mix in 1 quart of water, and spray on the leaves. It will harm only the pathogenic fungi and not the beneficial insects and plants. (Senaratna, Touchell, Bunn, & Dixon, 2000)

Control of Disease-Causing Insects:

Protection of Scented Herbs-Controlling the Creepy Crawlers:

Scented garden plants such as lavender, basil, rose, mint, wormwood, sage, tansy, rosemary, etc., are often attacked by leafhoppers, aphids, mites, cabbage loppers, cucumber beetle, etc. You can make a quick and easy brew to control all through one. Take a few leaves of basil, crush them gently, add them to a net sack, place the sack in a bottle of at least half gallon water, and expose it to the sun for a few days to brew it. After that, remove the solid (sack along with basil leaves) from the bottle and store it for spray as an insecticide whenever you need it. 

Note: Dilute it with 1/8 teaspoon of liquid soap before using.

Controlling Aphids and Spider Mites:

Plant scientists at Purdue University recommended a homemade remedy to control aphids and spider mites that can harm many garden plants. Take two cups of wheat flour, ¼ cup of buttermilk, and mix in 1.5-2 gallons of water.

Note: always spray in the morning (when the temperature is below 29 degrees Celsius) to avoid leaf sunburned.

Controlling Japanese Beetles:

Japanese beetles kept gardeners worried for many years. They are chewing and can eat the whole garden if not controlled. Take 10-20 leaves of Delphinium, add one gallon of water and blend well. (Ladd Jr, Jacobson, & Buriff, 1978)

References:

Ladd Jr, T., Jacobson, M., & Buriff, C. (1978). Japanese beetles: extracts from neem tree seeds as feeding deterrents. Journal of economic entomology, 71(5), 810-813.

Senaratna, T., Touchell, D., Bunn, E., & Dixon, K. (2000). Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) and salicylic acid induce multiple stress tolerance in bean and tomato plants. Plant Growth Regulation, 30(2), 157-161.

Slusarenko, A. J., Patel, A., & Portz, D. (2008). Control of plant diseases by natural products: Allicin from garlic as a case study. Sustainable disease management in a European context, 313-322.

Trigiano, R. N., & Gray, D. J. (1999). Plant tissue culture concepts and laboratory exercises: CRC press.

Wang, X., Zhao, D., Shen, L., Jing, C., & Zhang, C. (2018). Application and mechanisms of Bacillus subtilis in biological control of plant disease Role of rhizospheric microbes in soil (pp. 225-250): Springer.

Endophytes and Our Gardens

Endophytes are the living organisms, either bacteria or fungi (rarely viruses), that live between the living plant cells. They establish a symbiotic association with the plants without transmitting any disease. Endophytes are known to be present in many plants that have been studied and have been found to enhance the plant’s ability to tolerate abiotic stresses and resistance to pathogens, disease, and insect pest attacks.

Classification of Endophytes

Endophytes are classified into two groups depending upon the physiology and functioning nature. 

Systematic and Non-Systematic Endophytes

Systematic Endophytes (SE)

  • The organisms live within the plant tissues throughout their life cycle and do not harm their host.
  • SE do not change their host for the entirety of their life cycle i.e., their diversity and concentration would not change.                         

Non-Systematic Endophytes (NSE)

  • Non-Systematic endophytes are the organisms that live within the plant tissues as far as the host is providing enough food.
  • NSE harm their host under resource-limited or undesirable conditions, i.e., become pathogenic endophytes.

 Clavicipitaceous and Non-Clavicipitaceous

 Clavicipitaceous Endophytes

  • These endophytes live and proliferate in cool and warm-season grasses.
  • They develop varied relationships with the plants ranging from pathogenic to symbiotic.
  • Improve plant biomass
  • Improve drought-tolerance
  • Decrease herbivory (release toxic chemicals that make plants un-appetizing for the predators).
  • Do not cause any disease/harm to the host

Non-Clavicipitaceous Endophytes

  • These endophytes are typically Ascomycota fungi and can live either dependent upon the host plant or independently.
  • They are adapted to colonize both the below ground, above-ground plant tissues.
  • Develop resistance against habitat-specific stresses such as salinity, temperature, and pH, etc.
  • These endophytes have been the most widely researched organisms due to the unusual benefits that they provide to their host plants.

Advantages and Applications of Endophytes

Endophytes are an essential component of Integrated Pest Management due to their eco-friendly nature. They protect plant commodities, inhibit pest attacks, and do no harm to the soil and environment. For example, inoculation of Acromonium Lolli and Acromonium in grass species of Lolium perenne and Festuca is commercially available, giving the grasses tolerance against foliar lawn pests (chinch bugs, armyworms, webworms, etc.).

Endophytes have become a primary concern of all plant-development-related research. Endophytes play an essential role in improving plant yield, combating stresses, inhibiting disease and pest attack through nitrogen fixation, inheriting resistance, and through alkaloid productions, respectively.

Phytoremediation:

Phytoremediation through endophytes is the use of plant-microbe interaction to remediate polluted oil, water, and the atmosphere. 

Phytoremediation of Crude-oil contaminated soils:

Two endophytic bacteria, “Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain BRRI 54 and Acinetobacter strain BRSI 56,” have been inoculated into the two types of grass “Leptochloa fusca and Brachiaria mutica.” The metabolic activity and colonization patterns of endophytic bacteria enhanced the plant growth and the degradation of crude oil for remediating the vegetated soils. Research results showed that the maximum crude oil degradation was achieved through B. mutica compared with the L. fusca. The use of these grasses in lawns and gardens not only absorbs heavy metals from the soil but also filters polluted air through phytoextraction and phyto-absorption. (Fatima, Imran, Amin, Khan, & Afzal, 2016)

Remediation of Saline Soils:

Bioaugmentation of endophytic strains in Helianthus annuus has been studied for its reclamation of saline and Ni-affected soil properties. “P. libanensis TR1, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and Claroideoglomus BEG2210″ are the bacterial strains that were used. The results showed improved plant growth, improved nickel-sodium accumulation potential, and better physiological status. (Ma, Rajkumar, Oliveira, Zhang, & Freitas, 2019)

Agriculture:

Modern agriculture aims at producing better quality crops both in yield and nutrition. 

  • In New Zealand, the attack of Argentine stem weevil on ryegrass has been controlled through the insertion of AR1 and AR37 strains of endophytic bacteria. The additional advantage of this association is that the grass does remain palatable for the livestock. (Fletcher, 1999)
  • The use of living organisms to control and suppress the pest population, diseases, and plant growth is a successful effort towards sustainable agriculture . Bio-inoculated varieties of grasses (ryegrass, Festuca grass species, etc.), evergreen trees (poplar tree) have been introduced in agriculture and forestry to bring innovation in overall agriculture. (Jain & Pundir, 2017)
  • The alarming use of insecticides and pesticides in controlling common garden pests has become a major concern among environmentalists. Because the damage these chemicals are causing to the soil, air, and ecosystem is drastic. In this situation, the introduction of various endophytes having insecticidal properties proved to be efficient. For example, Indole Diterpenes (Insecticide effective against Blowfly weevil), known as nodulisporic acid, is present in wild olive. 

Medicinal Properties:

Bioprospecting has uncovered natural products derived from endophytes. These have anti-parasitic, antimicrobial, insulin, neuro-protective, immune-suppressant, and cytotoxic, and antibiotic properties. (Egan et al., 2016)

  • The alkaloid “Beauvericin” has cytotoxic action against tumor cells found and harvested from the fungus F. oxysporum.
  • “Pestalotiopsis” has resistance against multi-drug resistant tuberculosis Staphylococcus aureus and many other antimicrobial effects.

Plant use Endophytic Fungi in Defense:

Endophytic fungi develop a symbiotic relationship with plants and help to activate the plant’s defense mechanism against herbivores. Endophytes improve the nutrient uptake capability of plants through secondary metabolite production. This alteration in chemical composition aids in discouraging herbivory and non-herbivory damage. (Mengistu, 2020)

Herbivory prevention:

The plants bearing endophytic association are less likely to be damaged by the substantial herbivores. Endophytes control invertebrate and vertebrate herbivores through reduced reproductive rate, avoidance, reduced feeding, and decreased immunity. (Bamisile, Dash, Akutse, Keppanan, & Wang, 2018)

Disadvantages of Endophytes to livestock:

Resistance to fungal infections caused by herbivores provides an environmentally sustainable alternative against pesticides. The result was beneficial for the plants but not for the livestock. The endophytic defense chemicals have reported decreasing pregnancy rates and increased birth issues in livestock, especially in cows. The use of endophytes in the enhancement of yield must be considered before their application. (Gundel, Pérez, Helander, & Saikkonen, 2013)

Q: what plants have endophytes?

A: Endophytes have been found in few evergreen trees and most grass species such as ryegrass, fescue grass, etc. However, the presence in all kinds of plants has not been reported yet. 

Q: Are endophytes harmful?

A: Not all endophytes are harmful, and not all are beneficial. Scientists have characterized the beneficial endophytes as “selective or animal-friendly.”

Q: How do plants obtain endophytes?

A: Endophytes are transmitted through three ways: 1) Vertical Transmission: through infected plant’s seeds. 2) Horizontal transmission: i.e., through sexual spores of infected plants. 3) Mixture of vertical and horizontal life cycles.

Q: What are endophytic algae?

A: Endophytic algae are microscopic organisms that live inside macroscopic seaweeds. For example, Ulvella leptochaeta is an endophytic algae known to enhance its host’s immunity against several diseases. 

Q: Describe the role of endophytes in plants?

 A: Endophytes develop a symbiotic association with their host plants, i.e., they obtain food and shelter from the plants and, in response, develop immunity against pathogens, insects, and diseases and enhance their growth and development.

Q: Are endophytes harmful?

A: Endophytes in fodder are harmful to livestock. However, the native grass species and those that develop without symbiotic association with the beneficial endophytes are not harmful to the plants.

Q: What are bacterial endophytes?

A: Endophytes are the microbial symbionts that live within the plants. They develop tolerance in plants against the abiotic stresses and are responsible for the development of healthy plants. When the plant is healthy, diseases will not attack.

References:

Bamisile, B. S., Dash, C. K., Akutse, K. S., Keppanan, R., & Wang, L. (2018). Fungal endophytes: beyond herbivore management. Frontiers in microbiology, 9, 544.

Egan, J. M., Kaur, A., Raja, H. A., Kellogg, J. J., Oberlies, N. H., & Cech, N. B. (2016). Antimicrobial fungal endophytes from the botanical medicine goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis). Phytochemistry Letters, 17, 219-225.

Fatima, K., Imran, A., Amin, I., Khan, Q., & Afzal, M. (2016). Plant species affect colonization patterns and metabolic activity of associated endophytes during phytoremediation of crude oil-contaminated soil. Environmental science and pollution research, 23(7), 6188-6196.

Fletcher, L. (1999). “Non-toxic” endophytes in ryegrass and their effect on livestock health and production. NZGA: Research and Practice Series, 7, 133-139.

Gundel, P. E., Pérez, L. I., Helander, M., & Saikkonen, K. (2013). Symbiotically modified organisms: non-toxic fungal endophytes in grasses. Trends in plant science, 18(8), 420-427.

Jain, P., & Pundir, R. K. (2017). Potential role of endophytes in sustainable agriculture-recent developments and future prospects. Endophytes: biology and biotechnology, 145-169.

Ma, Y., Rajkumar, M., Oliveira, R. S., Zhang, C., & Freitas, H. (2019). Potential of plant beneficial bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in phytoremediation of metal-contaminated saline soils. Journal of hazardous materials, 379, 120813.

Mengistu, A. A. (2020). Endophytes: Colonization, behaviour, and their role in defense mechanism. International Journal of Microbiology, 2020.

Aquatic Plants

Aquatic plants are equally beneficial for the pond water in which they are planted and the surrounding environment in which they are present. They provide oxygen to the pond fish, eliminate or absorb the excessive nutrients in the water, clean and clear the pond water, improve its aesthetics, and act as a shelter and food source for aquatic animals. 

All the Hydrophytes and Macrophytes (except Algae and Microphytes) are adapted to live in the saltwater or freshwater or on soil frequently saturated with water and are named “Aquatic Plants.” Macrophytes are the primary producers in the food chain, food source of some fish and wildlife. Aquatic plants such as submerged Macrophytes have particular morphological adaptations for living in water, and that is the “aerenchyma,” internal air packing cells.  

Different Types of Aquatic Plants based on Growth Habit:

The Depth and Duration of flooding decide which Aquatic Plant will survive in ponds, lakes, or rivers. The four different types of aquatic plants are mentioned below:

Emergent Plants:

The emergent vegetation roots into the water through its stiff stems and partially remain in the air because its leaves are adapted for photosynthesis more effectively in the air. Some examples of emergent aquatic plants and how they affect pond water quality is described below: 

  • Cyperus papyrus (paper reed, Nile grass): Suitable for shallow water ponds. It has a long history of multiple uses like papyrus paper (the first paper ever made), food for wildlife, ornamental plants, etc. They efficiently absorb nutrients such as Nitrogen and Phosphorus before being utilized by the nuisance algae. Therefore, they are preferred for constructed wetland filtration systems. 
  • Butomus umbillatus (Flowering rush): This emergent aquatic plant is becoming rare and needs to be conserved due to its remarkable phytoremediation properties.
  • Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife): It is equally adapted for water-saturated, shallow water, damp, and drier conditions, grown in wetland filters (CWFS) and around ponds as an ornamental plant. It is a medicinal herb used in the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery etc. 

Submerged Macrophytes:

submerged plants

As the name indicates, submerged plants grow underwater with roots attached to the pond bottom or without any root system. Some of the commonly grown submerged aquatic plants in ponds or constructed wetland filters are: 

  • Ceratophyllum demersum: this free-floating submerged plant is commonly called Coon-tail/Hornwort. This plant develops no root system and is a safe alternative to pond water purification. Its fluffy, spongy leaves provide comfortable cover for newly hatched fish. (Kulasekaran, Gopal, & John Alexander, 2014)
  • Myriophyllum alterniflorum: the “Watermilfoil” forms thick mats in and on the surface of water that interferes with the recreational activities of lakes, narrowing space for the juvenile fish in ponds, blocking the sunlight to penetrate into the water, utilizing the nutrients needed for fish to grow hence increase the competition. In short, it dominates in the ponds for both space and food. (Newroth, 1993)
  • Myriophyllum spicatum: named as “Eurasian watermilfoil” by local growers. It is native to Europe and Asia but widely grown as a pond plant in the US. Its capacity to grow from the broken offshoot parts makes it a problematic plant in the pond as it spreads rapidly to cover the pond space.
  • Hippuric Vulgaris: Mare’s tales, native to North America. It is an oxygenating aquatic plant widely grown in ponds for a clean, healthy pond (absorbs, creates a protected environment for fish and wildlife.
  • Echinodorus cordifolius (Mud-King, Creeping burhead): Native to Central and North America. It is widely grown all over the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world due to its easy-to-grow and ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate removal characteristics. It can efficiently remove: 44.9-91.4% ammonia, 90.8-99.3% nitrite, and 55-89.75% nitrate. (Nakphet, Ritchie, & Kiriratnikom, 2017)  
  • Typha latifolia (Reed-mace, Bulrush, Cattail, Punks, etc.): is an aquatic to semi-aquatic flowering perennial herb. Typha is a good Phytoremediator plant widely planted around ponds or wetland filters. Its rhizomatic root system absorbs Fe (highest absorption), Mn, As, Zn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Cd, etc., very efficiently. (Salem, Laffray, Al-Ashoor, Ayadi, & Aleya, 2017)

Floating Leaved:

plants on the water
  • Nymphoides aquatic: commonly known as “banana plant or banana lily,” is the beauty of any pond, lake, or aquarium. Its growth rate is fast, efficiently absorbs the nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus from the pond water acts as a water cleaner, and oxygenates the pond fish. 
  • Nymphoides pelatum: the yellow floating heart of the Menyanthaceae, blooms in June and continues to produce beautiful flowers throughout the summer. (Stuckey, 1973)
  • Potamogeton crispus: is an aquatic plant (Potamogetonaceae are collectively known as “pondweeds”) with either floating or submerged leaves. It is considered one of the crucial components of angiosperm’s food chain because of its importance as a food source for many aquatic animals and the habitat of water life.

Free-floating:

water lettuce

Free-floating aquatic plants do not have roots anchored in the substrate or bottom of the water body. The various effects of free-floating aquatic plants on the quality of pond water and the habitat (in which they are growing) are mentioned below:

  • Salvinia minima (Floating Fern, Water Spangles): It grows on still waterways native to South America. It reproduces and spreads very quickly, forming a thick mat on the surface of pond water. Due to that, the amount of sunlight necessary for the growth of underwater plants decreased, ultimately decreasing the amount of Dissolved Oxygen in the pond water. (Dickinson & Miller, 1998)
  • Pistia stratiotes (Water lettuce or Nile Cabbage): It outcompetes algae for food in the water and prevents excessive algal blooms. It can produce bioethanol (at the rate of 0.14-0.17ethanol/g biomass) and contribute to cleaning the pond water. It also absorbs excessive nutrients, including N, P, etc. In constructed wetland filtration systems, water lettuce is planted for sewage wastewater treatment (proven to be the cheapest method of sewage water cleaning). (Soda, Mishima, Inoue, & Ike, 2013) 

The importance of using Native Aquatic Plants:

Native aquatic plant species help preserve biodiversity and a balanced water body. 

  • Easy to grow and maintain: native plants are well adapted to the local climatic fluctuations, water, and soil states. There is no need to create artificial conditions to grow them, synthetic pesticides to protect them, and no additional water requirements.
  • Fight with Unwanted Pond Weeds: By planting healthy native aquatic plants beds, you can minimize the space for the weeds to infest. Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera), Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides), Torpedo-grass (Panicum repens L.), Tiny Water Spangles (Salvinia minima), Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), etc. are some of the plague weed species of aquatic plants in ponds. 
  • Act as A Food Source for Aquatic Animals: forage fish, waterfowl, and aquatic invertebrates utilize native aquatic plants (seeds, flowers, stems, and fruit sometimes) as a food source. 
  • Help improve water quality: a diverse combination of emergent, submerged, and floating plants means you have collected a variety of excessive nutrient absorbents at one place. They produce oxygen, absorbs the carbon dioxide and other gases produced by either fish or present in the air, at the same time hold the pollutants in their roots, stems, or leaves, and ultimately clean the pond water. 

The US native aquatic plants (suitable for all kinds of ponds, either shallow or natural earth bottom-ponds, etc.) are mentioned below:

  • Thalia dealbata, 
  • Golden Club,
  • Sagittaria Latifolia, 
  • Pickerel Cordata, 
  • Variegated Water Celery, 
  • White Calla Lilly, 
  • Canna Cleopatra, 
  • Canna Orange Punch, 
  • Blue Flag Iris, 
  • The locally available varieties are Louisiana Iris (Fortune Finder, Colorific, Red Velvet Elvis, Red-mood, Black Gamecock, etc.)

Ornamental aquatic plants:

  • Ludwigia Sedoides (Mosaic Flower): it produces diamond-shaped leaves, thus named as mosaic flower. It has beautiful reddish-green leaves with reddish-pink shoots.
  • Myosotis scorpioides (water forget-me-not): is an introduced species to North America, happily grow in ponds, bogs, swamps, etc.
  • Cyperus alternifolius (Umbrella palm): it poses an elegant look in your pond by creating a soft backdrop for the smaller plants (its height goes up to 6 feet).
  • Nelumbo nucifera (water lotus): you can name it “the beauty of pond” because of its soft-colored pinkish flowers that demand attraction from the viewers.
  • Pontederia cordata (Pickerel pond plants): it produces beautiful ornamental purplish flowers, and the bloom is long-lasting. 
  • Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower): native to Eastern and Western US, prefers the partial shady conditions, produced red-colored flowers. It is considered perennial, but it may be short-lived and has medicinal importance too. 
  • Iris spuria (Blue Iris): the beautiful blue iris is the first to bloom in the spring. The genus “Iris” comprises hundreds of irises that have aquatic habitats.
  • Acorus calamus (sweet flag): is an emergent to partially submerged aquatic pond plant. It is easy to grow and maintain kind of plant. It adds a bright, colorful spot in your pond with its light green leaves having yellow strips.
  • Colocasia esculenta (Taro pond plant): a plant always makes a distinguished appearance in the pond is the Taro plant. This impressive water lover produced corms that are eatable. Taro plant has been planted for its phytoextraction properties in wetlands and ponds. (Madera-Parra, Peña-Salamanca, Peña, Rousseau, & Lens, 2015)
  • Pontederia crassipes (water hyacinth): is a free-floating aquatic plant known for its fast-growing and eye-catchy flower colors. Water hyacinth has been studied a lot for its distinguishing phytoremediation properties. It is planted in constructed wetland filtration systems and ponds for the cleaning of kitchen wastewater as well as to reuse the pond water. (Parwin & Karar Paul, 2019)

The careful use of native aquatic plants in a body of water is the absolute best way to control water quality. Humans have been devising and developing many different types of ingenious and environmentally costly gadgets and poisonous chemicals in an attempt to artificially control water quality. The truth is and has always been that using aquatic plants and working on the side of Mother Nature is now and has always been the answer to healthy and clean water.

References:

Dickinson, M. B., & Miller, T. E. (1998). Competition among small, free-floating, aquatic plants. The American midland naturalist, 140(1), 55-67.

Kulasekaran, A., Gopal, A., & John Alexander, J. (2014). A study on the removal efficiency of organic load and some nutrients from sewage by Ceratophyllum demersum. L J. Mater. Environ. Sci, 5(3), 859-864.

Madera-Parra, C., Peña-Salamanca, E., Peña, M., Rousseau, D., & Lens, P. (2015). Phytoremediation of landfill leachate with Colocasia esculenta, Gynerium sagittatum, and Heliconia psittacorum in constructed wetlands. International journal of phytoremediation, 17(1), 16-24.

Nakphet, S., Ritchie, R. J., & Kiriratnikom, S. (2017). Aquatic plants for bioremediation in red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus× Oreochromis mossambicus) recirculating aquaculture. Aquaculture International, 25(2), 619-633.

Newroth, P. R. (1993). Application of aquatic vegetation identification, documentation, and mapping in Eurasian watermilfoil control projects. Lake and Reservoir Management, 7(2), 185-196.

Parwin, R., & Karar Paul, K. (2019). Phytoremediation of kitchen wastewater using Eichhornia crassipes. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 145(6), 04019023.

Salem, Z. B., Laffray, X., Al-Ashoor, A., Ayadi, H., & Aleya, L. (2017). Metals and metalloid bioconcentrations in the tissues of Typha latifolia grown in the four interconnected ponds of a domestic landfill site. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 54, 56-68.

Soda, S., Mishima, D., Inoue, D., & Ike, M. (2013). A co-beneficial system using aquatic plants: bioethanol production from free-floating aquatic plants used for water purification. Water science and technology, 67(11), 2637-2644.

Stuckey, R. L. (1973). The introduction and distribution of Nymphoides peltatum (Menyanthaceae) in North America. Bartonia(42), 14-23.

Top 8 Best Patio Heaters in 2022

Love spending time outdoors in your backyard and can’t wait for it to be warm enough to sit outside at night? A good patio heater will allow you to enjoy fresh air in your backyard and keep you warm and toasty all year round. You may have seen these appliances in restaurants and enjoyed the cozy warmth wrapping around your whole body, making your evening much more enjoyable. Today we’re giving you a list of our top 8 best patio heaters in 2022 to make every night outside in your backyard special and extra cozy.

What to Consider When Buying a Patio Heater?

There are numerous different sizes, power supplies, and designs for patio heaters, so you need to consider several things if you want to buy the best patio heater for your needs. 

Power Source

electric heater

Nowadays, there are three primary power sources for patio heaters:

  • Electric – Electric patio heaters are very popular since they are straightforward to use, don’t require much maintenance, can be mounted to a wall or patio, and can also be used indoors if they are portable. However, they are not as energy efficient as gas heaters, so you might end up spending quite a lot on electricity.
  • Propane Gas – This is the most popular patio heater option because of its energy efficiency and low carbon emission. Propane patio heaters also heat up quickly to provide hot air around the area in just a few seconds.
  • Natural Gas – Natural gas is a bit greener option than propane. If you are very eco-friendly, this is your best option. However, remember you’ll need a natural gas conversion kit to connect to your house’s natural gas supply.

Heat Output

All gas heating appliances’ heat output is measured in BTUs (British Thermal Unit). The higher BTU, the more heat you will get. You’ll find patio heaters BTUs ranging from 10,000 to 48,000 BTUs. If the weather is not very cold and you need to heat a small area, 10,000 – 12,000 BTU heater might be enough, but for larger areas and patios, go for over 30,000 BTUs.

Electric patio heaters emit infrared light energy and warm up your clothes and skin instead of the air around you. Their heat output is measured in Watts. If you want to heat a larger area with an electric heater, go for 1500W or more, while a small room or table area can be a heater with 500W – 1000W of power.

Style

best patio heaters
upright heater

You’ll find various styles of patio heaters currently in the market. Some people love the mushroom-type gas heaters, while others find them ugly and love the pyramid-shaped ones. Electric patio heaters can be wall or ceiling-mounted. If efficiency or heat output is not an issue, you’ll be able to find a heater that perfectly fits your backyard or patio exterior and theme.

Best Patio Heater Reviews in 2022

Oscillating Ceramic Outdoor Heater with Adjustable Thermostat


Let’s start with the best small patio heater on our list for people who only need an occasional source of heat while sitting on the porch. This oscillating ceramic heater is perfect for indoor and outdoor use because of its portability and space-saving design. 

The rotating design allows it to cover a 120-degree area around the heater. This electric heater has a low (750W) and a high (1500W) heat setting and an additional fan-only mode to use as a fan. For safety, there is tip-over and overheat protection.

We love that you can easily bring it outside or inside depending on your needs, but keep in mind that the electrical cord is relatively short, just 70 inches, so you’ll need to position your lounging near an outlet.

This is definitely not a heater for large areas but is a perfect budget option to keep a small room warm or to keep a couple of people toasty while lounging on the porch.

Key Features:

  • Rotating heater covers 120 degrees area
  • It can be used indoor and outdoor
  • Portable
  • Space-saving
  • Safety features
  • Over-heat and tip-over protection
  • Budget-friendly

Weaknesses:

  • Short cord
  • Not suited for larger areas

Kracie electric outdoor patio heater


The Kracie electric heater is a great option to keep your patio warm. The adjustable height and 1500W power are enough to heat a small patio or a room. Compared to other electric heaters Kracie heater heats up very quickly. You can also change the inclination angle by 45 degrees to divert the heat more efficiently.

The stainless steel base makes the heater very stable. Along with overheat protection, tip-over protection shuts off the power if somebody accidentally tips the heater.

We love that there is a long power cord to better position your heater in larger areas like the patio, backyard, or garage. The only disadvantage of this heater is that the heating element is not very wide, so you need to strategically place and direct it to precisely the spot you’ll be staying in.

Key Features:

  • Powerful
  • Adjustable height
  • 45 degrees inclination angle
  • 3-meter cord
  • Stable base
  • Over-heat and tip-over protection
  • Cheap

Weaknesses:

  • Heater elements could be wider to cover more space

IQ Heat Portable Outside Heater with Stand – 1500W


IQ Heat 1500W heater is the best electric patio heater on our list. If you don’t mind spending a bit more on a quality product that will last you many cold seasons, this is your best bet. 

IQ Heat heater is very versatile, it comes with a tripod to position it anywhere on the ground, or you can mount it on a wall or patio frame to provide heating from above. If you’re using it on a tripod, it does take a bit more space because of the three legs but is very stable and hard to tip over. Even if somebody manages to tip it over, there’s an automatic shut-off along with overheat protection. The longevity and reliability are reinforced by a 2-year limited warranty against manufacturing defects. 

The remote-controlled heater has three heat settings to find that perfect temperature no matter what the weather is. If needed, you can use the heater indoors too, but we feel it’s a bit large to use unless it’s a big indoor area. IQ heater is very quiet and won’t disturb anyone even during nighttime. 

Key Features:

  • Very quiet
  • Over-heat and tip-over protection
  • Stable tripod
  • It can be wall-mounted
  • Three heat settings
  • Remote controlled
  • 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects

Weaknesses:

  • A bit expensive

Hampton Bay 38,200 BTU Bronze Propane Gas Patio Heater


Propane gas heaters are very powerful and energy-efficient; that’s why you usually see them in restaurants’ outside areas all the time. The Hampton Bay 38,200 BTU patio heater is a bit expensive but very well built with unique features that other heaters lack.

This bronze propane gas heater is easy to set up and stands stable on the surface because of its weighted base. If needed, there are wheels on the bottom for easy relocation. Also, you’ll have a head vinyl cover included to protect the heater against dust and moisture, prolonging its lifespan. 

Despite having a bit lower BTU output than other similar mushroom-type propane heaters, the Hampton Bay heater features an adjustable reflector cap that allows diverting heat exactly where needed. 

Even though the heater has a very sturdy build and weighted base to protect against tipping, there is additional tip-over and flame failure protection to shut off the gas in case somebody manages to tip it over, or there’s a flame interruption.

Key Features:

  • Sturdy build
  • 38,200 BTU
  • Adjustable reflectors
  • Wheels to move around
  • Weighted base and anti-tilt design
  • Flame failure cut-off
  • Includes head vinyl cover

Weaknesses:

  • Expensive
  • Not as powerful as other similar heaters

Hampton Bay 48000 Btu Stainless Steel Patio Heater


If you’re looking for sheer power, then the Hampton Bay 48000 BTU heater is the best patio heater on this list for you. This stainless steel heater is an excellent option if you need to provide a lot of heat in a patio or backyard during cold evenings.

The easy to assemble stainless steel construction stands solid on any surface, but make sure to plan where you’ll keep the heater since it doesn’t have moving wheels. Additionally, the heater is in plain stainless steel color that might look off-putting for some.

All in all, this is a simple but very powerful patio heater to heat large areas if you don’t mind the plain looks.

Key Features:

  • Great quality
  • Very powerful 48,000 BTUs
  • Easy to assemble and use

Weaknesses:

  • Plain silver look
  • No wheels to move it

Avenlur Pyramid Patio Propane Heater


This pyramid heater is an option that provides heat, is stylish, and stands as a beautiful fixture in your outside area. The 48,000 BTU heat output is enough to heat medium to large outdoor spaces while also providing a mesmerizing flame show.

The 90-inch tall pyramid heater is perfect for heating a lounging area or an outdoor dance floor on the patio. Because of its design, this heater provides heat in a 360 degrees circle and has a sturdy base to protect against tipping in case someone bumps into it. The wheels at the base will allow you to easily relocate the heater if needed.

The high-quality solid construction with quartz glass flame tube makes this heater not only exceptionally looking but also long-lasting. However, good quality and beautiful design come at a much higher price compared to other propane heaters.

Key Features:

  • Pyramid style
  • Great exterior addition
  • Safety shut-off valve
  • 48,000 BTU heat output
  • 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects

Weaknesses:

  • Expensive

Amazon Basics Outdoor Patio Heater with Wheels, Propane 46,000 BTU


This Amazon private label patio heater is a powerful propane gas heater that looks pretty good, has everything you would want from a standard heater, and won’t leave your pockets empty.

The 46,000 BTU heat output is enough to keep a party of 4-6 people warm on your patio or backyard. If you want to provide heat for more people, you’ll most likely need more than one heater.

The heater is made from rugged steel, aluminum, and sturdy plastic. You can even choose from seven different colors. While the looks are a plus, the build itself is a bit flimsy and not very solid. However, it is straightforward to install and comes with a 1-year limited warranty.

Amazon Basics patio heater is for sure the best propane gas patio heater if you are on a budget. The flimsiness of the build is a bit annoying, but the high BTU heat output, design, and low price redeem it to be a worthy purchase.

Key Features:

  • 46,000 BUT
  • Great price
  • Multiple colors
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Base with wheels
  • Amazon basics 1-year limited warranty

Weaknesses:

  • Build not very solid

JIYU 1500W Patio Hanging Electric Heater


If you are tight on space and looking for something unobtrusive? JIYU 1500W heater is one of the best electric patio heaters that you can hang over your table or lounging area. This suspended electric heater is perfect for porches that need a little warmth during chilly evenings.

JIYU heater has three heat levels (600W, 1000W, 1500W) and heats up in just three seconds. You can easily switch between the levels or turn on/off the heater with remote control. It also comes with a 24h auto shut-off if you forget that it is on.

This heater can be used as a light source so that you won’t need extra light fixtures. It’s straightforward to set up; just unpack, and you can attach the harness to a hook on the ceiling. We would advise hanging it as low as possible. If you have a very tall porch ceiling, you might not get enough warmth from the heater. Finally, one minor inconvenience is the 70-inch cord, so when installing, keep in mind to have an outlet nearby.

Key Features:

  • Great for porches
  • Heats up in 3 seconds
  • 3 heat settings: 600W, 1000W, 1500W
  • Easy remote control
  • 24h auto shut-off
  • LED lights to provide warm light
  • Can be a source of light
  • Easy to set up

Weaknesses:

  • The power cord is quite short
  • Not enough heat on tall porches/ceiling

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to put a patio heater on my deck?

Yes, all free-standing patio heaters will have a heat source at the top or middle of the construction, so the bottom and base of the heater won’t get hot. This allows the heater to be placed on flammable decks like wood. 

Is it safe to place a patio heater under a porch?

Yes, putting a patio heater under a porch is safe as long as you have enough ceiling clearance and air ventilation. All mushroom-type heaters have shields to reflect heat downwards, thus reducing the heat going upwards, but just to be safe, always have at least 20-inch clearance to the ceiling. If your patio is enclosed with no ventilation, it’s advised not to use gas heaters to avoid poisoning in case of a gas leak.

Electric heaters should have some clearance as well, but in general, they provide way less heat and no direct flame. They can also be used in enclosed porches or indoors since they don’t have a poisoning risk or open flame.

Which patio heater is better, electric or propane gas?

It depends on your needs. If you want to provide more heat to a larger area, go for a powerful propane gas heater that can output 35,000+ BTUs. Propane gas heaters usually provide more heat to a larger area and are cheaper long-term because of cheap fuel. 

Electric heaters require way less maintenance and are easier to set up and a bit safer since you don’t need to deal with open flame. They can also be used indoors. However, they can run up your electricity bill quite quickly if used often and for long periods.

Top 9 Best Charcoal Starters in 2021

Many of us delight in the opportunity to fire up the old charcoal grill and display our long practiced meat grilling skills. We take enormous pride and comfort in the process and the tasty outcome. Before we can start sizzling steaks on the grill, we need to get those coals to just the right temperature and shade of grey. We have many options for how to get the coals glowing, but some are clearly safer and more efficient than others. Starting your charcoal effectively and evenly allows you to control and time your heat and, in turn, properly plan your cooking, grilling, or smoking. These days there’s no need to douse charcoal with liquid fuel and risk seasoning your food with petroleum aroma; let’s just stick to salt and pepper on our food. Learn how to effortlessly and effectively get your charcoal going with these top 9 best charcoal starters in 2021.

What is a charcoal starter, and why do I need one?

charcoal fire

A charcoal starter is a device or a consumable that allows you to effectively heat the charcoal until it is ash grey white and ready for your charcoal grill or chiminea. You might ask why would I need one if I can take a ball of rolled-up paper, cover it with charcoal, and light it up? But be honest with yourself, how many times has your paper or tiny kindling fizzled out under the charcoal, forcing you to begin again and pushing back your dinner schedule by another 1/2 hour? Or the charcoal lit up unevenly, and your grill temperature kept on changing every 5 minutes, making it hard to time your cooking? Save time and hassle by picking one of our best charcoal starters and move onto what you do best – grill!

Different types of charcoal starters

Charcoal starter on a grill
old charcoal starter

There are several types of charcoal starters you can get your hands on; they are very different in how they operate, but in the end, how much they cost or how fast they can light up the charcoal are the main differences. 

Chimney charcoal starters

charcoal chimney

Chimney charcoal starters are probably the most popular way to effectively and evenly light up your charcoal. A basic chimney starter construction consists of an upper compartment for your coal, a bottom compartment for a fire source, and a handle to transport or pour out hot coal. These starters are popular because they are easy to use, budget-friendly, and heat the coal evenly. It will take around 20 minutes in a chimney starter to have your coals ready for cooking.

Electric charcoal starters

A new trend among beginning and seasoned grillers are electric charcoal starters. They usually have a heating element or a very hot air fan to heat the coals. The most significant advantage of electric coal starters is that some of them can heat your coals in just a few minutes; however, they require an electric outlet and are a bit pricier.

Propane gas charcoal starters

You may have used a standard torch to light up a fire or grill yourself at one time or another. These are very portable and relatively cheap, but they are not as efficient in heating coals and require you to manually hold and point the torch towards the coals until they get hot.

Consumable charcoal starters

These starters are usually made from wood chips, paraffin wax, paper, or a mix of all of them. There are a lot of eco-friendly options that are made with nontoxic products and are very portable. However, they are not as reliable in quickly and evenly heating the charcoal.

Best Charcoal Starter Reviews

Weber 7447 Compact Rapidfire Chimney Starter


Weber Grilling equipment is one of the most popular BBQ equipment brands worldwide, so you know you’re on the right track with the Weber 7447 chimney charcoal starter. It’s made from stainless steel and features a heat protection plate to protect the handle from getting too hot, which also increases the sturdiness of the whole chimney.

The Compact Rapidfire chimney can fit around 40 briquettes, making it a perfect size for small to medium grills. The Weber 7447 Compact Rapidfire innovative grate inside the chimney lets you heat your coals in about 15 minutes. A cool-to-touch handle protects from burning your hand; however, always wear a heat-resistant glove or oven mitt to be safe.

This Weber grill is the best chimney starter on our list for a small grill or if you’re on a budget.

Key Features:

  • Well recognized brand
  • Fits around 40 briquettes
  • Compact
  • It gets coals hot in 15 minutes
  • Cool to touch handle
  • Sturdy construction
  • Budget price

Weaknesses:

  • It might be small for larger grills

Oklahoma Joe’s 9848125R04 Half-Time Charcoal Starter XL


If you have a huge grill that needs a lot of charcoal, you might be interested in Oklahoma Joe’s Charcoal Starter XL. This large chimney starter can fit up to 100 briquettes at a time, and as the company boasts, the charcoal lights up twice as fast compared to competition chimneys. We’re not entirely sold on this statement, but the coal heats up at least a bit more quickly due to many air intake holes in the chimney.

We love the two handles on this chimney. The main heat-resistant handle (improved design, nonplastic) with a heat protection plate allows lifting the chimney safely. Since the XL chimney is large and becomes heavy when full of charcoal, an extra handle will enable you to use two hands and control the pouring of hot charcoal.

While the main handle is solid and sturdy, we did feel the second one was a bit flimsy, so you might want to tighten the bolts yourself.

Despite having a bit higher price point, Oklahoma Joe’s XL is the best large chimney starter on our list if you have a large grill and want to avoid lighting 2 or 3 batches of coal.

Key Features:

  • Extra-large capacity of 100 charcoal briquettes
  • Stainless steel construction
  • Improved heat resistant handle and shield
  • Extra handle for controlled dumping of the coal

Weaknesses:

  • Construction is a bit flimsy
  • A bit expensive

BBQ Dragon Chimney of Insanity Charcoal Starter


BBQ Dragon Chimney is an innovative chimney charcoal starter with a 90-degree elbow inside to fit their grill fan and supercharge the heating process. This allows the charcoal to heat up in just 3 minutes. All you need to do is grab a couple of crumpled balls of paper, stuff them into the elbow, and light them up. Now turn on the fan, stick it into the elbow, fasten the fan onto the grill and leave it running for 3-4 minutes. (fan not included)

The thick galvanized steel construction feels really solid and easy to handle. As with all chimney starters, you have a heat protection shield and a heat-resistant nylon handle.

Be informed that the chimney itself is sold separately and is quite expensive compared to other chimney starters. Without the fan, you won’t be able to utilize the unique design elbow tube. The chimney and fan combination is quite expensive but allows you to heat the charcoal in just 3 minutes and makes it the best luxury charcoal starter on our list.

Key Features:

  • Innovative design
  • Lights up charcoal in 3 minutes
  • Thick gauge galvanized steel
  • Thick heat shield and heat resistant nylon handle

Weaknesses:

  • Quite small
  • Expensive
  • Have to buy the chimney starter and the fan

MIGI WOLF Electric Charcoal Fire Starter


Hot airstream charcoal lighters are probably the most popular charcoal starter currently on the market. They blow hot air of up to 1100°F to light up the charcoal in around 60 seconds. By heating 2-3 spots of the charcoal pile, you’ll have your coal ready for grilling in just 3-5 minutes. This is the fastest charcoal starter on our list.

This electric charcoal starter doesn’t use any flame or gas, so it’s much safer for you or your party-goers. The long heating fan stick allows you to safely hold it without burning your hand.

The only disadvantage of the looftlighter is that it’s pretty expensive, and like with most electric lighters, you’ll need an electric socket nearby to use it.

Key Features:

  • Heats up to 1100°F
  • Very powerful 
  • An extended heat stick protects the hand from getting hot
  • No gas or flame used
  • Can heat targeted charcoal in 60 seconds

Weaknesses:

  • It needs to plug into an electric socket
  • Expensive

BISON AIRLIGHTER 520 Cordless Fire Starter


Love camping and need a portable option or just don’t have an electric socket? The Bison Airlighter 520 is a cordless charcoal starter perfect for on-the-go grilling where there’s no easy access to electricity or space is tight.

The refillable butane tank powers a small flame to light up the coal first, and then you can switch to the fan to quickly heat the coals.

The fan is a bit weak but enough to get your coals going in 3-5 minutes. The small size and no need for electricity make it one of the best portable charcoal starters in 2021.

Key Features:

  • Cordless
  • Portable
  • Convenient and versatile
  • 15 minutes of burn time
  • Refillable butane tank

Weaknesses:

  • The fan is a bit weak

GGC Electric Charcoal Fire Starter


This GGC electric charcoal starter is an excellent option if you’re on a budget but still want to light up your coals in less than 5 minutes. With this fire starter, you can safely light up your charcoal using nothing but hot air. Just plug it into the socket, aim it at the charcoal until it gets red and move onto the other side of the charcoal pile. In about 5 minutes, the charcoal should be ready for grilling.

The build and fan might not be as strong as other top brands, but GGC electric charcoal starter is pretty cheap, making it a great budget option.

Key Features:

  • No gas or flame used
  • Budget price
  • Heats coals in several minutes

Weaknesses:

  • It needs to be plugged into an electric socket
  • Not very powerful 

Stanbroil 600W Electric Charcoal Starter


Here we have a Stanbroil 600W electric charcoal starter that uses a heating element instead of a fan. It’s a great passive way to heat your charcoal without the need to stand next to your grill. Just stick the heating element into a pile of charcoal and plug it in. In about 8-10 minutes, your charcoal will be started.

The 600W powerful heating element can cover a large amount of charcoal at the same time, so you don’t need to relocate it during the process. It may not be the most conventional charcoal starter, but it requires little to no attention. This is the type of charcoal starter that I use and I find it very effective and has lasted me for at least five years without any sign of failure.

Key Features:

  • 600W heating element
  • Large heating element
  • Easy to use
  • Cheap

Weaknesses:

  • It needs to plug into an electric socket

Naked Flame Fire Starters Natural Fast Lighting Charcoal Starters 

These wood wool fire starters are dipped in food-grade wax, making them 100% natural with no unpleasant odor. Just grab a couple of rolls, stick them in different sides of your charcoal pile and light them up. The perfect option for camping and traveling when space is really tight.

Key Features:

  • 100% natural
  • Easy to light up
  • 8-10 minutes burn time

Weaknesses:

  • A bit expensive

Weber Lighter Cubes


This is another consumable charcoal starter, this time from our famous grill master Weber. These lighter cubes are very easy to light up even if they are wet or during conditions. You don’t need any paper or kindling, just a touch of fire. 

All it takes is 1-2 Weber lighter cubes in a pile of charcoal and 15-20 minutes of burn time to get the coals hot.

Key Features:

  • Lights up fast
  • Lights up even wet
  • Burns for 15-20 minutes

Weaknesses:

  • Messy packaging
  • It has some lighter fluid smell

Frequently Asked Questions

How to use the chimney charcoal starter?

Using a chimney starter is quite simple. The first step is to fill the top container with charcoal of your choice. Make sure to fill it up with as much coal as you’re going to use, so all coals light up at the same time. Now roll up some paper, paraffin wax, lighter cubes, or small kindling on your grill grates and light it up. Put the chimney starter with coals on top and let it burn. 

The air intake holes at the bottom part of the chimney starter will get the fire going upwards straight to the coals. You can leave the chimney burning for around 20minutes; by that time, your coals should be ash grey white and ready for grilling. Grab a heat-resistant glove or oven mitten and pour out the hot charcoal into your grill.

How to use an electric charcoal starter?

An electric charcoal starter is even easier to use. You’ll usually find two types of electric charcoals – heat guns that blow hot air onto the coals or starters that use a heating element that you need to bury into charcoal.

Using a heat gun is pretty easy; just plug in your starter, push the button, and aim into the coal. When a few pieces of coal start sparking and are red hot, continue with the next charcoal and repeat until all the coals in your grill are turning ash grey white and are red hot.

If you have a heating element coal starter bury the element into the coals, plug it in and leave for a good 8-12 minutes. You can check-in between if some coals are not getting any heat and rearrange them with a poker. Be sure to follow the directions, these starters can melt in the charcoal if left for too long.

Top 7 Best Propane Gas Grills in 2021

Are you tired of taming flame on your wood-burning fire pit or waiting for your coals to get hot in a charcoal grill? Consider getting a propane gas grill that will let you start grilling in 5-10 minutes. If you are a beginner or just lazy like we are, you’ll love the convenient and quick heat control whether you’re searing a steak or BBQing tasty ribs. To save you the hassle of researching which propane gas grills are the best, we have compiled a list of the Top 7 Best Propane Gas Grills in 2021 with detailed and compact information about top-performing grills in various categories.

What to Consider When Buying a Gas Grill?

Before jumping in and buying the first recommended gas grill, take some time and think about what kind of gas grill best fits your needs. Here are a couple of points you should take into consideration.

Price

weber grill

As always, your budget is one of the most significant factors when looking for a gas grill. If you’re looking for a budget option, be ready to sacrifice quality, durability, and special features. However, you don’t need to spend $10,000 (yes, there are grills for $10,000 or more) on a grill to get high-quality. Our list contains propane gas grills with the best price-to-quality ratio, so you don’t spend a single dollar for something you don’t need.

Size

Reflect on your previous grilling experience. How many people do you usually need to feed? Is it just your family of 4 or large parties? Large gas grills are pretty chunky and take a lot of storage space, so if you’re going to fire up the grill only occasionally for a few burgers, go for a compact two-burner gas grill or even a tiny portable tabletop grill.

For bigger households or events, get a four-burner grill or at minimum three burner one to avoid cooking your food in multiple batches and making a part of your guests wait while others already munch on your delicious burgers.

Features

best propane grill
grilling meat

Warmer rack, rotisserie forks, a side burner for side dishes or sauces, safety gadgets, LED lights for night cooking, fuel conversion, and many other various features can be found on a propane gas grill. Just remember, the more special features a gas grill has, the higher your total price will be. 

In our opinion, a good gas grill should have a good igniter, high-quality grill grates, a warmer rack, and maybe a side table. Anything extra is optional and should be picked depending on your needs.

Best Propane Gas Grill Reviews in 2021

Coleman Portable Propane Grill for Camping & Tailgating


The Coleman portable propane grill is excellent for camping trips or tailgating events for 2-4 people. The 28.81 x 18.31 x 10.63 inches size will fit in any car trunk and will be easy to store during the cold season.

The high-quality cast iron grill construction and stationary legs provide stability and extra sturdiness to the whole build. The grill grates are enameled cast iron which is dishwasher safe but can be easily cleaned with some hot soapy water. However, avoid using metal utensils, or you’ll scratch and damage the non-stick surface.

We love that this Coleman grill is very easy to maintain. The grates can be washed with soap without any strenuous scrubbing, and the bottom of the grill has a water pan to catch all of the nasty grease drippings.

This small 225 sq. in. grill has two burners; however, they are divided into an inner and outer ring instead of separate heat zones.

All in all, the Coleman Portable propane gas grill is not the most powerful gas grill you can get but is the best portable gas grill for camping, tailgating, or tabletop cooking for a small family.

Key Features:

  • 225 sq. in. cooking surface
  • Two burners
  • 11,000 BTU power
  • Water pan to catch grease
  • Solid build
  • Very portable can be used tabletop
  • Easy to clean

Weaknesses:

  • It cannot be adapted to natural gas line
  • Just one heat zone
  • Expensive for a small grill

Cuisinart CGG-750 Portable, Venture Gas Grill


Look at this beauty! If you’re a sucker for beautiful builds and aesthetics, the Cuisinart CGG-750 portable grill is one of the most beautiful portable propane gas grills on our list. It’s perfect for trips to the beach, park, or short BBQ sessions in your backyard.

The Cuisinart CGG-750 has an innovative stacking design with a bottom with space for a 1-pound propane gas cylinder, the middle part containing the grill itself, and the top cover with an integrated cutting board. Everything stacks up nicely, and you can carry it like a small picnic basket.

The small 154 sq. in. cooking surface is best suited for two people. 9,000 BTU power is also a bit weak and won’t give you scorching heat to properly sear a steak. 

The most significant advantages of this small grill are its beautiful aesthetic build, looks, and portability to take it almost anywhere. This is a perfect option for an occasional tableside grilling in your beautiful backyard, park, or beach.

Key Features:

  • 154 sq. in. cooking surface
  • 9,000 BTU burner
  • Integrated cutting board
  • Portable and lightweight
  • Efficient stackable design
  • Beautiful looks

Weaknesses:

  • Small cooking surface
  • The grilling grate is more like a grill pan
  • Shallow drip pan
  • Weak BTU power

Char-Broil 463673519 Performance Series Propane Gas Grill


Let’s leave portable grills and move on to grills for your backyard. The Char-Broil 463673519 is a two burner and 24,000 BTU powered propane gas grill which is excellent for 2-4 person households. 

This model ignites very easily with a battery-powered ignition by a button push. Two burners allow you to have different heat zones on the 300 sq. in. primary cooking surface. There is also an additional warming rack (100 sq. in.) to place already cooked protein or veggies. If you don’t have a table nearby, you’ll love the two folding side tables to place any dishes or barbecue equipment while grilling.

The Char-Broil 463673519 propane gas grill is very easy to maintain. Porcelain-coated cast-iron grates are non-stick and easy to clean after use. A removable grease pan is convenient to take out and clean up. When grilling and cleaning are done, you can unfold the side tables and conveniently store the grill even in small storage spaces. 4 caster wheels allow you to easily transport the grill no matter if it’s on your brick patio or thoroughly groomed lawn.

This is one of the best compact gas grills on our list for small households that don’t have a lot of space in their backyard or patio.

Key Features:

  • 300 sq. in. primary cooking surface
  • 24,000 BTU power
  • Two burners
  • The thermometer on the lid
  • Compact design
  • Porcelain-coated cast-iron grates
  • Electronic ignition
  • Two side tables
  • Easy to move wheels with lock ability

Weaknesses:

  • Less at the front of the grill than in the back
  • Requires quite a bit of assembly

Huntington 30040HNT Liquid Propane Gas Grill


The Huntington 30040HNT propane gas grill is one of the best mid-sized gas grills if you’re on a budget but still want to enjoy all the perks of proper grilling. Huntington products are made in North America and actively compete with overseas brands by offering customers lower price points while maintaining high quality.

The Huntington 30040HNT propane gas grill has a cast aluminum box that helps retain more heat and is less prone to rusting, increasing the grill’s longevity. The whole body is made from North American steel, which should be very sturdy; however, the steel is relatively thin, so the build does feel a bit flimsy when assembled.

As mentioned above, it’s a mid-sized gas grill with 430 sq. in. of primary cooking surface and 130 sq. in. space on the warming rack. You’ll have no trouble feeding 3-5 people, but a bigger party will have to wait in line.

The Huntington 30040HNT is a fantastic option on a budget for occasional grillers. It may not be the most powerful grill and a bit flimsy, but the quality of materials is quite good. It delivers everything you would want from a propane gas grill without costing a fortune.

Key Features:

  • 430 sq. in. primary cooking surface
  • 30,000 BTU power
  • Two burners
  • Porcelain-coated grates
  • Two side tables
  • Affordable

Weaknesses:

  • Flimsy build quality

Weber 61016001 Genesis II E-335 3-Burner Liquid Propane Grill


If you’re a regular reader, you know that the Weber company name pops up in almost every article about grilling. They’ve been producing consumer-boasted grilling equipment since the invention of the kettle grill in 1952. The Weber Genesis II E-335 is no exception. The superb build quality, power, and numerous accessories take us to the professional grillers league.

The GS4 high-performance system is backed up by a 39,000 BTU power main burner and 12,000 BTU side burner for sauces or side dishes. Additionally, there’s a 9,000 BTU sear station explicitly made to add fantastic sear and grill marks on your meats.

A large 513 sq. in. cooking surface grates are made from 7mm solid stainless steel rods and will fit up to 20 burgers. The grill has three burners, so you can multitask on three separate heat zones and rest your food on a warming rack.

Genesis II E-335 is a very versatile and convenient grill. You’ll have quite an ample storage space under the grill for your disposables or cleaning equipment. Tables on the sides give you enough space for prepping or keeping dishes and drinks.

The whole build of the grill and accessories are protected by a 10-year warranty making it the best large propane gas grill in 2021 on our list. You’ll have to spend a bit more, but it is a long-term investment that should serve you a decade.

Key Features:

  • 513 sq. in. primary cooking surface
  • 39,000 BTU power main burner, 12,000 BTU side burner, and 9,000 BTU sear station
  • Solid stainless steel grates
  • Interactive 3D assembly instructions
  • Storage space under the grill
  • Sear station
  • Side burner
  • 10-year warranty on all parts

Weaknesses:

  • Expensive

Char-Broil 463377319 Performance 4-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill


The Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner gas grill is an excellent option for large households or party caterers who are on a budget but still want to entertain a large group of people. 

The 425 sq. in. primary cooking surface is large enough to cater 10 to 15 people at a time while also cooking up a sauce or side dish on the side burner. The cooking grates are made from porcelain-coated cast-iron, which helps retain heat and is easy to clean. Having four burners allows you to divide the grill into multiple heat zones to cook multiple dishes simultaneously. 

The grill construction is made from gauge steel with stainless steel finish on other parts. We felt that the steel is a bit thin, making the grill flimsy if moved around, but you probably shouldn’t expect superb quality for a budget price. The Char-Broil 463377319 is our pick for the best large propane gas grill on a budget.

Key Features:

  • 425 sq. in. primary cooking surface
  • The temperature gauge on the lid
  • Side burner
  • Side table
  • Warming rack
  • Four burners
  • Porcelain-coated cast-iron grates
  • Budget price

Weaknesses:

  • Thin gauge steel construction is a bit flimsy

Blackstone 36 Inch Cooking 4 Burner Flat Top Gas Grill


If you can’t live without pancakes, eggs, and bacon, consider getting a flat-top gas grill in your backyard. Imagine waking up early in the morning and firing up a tasty diner-style breakfast on your own flat top!

The Blackstone 36-inch flat top grill has four burners and a 720 sq. in. cooking surface to create various heat zones for multiple dishes at a time, even for a large party. Want to have a large barbecue party? No problem, this grill can handle up to 30 burgers at a time, and the flat top will allow you to get that crunchy sear by using burger grease, which would usually be lost on a regular grill. Additionally, you have less hassle when cooking bacon or small veggies, and cleaning is much easier since you have only one surface to clean.

This flat-top grill has 4x 15,000 BTU burners and a thick rolled steel surface for fantastic heat retention to sear your steaks and burgers properly.

Because of the thick steel surface and wide-spread legs, the whole grill feels very solid on the ground and stays in place with the help of lockable caster wheels. This flat top is not the best to take camping since it is pretty bulky and weighs 120 pounds.

All in all, Blackstone 36-Inch flat top grill is one of the best flat-top grills currently on the market and a fantastic budget option for large catering events and parties.

Key Features:

  • 720 sq. in. cooking surface
  • 15,000 BTU power
  • Four burners
  • Budget price
  • Thick rolled steel surface
  • Easy to clean

Weaknesses:

  • Heavy
  • Not as powerful as other large grills

Gas Grill Maintenance Checklist

Preheat before grilling

You should always cook on a hot grill. When a grill is preheated, you’ll have indirect heat cooking your food (when the lid is closed, of course). If the grill is just turned on and you slap a burger on cold grates, it most likely will get stuck, and only the bottom will be cooking by direct heat for the next 5 minutes.

Clean your cooking grates

Before and after every use, you should clean your grilling grates or flat top to avoid burnt charcoal on your next meal or even food poisoning. Use necessary grilling tools like grill brushes or just soapy water, depending on your cooking surface material.

Empty the grease drip pan

Avoid nasty smells by occasionally removing and cleaning your grease drip pan. We like to clean it every other grilling, but the more often you clean it, the better.

Use a grill cover

If you want your grill to last long, you need to get a grill cover. Rain, wind, sun, leaves, and other debris will have a toll on your grill very quickly despite it being rust-resistant. A cheap water-resistant cover will keep your grill clean and moisture-free.

Top 7 Best Manual Pole Saws and Pruners for Landscaping in 2021

With the spring coming, young trees and bushes start growing at a much faster pace and require trimming before they get out of control. When you have tall bushes and trees to trim, your only choices are to buy a tall orchard ladder or a pole pruner. Don’t risk your neck trying to balance on a tall ladder and prune at the same time. One bad fall can really mess you up. Top quality pole pruners and saws can really make the job surprisingly easy and safe. They are lightweight, easy to handle, much longer than electric ones, and of course, there’s no risk of falling off the ladder because you won’t need one! We did extensive research to give you our list of the top 7 best manual pole saws and pruners for landscaping in 2021. 

Continue reading to learn about different types of pole saws and pruners and what to consider to select the best option for your needs.

Types of manual pole saws and pruners

Pruner and Saw combination

We really like the pruner and saw combination because it provides versatility and easier tree trimming. The saw on the pole can deal even with large and thick branches depending on the blade length, while the pruner can precisely and, most importantly, cleanly cut thin tree branches.  The only downside is that having both on the pole all of the time can make trimming in tight spaces more difficult.

Traditional rope pruners

Traditional rope pruners are the ones that use a rope outside the pole to prune branches. The cutting mechanism is very simple; when you move the rope downwards, the blade moves up to the hook and cuts anything in its way. The rope can be pulled from the end, middle, or top part of the pole. Rope pruners are nice because you can hold the pole in almost any position and always reach the rope. The only downside is that sometimes branches will get twisted in the rope.

Ropeless (handle) pruners

pole pruner
handle pruner

Ropeless or handle pole pruners have a handle at the end of the pole, which is connected to the blade with a rope, string, cable, or mechanism inside the pole. Using the handle to control the cutting mechanism is easier, and you don’t have a rope getting in the way, but it forces you to always hold the pole by the handle.

What to consider when buying a pole saw and pruner?

Tree branch thickness

If your backyard or garden is full of trees with thin branches, then a pruner will be sufficient. For medium-sized trees, a combination of a saw and pruner works best. That way, you can quickly and cleanly cut thin branches while sawing off the thicker ones. 

For larger trees with thick branches, you’ll need a saw with a longer blade. This will reduce the time and effort required to cut a thick branch.

Pole length

It may seem obvious, but some people forget to check how tall their trees are before buying a pole saw. You don’t want to defeat the purpose of having a pole saw by needing to use it on a ladder. Be sure to understand how long of a pole you need before you buy.

Material

These days most saws and pruners from reputable brands will be made from a high-quality material like fiberglass or a combination of fiberglass & aluminum. They are incredibly lightweight and not that expensive anymore. Don’t settle for any weaker or cheaper materials. 

Best Manual Pole Saws and Pruner Reviews in 2021

Corona TP 6870 MAX RazorTOOTH DualCOMPOUND Action 14-ft. Tree Pruner


The Corona TP 6870 Max pole saw, and pruner is one of the sharpest pole saws you can get without spending a fortune. With up to 6 teeth per inch, the razor tooth 13-inch saw blade cuts quicker, cleaner, and with less effort. Impulse hardened blade also adds improved durability even when constantly used on thick and wet trees.

The dual-compound tree pruner has a durable fiberglass pole with an adjustable 7′ to 14′ length. We are surprised by the chain-drive action pulley system and very sharp zinc alloy pruning head that cuts through branches (up to 1¼-inch) like a hot knife through butter. The TP 6870 Max pole weighs just over 3 pounds and has a comfortable 24-inch foam handle to firmly and comfortably hold while sawing. 

We would love the pole to be a 4′ – 6′ longer for the price it’s being sold, but the pruner and saw blade sharpness and quality are undeniable and makes it the best manual pole saw and pruner on our list.

Key Features:

  • Reaches up to 14-feet
  • Comfortable foam grip
  • Rope pull system
  • 13-inch saw blade
  • Limited lifetime warranty
  • Pruner cutting capacity: 1¼ inches

Weaknesses:

  • Quite expensive
  • Not very long

Fiskars 14 Foot Power-Lever Extendable Tree Pruner

Anyone who has ever done any landscaping or gardening work has used one or another Fiskars tool and knows that they are durable, sturdy, and easy to handle. Fiskars’ 14-foot extendable tree pruner and pole saw is no exception and even comes with a lifetime warranty.

The pole extends up to 14-foot and has a quick release lock that allows for a rapid and safe extension or contraction. At the top of the pole, you’ll have a long 15-inch WoodZig saw blade to cut even thick branches. In contrast, smaller branches are easier to cut with the fully hardened and precision ground, steel pruning blade. 

The only drawback is the almost 6 pounds weight of the pole, which might be too heavy for some people, especially if you need to do a lot of pruning. Other than that, Fiskars 93016059J is the best quality manual pole saw and pruner for landscaping if you’re on a budget.

Key Features:

  • High-quality solid build
  • 15-inch saw blade
  • Pruner cutting capacity: 1½ inches
  • Budget price
  • 14-foot fiberglass pole
  • Quick-release lock
  • Lifetime warranty

Weaknesses:

  • Not as light as competition

Jameson LS-6PKG-6 LS-Series Landscaper Pole Saw Kit with 3 Poles

If you have different height trees in your backyard, Jameson LS-6PKG-6 saw kit is a fantastic product for both professionals and beginners. The three-pole system allows you to use the pole with 6, 12, and even 18 feet lengths. The easy assembly and disassembly allow for a quick length change to switch between different trees. 

The top of the pole is equipped with a sharp 16-inch Barracuda Tri-cut saw blade to cut thick branches. When using both extensions, the pole weighs 8 pounds which is quite heavy for a manual pole saw; however, when sawing with long poles, the gravity force from extra weight gives you additional sawing power.

At first, we were uncomfortable with the thicker pole, but when you use the pole with both extensions, the thickness makes the pole less wiggly and makes it easier to control.

Key Features:

  • Three pole system for various heights
  • Up to 18-feet reach
  • 16-inch Barracuda Tri-cut saw blade
  • Sturdy for a long pole

Weaknesses:

  • No pruner blade for small branches
  • The three piece handle makes it a bit more cumbersome to carry around and a bit harder to extend.

Milliard 6-16 Foot Extendable Tree Pruner/Pole Saw 


Make branch trimming and cutting a breeze with the Milliard 6 to 16 feet extendable tree pruner pole. Milliard products have high-quality standards, decent pricing, and friendly customer support as an added bonus.

We like that the pole has an adjustable length. You can make it any length from 6 to 16 feet. We did notice that you need to use extra force to tighten the length locking mechanism properly. 

The head of the pole is equipped with a 14-inch saw blade, with every tooth having three sharp sides. You have a sharp pruner head with a double pulley system for effortless and clean cuts for thin branches.

Made from fiberglass, it’s very easy to maneuver, even for weaker landscapers. Finally, the adjustable length versatility makes the Milliard extendable pole saw and pruner one of the best options for beginners.

Key Features:

  • Double pulley system
  • Firm but lightweight fiberglass pole
  • Foam handle for comfort
  • Up to 16-feet reach
  • 14-inch carbon steel saw blade
  • Pruner cutting capacity: 1¼ inches
  • Adjustable rope handle for easy grip

Weaknesses:

  • The pole length locking mechanism could be tighter.

Talitare 10-foot Pruning Pole Saw 


Don’t have tall trees and need a budget pole saw for the occasional trimming once or twice a year? The Talitare 10-foot pole saw is the best budget pole saw on our list for the infrequent landscaper.

The Talitare pole saw is assembled from 5 pieces so that you can adjust the pole from 4 to 10-foot length. The head of the pole has a long and sharp saw blade (2 blades included) with a hook to help you stay on track when sawing.

This pole saw pruner doesn’t feel as sturdy or high-quality as competition, but you can’t ask for more with this budget price. A lightweight and easy-to-handle pole saw for simple landscaping chores.

Key Features:

  • Adjustable 4 – 10 foot length
  • Lightweight
  • Great budget price
  • Stainless steel rods

Weaknesses:

  • Rusts quicker than expected
  • Build not very sturdy

Jameson FG-6PKG-7 FG-Series Manual Pole Saw and Tree Pruner


If you’re looking for a heavy-duty pole pruner and saw Jameson FG-6PKG-7 is your best bet. This set includes two 6′ poles for a maximum of 12′ feet reach, a saw blade head, and a pruner head. 

The fiberglass pole is very sturdy and lightweight; however, the Jameson FG series poles are a touch thicker than most. With the added heavy-duty interchangeable heads, the pole weighs 10 pounds and might be too heavy for some users.

As expected, Jameson prides in their extra sharp 16-inch Barracuda Tri-cut saw blade and the double pulley pruner system for easy sawing and cutting. 

If you don’t mind the higher price tag and are ready to invest in a long-lasting pole saw and pruner, the FG-6PKG-7 is the best pole saw and pruner for more frequent use that will last you years.

Key Features:

  • 16-inch Barracuda Tri-Cut saw blade
  • Up to 12-foot reach
  • Sturdy and stiff fiberglass pole
  • Double pulley system
  • Interchangeable pruner and saw blade heads

Weaknesses:

  • Quite heavy
  • Expensive

Corona TP 3206 SwivelCUT Long Reach Pruner

Have vines, small trees, and bushes that need occasional trimming? Do back problems prevent bending or working close to the ground? Corona TP 3206 is a fantastic long-reach pruner to avoid constant bending and straining.

We love the engineering of this 62-inch lightweight pole. The pruning mechanism can work in two ways. The first one is to use the handle at the bottom and pull it towards you. It allows it to reach higher branches or vines but takes a bit of practice to master. The second method is to pull the sliding grip in the middle of the pole, which works well when cutting nearby. 

Finally, it’s essential to appreciate the 360 degrees swivel head that allows you to cut from any angle and reach into tight spaces. This is definitely, one of the best small pole pruners for people with back problems.

Key Features:

  • PowerGlide comfortable grip
  • 360 degrees swivel head
  • Pruner cutting capacity: 1¼ inches
  • Ergonomic design

Weaknesses:

  • Short pole

How Do I Use a Manual Pole Pruner?

Using a pole pruner is pretty straightforward. You have to select the branch you want to cut and position it between the blade and the hook, then pull on the string or press the handle to engage the cutting mechanism. Just remember, most pole pruners can handle up to 1 to 1.5-inch thick branches. If you force it too much and try to cut thicker branches, the blade is likely to get stuck. Also, be sure to never twist the blade while cutting or the blade might bend or the mechanism might break. Always cut the branch close to where it joins the larger branch to avoid dead little stubs. As with any tall tool, be sure to never use a pole of any kind near electrical wires. Many people get electrocuted every year by allowing their pole to touch the power wires.

How Do I Use a Manual Pole Saw?

Using a manual pole saw is pretty straightforward as well. You need to move the pole using an up and down stroke motion. Don’t use any force when moving upwards because you are lifting the pole and fighting saw and branch friction simultaneously. On the way down, use more force; the combination of pole weight, gravity, and your pull will create a powerful stroke. As with any tall tool, be sure to never use a pole of any kind near electrical wires. Many people get electrocuted every year by allowing their pole to touch the power wires.

Top 7 Best Handheld Electric Saws for Landscaping in 2021

Every homeowner has at least one small hand saw in their garage for simple DIY projects or regular tree and landscape maintenance. A simple tree pruning saw might be enough to cut a few small branches, a plastic pipe, or some 2×4’s, but if you have a large backyard or are going to work on more significant DIY projects, it’s going to be a long and strenuous workout. These days we have access to many different handheld electric saws that can save you countless hours of time and energy. Today we’re going to show you the top 7 best handheld electric saws for landscaping in 2021 to help you create the most beautiful backyard in the neighborhood without breaking a sweat.

Types of handheld electric saws

You can find a plethora of different types of handheld electric saws, but the most popular are these four types:

Chainsaw 

saw chain

A chainsaw has a set of sharp linked teeth located on a chain that runs at high speed around a steel panel. These iconic saws used by lumbermen and emergency services are designed to cut even the largest trees quickly. Electric chainsaws are not as powerful as their gas powered counterpart, but they can offer a quick, convenient, and easy way to trim or cut smaller trees.

Reciprocating saw

These saws are very popular because of their versatility, ease of use, heavy-duty, and maneuverability. With many different blade choices, they can cut not only wood but metal, tiles, plastic, etc. Reciprocating saws work by pushing and pulling the blade in short but rapid strokes. These saws are not the most precise and you will find it difficult to make straight cuts, but if you are looking to rip through some wood in a hurry, this might be the saw for you. We often use a reciprocating saw to help cut out old stumps. It is easier and more precise than an axe and doesn’t dull like a chainsaw. Always be careful if sawing into the ground, these saws will cut right through wire and pipe also. You can use them for small DIY projects, tree pruning, hardscaping, or even demolition.

Jigsaw

Similar to a reciprocating saw, Jigsaws have a blade that quickly moves in and out of the saw. The main two differences between a reciprocating saw and a jigsaw are a downward pointing blade and a much narrower blade that allows making non-straight cuts. This makes the jigsaw a perfect tool for detailing but not as useful for landscaping. If you want to cut out a curvy pattern in plywood, a jigsaw would be the perfect choice.

Circular saw

As the name suggests, these saws have a disc-shaped blade. They can be used freehand, with a parallel guide fence, or mounted on a sawmill. Professionals and amateurs often use this type of saw for their construction projects. This type of saw can create a very precise and straight cut into wood or plywood, so it’s often used during house construction, renovation, building a patio, fences, etc. A circular saw, with its flat, circular blade and flat deck, is meant to cut square lumber such as two by fours or plywood and is not well suited for tree branches or pruning.

What to consider before buying an electric handheld saw?

What are you going to cut?

Best electric chainsaw
Andrewa, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Different landscaping tasks may require different types of saws. Reciprocating saw will be sufficient for most small backyard chores, quick DIY projects, or landscaping tasks. If your backyard is full of large and thick trees that need to be cut, you might be better off with a chainsaw since a reciprocating saw will take way longer, and the blade is just not long enough to cut through a thicker tree.

Safety features

You need to be extremely careful when using power tools like saws. Besides wearing personal protective equipment and properly handling your tools, look for extra safety features like anti-slip handles, splash protection, overheat protection, or auto shut off if the blade gets stuck.

Ergonomics

Most electric saws used for landscaping look very similar, but when you pick them in your hands, you might have a totally different experience. To reduce strain on your hands and back, make sure the saw has ergonomic grips. Handles that are too thick may result in a lesser grip and less control of the blade. 

If you’re working in tight spaces, make sure the saw is compact and maneuverable enough to reach those small cuts.

Battery or Corded

Some electricity-powered saws are on a cord plugged into a socket, while others use lithium-ion batteries. Corded saws usually have more power, but you’ll have to drag the cord behind. If you need to go high up a tree or go further away from the house in your large backyard, a battery-powered saw is way more convenient even if you have to sacrifice some power. Being a landscape professional, I like to have both corded and battery power tools. Battery power is great if you always have the battery charged up and ready to go, but if you only use the tool occasionally, you can’t beat a corded tool that is ready to go at all times.

Power

Most battery-powered saws will have an 18V or 20V power which is plenty for simple softscaping or hardscaping tasks. A 12V saw will be lighter and great for smaller cuts but might struggle with larger trees or thicker material. We usually advise going for an 18V or 20V saw, which is able to do both smaller and larger cuts. 

Corded saws have their power measured in Amps. 10-12 Amp power will have no trouble with trees in your backyard, simple woodcuts, or thin plastic, metal, and concrete cuts. If your project involves thicker trees and tougher material, go for a 15 Amp power saw. The more amps the saw draws, the more power it will have.

Best Handheld Electric Saw Reviews

BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX Cordless Reciprocating Saw Kit with extra 4Ah battery


Black & Decker is a well-known American power tools manufacturer known for its high-quality tools for professionals and everyday amateur users. Black & Decker 20V cordless reciprocating saw is the best handheld electric saw for landscaping on our list in 2021 because of portability, power, high quality, and reasonable price.

Their 20V MAX PowerConnect battery provides enough power to cut through wood, plastic, fiberglass, nails, and more if you have a proper blade. Their PowerConnect technology allows swapping the battery with any other MAX PowerConnect tool battery. The only weakness is that the battery lasts 30-60 minutes of sawing and takes 2-3 hours to charge. For more significant DIY projects or larger landscaping tasks, we advise getting an extra battery.

We love that this saw is compact, ergonomic, and lightweight. Weighing just 12 pounds makes it very maneuverable, especially when working in tight spaces, in or around trees. Nonslip handles and pivoting blade shoe adds extra precision and versatility for non-straight cuts.

Key Features:

  • 20V Max (18V nominal) power lithium-ion battery
  • Up to 3,000 SPM
  • Outstanding control and safety with power brake
  • Different speed settings
  • Pivoting blade shoe
  • Compact and maneuverable
  • Lightweight
  • 2-year warranty

Weaknesses:

  • Quite expensive with the extra battery

GALAX PRO Reciprocating Saw


Galax Pro company mainly targets occasional DIYers and amateur landscapers. Their products are very budget-friendly, but as expected, are of lower quality. If you just need a lightweight saw for casual yard work or a simple woodworking project, Galax Pro is the best budget reciprocating saw kit on our list. 

Along with the cordless reciprocating saw, you’ll get three wood blades, two metal blades, a 20V battery, and a fast charger.

The saw has an ergonomic design with soft rubber handles that fit nicely in your hand and allow for a tight grip, which you will need since the saw does produce quite a bit of vibration.

Despite the lower build quality and a weak battery, Galax Pro reciprocating saw has a 2-year warranty, is a very cheap, lightweight, and powerful saw for almost any sawing needs inside and outside the house.

Key Features:

  • 20V power
  • 3000 SPM
  • 2 Ah battery with fast charge
  • Ergonomic design
  • No tools required to change the blade
  • Light and portable
  • Cheap

Weaknesses:

  • Produces a lot of vibration
  • Not great battery

Snowtaros 4-Inch Mini Chainsaw

If your backyard is full of trees or bushes and you constantly need to trim twigs, branches, and tree limbs, Snowtaros mini chainsaw is a fantastic portable alternative to large and bulky chainsaws.

This budget electric chainsaw weighs just 700g allowing it to be used with just one hand. A comfortable anti-slip handle allows for a good grip and doesn’t require much strength; therefore, everyone can use this chainsaw.

A powerful 24V battery will cut through tree branches and twigs for 1.5 hours before needing a recharge. This mini chainsaw has an anti-splash guard for a cleaner operation, while the overheat protection and safety switch provides extra safety.

Yes, this mini chainsaw won’t be able to saw through large and thick trees but is perfect for backyards full of smaller trees or bushes. Keep in mind, you are purchasing a very economical saw, do expect it to cut like a saw of twice the price.

Key Features:

  • 24V power
  • Portable
  • Extremely lightweight – just 700g
  • Overheat protection
  • Anti-splash guard
  • 1.5h battery life

Weaknesses:

  • It can be used only on wood

Milwaukee Electric Tool 2520-21XC M12 Hackzall Saw Kit


The Milwaukee M12 Hackzall saw kit is a great reciprocating saw kit from a respectable power tools manufacturer. The high-quality light, portable and maneuverable M12 reciprocating saw is perfect for light landscaping jobs and should last you a long time.

We love the saw’s portability, which allows us to use it with one hand while on a ladder or a tree. There’s also a neat LED light to work in dark spaces or nighttime. The whole saw weighs just 4 pounds, so if you can hold an electric screwdriver, you’ll be very comfortable with M12.

The 3000 strokes per minute speed is powered by 12V power and a 4ah battery. It is nice to have a larger battery that charges in just 45 minutes, but the 12V power is a bit of a disappointment. When used on tough wet stumps, metal, or concrete, you can’t put too much strain, or else overload protection will kick in and shut down the motor. You’ll have to go slower and take time with harder materials.

If you don’t need to do a lot of cuts on solid materials, then the Milwaukee M12 reciprocating saw is one of the best and most portable handheld electric saws on our list.

Key Features:

  • 3000 SPM
  • 12V power 4ah battery
  • Battery charges in 45min
  • Sturdy, high-quality build
  • Compact size
  • Overload protection
  • Well balanced weight
  • LED light
  • Lightweight

Weaknesses:

  • Expensive
  • Much slower on tougher material

DEWALT DWE305 12 Amp Corded Reciprocating Saw


Yes, cordless power tools are amazing because they are much more portable and easier to maneuver, but If you’re constantly working in your garage or landscaping, you’ll get tired of recharging the batteries or buying new ones when they die. 

Dewalt DWE305 is a powerful 12 Amp corded reciprocating saw that will work at 100% power every time. 2,900 SPM allows for fast cuts through soft materials like wood, plastic, or drywall. If needed, you can adjust the speed setting for harder material to avoid overheating.

DWE305 is a very ergonomic saw because of the 4-position blade clamp. It allows you to cut different angles without the risk of holding the saw weirdly and messing up the cut or even hurting yourself.

If having a cord isn’t a deal-breaker, Dewalt DWE305 is the best corded electric saw for landscaping on our list. Nothing fancy, just powerful, high-quality product, ergonomic, and easy-to-use power tool.

Key Features:

  • 12 Amp power
  • 2,900 SPM
  • Solid build
  • Ten blades set included
  • Four-position blade clamp

Weaknesses:

  • Limited movement because of cord

WORX WG323 20V PowerShare 10″ Cordless 2-In-1 Electric Pole Saw & Chainsaw

We have another small chainsaw for all your tree pruning and cutting chores. Forget your ladder with the 2-in1 WG323 electric pole saw and chainsaw. 

Easy to attach and detach pole requires no extra tools and can be assembled in seconds. The 20V power spins the chain at 12.5 ft/s speed. The chainsaw is powerful, but the 2.0 ah battery included in the kit is a bit weak and dies quickly; for larger landscaping projects, make sure to get a backup battery.

When assembled, you’ll be able to reach dead branches up to 12 feet in height. When detached, you can use it as a fully functioning medium-sized chainsaw to cut wood, tree branches, or even small-medium tree logs. The chainsaw has an auto-chain tension and auto lubrication, so you don’t even need to touch the chain to do maintenance.

The fully assembled pole saw weighs almost 11 pounds and requires a bit of practice to balance and cut at the same time. We love that this combination eliminates the need for a ladder if you want to do some light and quick tree trimming. Yes, the battery is relatively weak and doesn’t last long but having two power tools for a budget price makes the WG323 one of the best electric pruning saws for beginners.

Key Features:

  • 20V power
  • Great price
  • 12′ reach
  • Auto chain tension and lubrication
  • Lightweight
  • Cheap

Weaknesses:

  • Weak two ah battery
  • Requires some practice to use the long pole

WORX WX550L Axis Convertible Jigsaw To Reciprocating Saw

Here is another excellent power tool from WORX. The jigsaw to reciprocating saw is a combination for casual landscapers and DIY enthusiasts. Worx WX550L is a convertible jigsaw-to-reciprocating saw that allows you to trim dead branches, cut a PVC pipe, and cut weird shapes in wood or drywall, all within a few minutes with the same tool.

The 20V power is powerful enough to go through tougher materials like metal pipes, fiberglass, or tiles. The 1.5 ah battery is a bit disappointing since it won’t last long. We advise getting a more powerful 4.0 ah battery and using the original as a backup.

If you’re doing landscaping and want to start with light and simple DIY projects, WX550L will give you two power tools for the price of one. 

Key Features:

  • Instantly switch from jigsaw to reciprocating saw
  • 20V power
  • Lightweight – 4.6 pounds
  • Orbital cutting
  • Integrated dust blower
  • Cheap

Weaknesses:

  • Weakish 1.5 ah battery

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cut other materials besides wood with an electric saw?

It depends on the saw and blade used. Most saws will cut through softer metals, tiles, or even concrete if fitted with a proper blade. The only exception would be chainsaws. A regular household chainsaw may cut through an occasional old nail in the wood, but it won’t do good on harder metals which will ruin the chain.

Do I need to lubricate the electric saw blade?

The majority of the best electric saws will be lubricated during manufacturing, and you don’t need to do any lubrication yourself. To precisely know if your saw needs additional lubrication, always read the user manual provided. If lubrication is required, you’ll find the type of lubricant needed in the manual and how to apply it. In general, reciprocating saws will not need lubrication, but chainsaws will.

What is the orbital setting on my jigsaw?

The orbital setting changes the jigsaw straight cut into an elliptical movement, increasing the cut speed and introducing extra vibration and tear-out when cutting. It’s a very handy setting if you want the fastest cut and don’t care if it looks good. For more precise cuts, use the lowest setting or 0 and avoid additional vibration or tear-out.

Top 7 Best Charcoal Grills in 2021

So you want to be a bit more serious about grilling, and a regular wood-burning fire pit with a grill is not enough anymore? It’s time to move on to charcoal grills. They can provide very high heat for that perfect sear, smoky flavor, and charcoal grills don’t cost a fortune compared to gas grills. Even if you’re on a budget, you can enjoy grilling burgers, steaks, and even slow cook ribs and smoke various meats with some practice. Check out our top 7 best charcoal grills in 2021 to find the best option for you.

What to Consider Before Buying a Charcoal Grill?

Size 

a full grill

As always, size is determined depending on your needs. If you’re a frequent host of BBQ parties, then you’ll need a big charcoal grill with a large grilling area. For 8-10 or more people, go for 400 square inches or more of cooking area. If it’s just your small household, then even 250 square inches of cooking area should be enough.

Additionally, remember that large grills take up more space and are harder to transport. If you plan to take the grill camping or to a park, get a more portable, smaller one that can fit in your car.

Material

You’ll find that grills can be made from gauge steel, ceramics, aluminum steel, and other material; honestly, there are no bad options. Different materials will differ in price or how hot they can get. For beginners, we suggest going for gauge steel or aluminum as they are budget-friendly and high-quality too. 

Accessories and Features

Best charcoal grills
charcoal grill

These days there are various accessories and features on charcoal grills like smokers, double or even triple grilling grates, thermostats, work stations, charcoal igniters, etc. However, the must-have features on the charcoal grill are vents and adjustable grill grate height.

Vents allow you to control the airflow to the grill, thus controlling the heat. Having vents will allow you to properly sear a steak on high heat, roast a juicy chicken, or slow cook mouthwatering ribs.

Finally, the adjustable-height grill grate is very handy for beginner grillers to control their cooking heat. If you’re not experienced with charcoal, it’s unavoidable you’ll either have a too high temperature or a too low one. Charcoal heat takes time to adjust; it’s not gas where you can just turn a knob; that’s why an adjustable grate is excellent to quickly lift the grate off of high heat or lower it if the charcoal is dying down.

Best Charcoal Grill Reviews in 2021

Weber 14402001 Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill


Weber grills are one of the most popular grills not only in the US but all around the world. This Weber Original Kettle charcoal grill is perfect not only for beginners but for seasoned grillers who are looking for a portable but high-quality charcoal grill.

The large 363 square inch grilling area will allow cooking 12-13 burgers if you use the whole surface. That should be more than enough space for 4-6 people if you are grilling protein and side dishes.

The Weber Original Kettle grill is famous for its build design. The plated steel grate has a hinged area that you can open while grilling and add more charcoal without lifting the whole grate. The damper at the top of the lid and thermostat allows controlling heat without opening the grill. Finally, the ash bucket at the bottom makes cleaning effortless and very quick. 

You also have a lid hanger on the side, but it’s not very convenient and sometimes doesn’t hold the lid properly; this is probably the only minor weakness of the grill. 

Other than that, the Weber Original Kettle Charcoal grill is the best charcoal grill for beginners because of its versatility and ease of use.

Key features:

  • 363 square inch cooking surface
  • Plated steel hinged grate
  • Versatile and easy to operate
  • Rust-resistant bowl
  • Comfortable ash catcher
  • Easy assembly

Weaknesses:

  • The lid hook is not very convenient

Weber 15501001 Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill


Did we mention that Weber makes excellent grills? We did, and that’s why we have another Weber grill on our list. This time it’s a deluxe version of the above-mentioned Weber Kettle Premium grill. 

So what is the difference between the two? The deluxe version of the grill has the same 363 square inch cooking surface, same easy-to-clean ash catcher and is made from the same high-quality, long-lasting materials. 

The deluxe part kicks in when we start talking about accessories. This charcoal grill is like a spaceship for grillers. First of all, they added a charcoal ignition system so that you wouldn’t need any additional charcoal starters. With one push of a button, you’ll start igniting your charcoal, no more black fingers or paper ash flying around. There’s also a container to keep your charcoal in one place. Secondly, they upgraded the poor lid hook that didn’t work correctly and added a work table to place food, dishes, or your favorite grilling drink. Finally, there’s an LCD timer for those who aren’t good with keeping track of time or who constantly find themselves chatting away from the grill.

In the end, the grill became a grill cart and took more space while the price increased drastically too. However, all of the extra accessories and features make grill prep, cleaning, and actual grilling so much easier it’s a no-brainer best small charcoal grill for your money.

Key features:

  • 363 square inch cooking surface
  • Easy to use ash catcher
  • Rust-resistant bowl
  • LCD cook timer and thermostat
  • Charcoal ignition system
  • Charcoal storage container
  • Worktable
  • Proper hooks for tools

Weaknesses:

  • Expensive

Sun Chief Heavy Duty 613 Square Inches Charcoal Grill


If you’re not looking to spend a lot on a grill but still want one with a large grilling area, Sun Chief Heavy Duty charcoal grill cart is one of the best large budget charcoal grills on our list. You’ll have a cooking surface of 415 square inches perfect for 6-10 people with an additional 198 square inch warming rack. The grill frame also has four vents and a temperature gauge for excellent airflow control without opening the lid. 

When you’re done grilling, an ash dump pan allows for a quick and easy clean, and the folding wooden shelves make it a touch easier to store. The name of the grill states it’s heavy-duty, but we didn’t see any reinforced parts or thicker framing compared to other grills. However, the build is solid and definitely worth the price (an excellent price!).

Key features:

  • 415 square inches grilling surface
  • Solid build
  • 198 square inches warming rack
  • Four vents
  • Foldable wooden shelves
  • Easy to clean ash dump pan
  • Temperature gauge
  • Inexpensive for the size

Weaknesses:

  • Grate opening to add extra charcoal in a weird position

Royal Gourmet CC1830F Charcoal Grill with Offset Smoker


If you’re looking for an introduction to smoking without spending an extra buck, Royal Gourmet CC1830F is an excellent cheap charcoal grill and smoker combination. The main grill grate has 438 square inches, a warming rack of 179 square inches, and a smoker of 183 square inches for a total of 800 square inches of combined cooking surface. 

The grill exterior features a simple metal shelf for extra prep or seasoning space, while the additional warming rack will allow keeping already cooked food resting without getting cold. We love that the main grilling grate height can be adjusted. Combined with a thermostat and air vents, it makes heat control easy even for beginners. 

This grill-smoker is excellent for grilling enthusiasts who want to get started with smoking. The build is not very airtight, so controlling heat is more challenging, but it’s a great learning option without spending too much. We noticed that quite a few people had the smoker paint flake; this happens if you don’t cure the grill properly, make sure to follow the instructions, and you won’t have any flaking.

Key features:

  • 800 square inches of combined cooking surface
  • Offset smoker
  • Front shelf for extra workspace
  • Grill grate porcelain coated
  • Warming rack
  • Adjustable grate height
  • Air vent and thermostat
  • Inexpensive

Weaknesses:

  • Paint flakes if not cured
  • Build a bit flimsy

Char-Griller E1224 Smokin Pro


Char-Griller is another well-known charcoal grill brand in the USA. They are famous for their versatile grill and smoker combinations while being decently priced. 

This great-looking charcoal grill and bbq smoker is perfect for seasoned grillers that also want to smoke from time to time without spending $1500+ on a premium smoker.

E1224 grill and smoker has a 580 square inch main grilling grate and 250 square inches side firebox for a total of 830 square inches of cooking surface. This will allow you to grill for a party of 8+ people or smoke a couple of decent briskets.

The vents at the top and the firebox, along with adjustable grate height and thermostat, allow for easy heat control even for beginners. One weakness we saw is that the vents are not very airtight, making it a bit harder to control heat, especially when smoking and trying to keep a low temperature.

Key features:

  • 830 square inch total cooking area
  • Sturdy heavy gauge build
  • Side smoker
  • Front and side shelves
  • Air vents and thermostat
  • Decent sized smoker
  • Adjustable grill grate
  • Easy dump ash pan

Weaknesses:

  • The firebox is not very airtight

Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill


A list of the best charcoal grills wouldn’t be complete without a Kamado-style egg-shaped grill. The Char-Griller Akorn grill is the best option for a couple or single griller. It has only a 153 square inch grilling surface meaning you’ll be able to cook a couple of burgers and some veggies at a time.

The Akorn Kamado egg-shaped grill is built from an extremely sturdy 22 gauge steel. It has triple wall insulation to hold heat exceptionally well, making it a perfect option not only for grilling but smoking too. Top and bottom dampers with a temperature gauge on top allow for easy heat observation and adjustment.

The grill is just 25 inches tall and 21 inches wide, so you can take it to a park or camping without taking too much space in your trunk.

Overall, a great charcoal grill and smoker for a single person or a couple for an occasional grilling or smoking.

Key features:

  • 153 square inch grilling surface
  • Holds heat very well
  • Extremely sturdy 22 gauge steel body
  • Dual damper and temperature gauge for precise heat control
  • Portable
  • Easy to clean ash damper
  • Cheap for a Kamado style grill

Weaknesses:

  • Small cooking surface

PK Grills PK360 Outdoor Charcoal Grill and Smoker Combination


Finishing off the best charcoal grill list with a bang is a premium charcoal grill and smoker PK360 from PK Grills. This triple-walled cast aluminum grill is exceptionally sturdy and is rustproof; no more crying over flaking paint!

The cast aluminum construction and the patented four vent system allow for precise heat control, making it a great smoker for beginners and experienced smokers.

You’ll find a glass-fiber reinforced polyester shelf on each side of the grill to rest your tools, season, or place already cooked food. The shelves are highly heat resistant and super sturdy.

Yes, it’s not a big grill, but the build quality, sturdiness, heat retention, and control make it an exceptional product that will last you years. The only downfall for us is the thin legs that aren’t very stable on soft landscaping material and a steep price point. 

If money is not a problem, then the PK360 is definitely the best luxury charcoal grill on our list that money can buy.

Key features:

  • 360 square inch cooking area
  • Cast aluminum construction
  • Great heat control
  • High-quality thermometer
  • Rustproof
  • Two heat resistant side shelves
  • Four vents
  • Ash vent for an easy cleanup

Weaknesses:

  • Expensive
  • Legs are not very stable on a soft surface

Tips for Beginner Grillers

Set aside some time to light the charcoal

Unlike gas, charcoal takes quite a bit of time to heat up. If you don’t want to keep your guests hungry, make sure to add 15-20 minutes just for heating the charcoal. You want to have all the charcoal in a gray ash color. If your charcoal is not heated evenly, you’ll have a hard time controlling the heat since different pieces of charcoal will start reaching their optimal grilling temperature at different times.

Separate your grill into several heat zones

We know some of you want to split the hot charcoal evenly throughout the grill. That’s a rookie mistake. You want to have 2-3 different heat zones on the grill if it’s big enough. This will allow you to set aside cooked food to a lower temperature area if it’s burning and, in general, cook different types of dishes if they require different cooking temperatures. 

Put your food on a hot grill.

Like using a pan, make sure your grill is hot before putting your food on the grates. When you have ash white charcoal, close the lid and let the grill heat for 5 minutes. You want your food to sizzle when you throw it onto the grate to get that beautiful sear and keep all the juice inside, whether it’s protein or veggies.

Use vents

Learn to use your vents! You can’t imagine how big of a difference good airflow control makes. If your grill is not hot enough, open up the vents to get more air to burn the charcoal. If you want to lower the temperature, close all the vents and see how the temperature starts to drop slowly. In time you’ll use the vents not only to increase or decrease the temperature, but you’ll also use them to master different cooking techniques like searing, roasting, and smoking.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to properly start a charcoal grill?

You’ll need a charcoal starter to heat your charcoal. Whether using an electric charcoal starter or a chimney starter, the most important thing is to heat the charcoal properly. You want your charcoal to be fully ash gray in color. This will allow for an even burn and even heat.

We don’t advise using a lighter fluid unless it’s made from biofuels or alcohol. Otherwise, you’ll end up with an unwanted taste and smell in your food.

How to heat control in a charcoal grill?

You need to learn how to use vents on your charcoal grill. For more heat, open up the vents; for less, close them. We advise getting a grill with adjustable grate height for a quick-cooking temperature change if you’re a beginner.

How do I safely put out a charcoal grill?

The easiest and safest way to put out a charcoal grill is to suffocate the fire. Close down the grill lid and shut all the vents. This does smother the fire, but it will take a good 12 hours or more for the ash to cool down. Another way is to spray some water on the coal for a quick smothering. If you’re going to use water to put out a charcoal grill, make sure to use small amounts of water to cool the ember slowly, a large dose of water might create a huge ash ball coming to you or even make the ember jump out of the grill.

10 Best Barbecue Tools and Accessories in 2021

Grilling season is almost here, and everyone is anxious to whip out their charcoal or gas grills and get down to sizzling! If you want to grill amazing food with ease and keep your grill clean and well maintained, you need some extra barbecue tools and accessories. We’ve compiled a great list of the 10 best barbecue tools and accessories in 2021 to make grilling safer and hassle-free.

Which Barbecue Tools are Essential?

These grilling tools should be in every self-respecting grillers arsenal:

Grilling tongs 

grilling tongs

It’s pretty straightforward – you’re not going to use your hands to flip steaks or rearrange red hot charcoal. Every griller needs to have at least one pair of tongs to operate the grill. 

Spatula

grilling spatula

Spatulas are essential because they can pick a burger or fish without breaking it, it can be used to press on burgers or steaks to get a perfectly even sear. Finally, it’s much easier to scoop loose veggies with a spatula and tongs combo.

Meat thermometer

For the best results when cooking meats, a thermometer is a must. Even the most experienced grillers use a meat thermometer to know when their protein is at the perfect temperature. 

Charcoal starter

We know many people don’t use a charcoal starter, and they’re missing out big time. A charcoal starter saves you a lot of time and allows you to heat charcoal uniformly every time. For a more comprehensive selection, check out our Top 9 Best Charcoal Starters article.

Heat resistant gloves

bbq gloves

It’s obvious you’re going to be dealing with heat, your hands especially, so make sure to protect them with heat-resistant gloves. These gloves will protect you from open flame, oil splashes, or hot metal surfaces. Having your hands protected from the heat also provides more functionality and flexibility around the grill since you can touch and move more hot things.

Apron

bbq apron

Splashing oil and food drippings on your fancy clothes is never a pleasing incident. Get an apron to protect your clothes and look like the boss of the grill.

Grilling grate cleaning brush

After grilling or between numerous dishes, you should always clean up your grate. This will make your grate last way longer, and you’ll avoid tasting burnt food the next time you grill.

Nice to have accessories:

Grill basket

Grilling baskets aren’t that popular or well-known, but they’re a fantastic tool if you like barbecuing veggies. You can dump a load of chopped veggies into the basket and cook them inside without any worry that they’ll fall into the grill. Alternatively, you can keep already cooked food in the basket. The meat or veggie juices will drip through the small gaps and won’t let the food soak.

Basting brush

Sauce up your chicken, ribs, or any other protein you like with a silicone basting brush.

Ash bucket

After all the charcoal burns and cools, it’s handy to have an ash bucket when cleaning your grill. 

10 Best Barbecue Tools and Accessories in 2021 to make grilling hassle-free

professional bbq cook

Best Grilling Tongs: OXO Good Grips 16-Inch Stainless Steel Locking Tongs


OXO Good Grips is well known for its high-quality and budget-friendly kitchen tools. The 16-inch stainless steel tongs are a perfect option for both beginner and expert grillers. The sturdy build features a rust-resistant stainless steel body, while the silicone handles provide a strong grip even when wet.

The locking mechanism provides easy storage in a kitchen drawer or hooked up on any kitchen or grill hooks. Cleaning is super easy as well; the whole construction is dishwasher safe.

OXO tongs are inexpensive, sturdy, easy to use, and clean – a must for every griller.

Best Grilling Spatula: Weber 6673 Original Wide Spatula


If you ever cook fish or burgers, you must have a spatula along with your tongs. Weber 6673 wide spatula will let you flip even the biggest fish fillets without breaking them or pressing burgers to get a fantastic sear.

The ergonomic silicone strip on the handle allows for a solid grip. The spatula’s head has an angled neck allowing you to reach food near the edges of the grill without burning your hands.

This wide spatula is quite heavy because of its thicker body and feels very nice when operating. Weber even offers a 2-year limited warranty, which further assures the product quality.

Best Meat Thermometer: Saferell Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Cooking


The Saferell meat thermometer allows you to get meat temperature in just 2-3 seconds after sticking in the probe. The 4.6-inch probe is long enough, so you don’t get burnt from the grill or oil splashes.

Despite being very accurate and quick to show temperatures, Saferell thermometer’s most significant advantage is its IP67 waterproof rating. It’s not afraid of rain, splashes, or other liquids coming into contact. If it gets dirty or wet, wipe it down with soapy water, no dishwasher.

The large LED screen lets you correctly see the temperatures day or night, inside or outside. Safarell thermometer can flip between Celsius or Fahrenheit degrees and also allows you to set timers for desired temperatures.

Best Charcoal Starter: Weber 7447 Compact Rapidfire Chimney Starter


We all know how time-consuming and messy heating charcoal without a good starter can get. Weber Compact Rapidfire chimney charcoal starter is a very versatile and high-quality product. It’s small enough to take on a camping trip but can hold up to 40 charcoal briquettes for a medium grill. 

Just fill the chimney with your favorite charcoal, light up a few balls of newspaper or thin kindlings on the grill, pop the Weber chimney starter on top and leave it burning for good 15-20 minutes.

The stainless steel sturdy construction, cool-to-touch handle, heat protection plate, and budget price make it an easy purchase that will heat your charcoal faster, evenly and won’t require you to stand near the grill adjusting the coals.

Best Heat Resistant Gloves: GEEKHOM Grilling Gloves


Heat-resistant gloves are a must if you want to avoid burning your fingers or palm when handling hot grill lid, chimney starter, grates, and in general, anything that can get hot. GEEKHOM grilling gloves are made from BPA-free silicone and can handle temperatures from -104℉ to 446℉.

These chemical-free premium silicone gloves have a textured surface for better grip and cotton lining inside for comfort and sweat absorption. We love that they are gloves instead of mittens; this provides more flexibility and better grip on smaller parts.

Best Apron: FixGrub Chef Apron


FixGrub Chef Apron is a robust 100% cotton apron made for heavy use near the grill. It’s designed to protect your clothes from splashes, stains, and dirty hand marks. After use, just pop it into the dishwasher, and it’ll be ready for another BBQ party!

This apron is not only good-looking but also very versatile. You have an adjustable neck strap and long sleeves to fit any size BBQ professional. Additionally, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find a pocket for your smartphone, a convenient bottle opener, and a small hand towel included with the apron.

Best Grill Brush: GRILLART Grill Brush and Scraper


A grill brush is one of the most important barbecue tools to keep your grill and grates clean. GRILLART grill brush is an excellent high-quality grill brush to quickly scrub the grates and be ready for the next grilling.

This grill brush has way more bristles (the company claims three times more) than the competition making your cleaning easier and faster. We appreciate the angled surface of the brush and bristles that allow you to clean tight corners of the grill. GRILLART brush is soft enough to use on even delicate surfaces like porcelain.

Stainless steel construction with a wired woven design is exceptionally sturdy and can endure very harsh scrubbing, while a non-slip handle allows for a good grip.

Best Grill Basket: Grillaholics Heavy Duty Grill Basket


We discovered how good grill baskets are just a few years ago. Before, we had to meticulously stick them on a skewer if we wanted to grill smaller cut veggies like onion, carrots, bell pepper, etc. This took a lot of time and effort. With a Grillaholics grill basket, you can just dump all your cut and seasoned veggies straight into it and cook right on top of the grates. Want to cook mini sausages or shrimp? No problem, just use the basket and don’t risk them falling through the grill grates.

Another excellent use for a grilling basket is to rest cooked food in it. For some items like seared steak or veggies, you don’t want them sitting in their juice and getting soggy. A grill basket will allow all of the juice to run off through the thin holes.

All in all, the grilling basket is still a very underrated or just unknown grill accessory in 2021 that can replace skewers on most occasions and make your life way easier.

Best Basting Brush: Yalumo Silicone Basting Brush 


If you ever tried making barbecue ribs or chicken wings, you know you need a baster to spread that tasty sauce. Yalumo silicon basting brush is made from food-grade silicone and can stand up to 446℉ temperature. A long handle allows brushing the food without burning your hands, even on an open-flame grill.

Remember that you should always oil your cleaned grilling grates before putting food on to avoid it sticking. A basting brush like Yalumo is perfect for this task.

Best Ash Bucket: Plow & Hearth Double Bottom Metal Fireplace Ash Bucket


Another rarely mentioned barbecue accessory is a good ash bucket. No one really talks about cleaning the ash from the grill, but everyone knows they need to do it. Plow & Hearth double bottom ash bucket is a high-quality double-bottomed bucket with 3-gallon capacity and stylish black matte color.

The bucket has a tight powder-coated lid allowing you to keep it outside without worrying that the wind will blow out the ash all over your backyard. 

Plow & Hearth ash bucket is one of the best ash buckets that can keep even hot ash inside because of its double bottom. Cleaning the ash is a critical barbecue process to keep your grill neat and tidy.

Basic BBQ Tips

Clean the grill first

No one wants last week burnt chicken bits on a precious dry-aged rib-eye steak. Before every grilling, make sure to check if your grilling grates are clean and ready for the next session. If they’re not, use your grill brush and clean up. Nasty grates with old food charcoal not only will ruin your next meal but may even give you food poisoning.

Preheat the grill

When your charcoal is hot and ready, don’t start cooking food yet. Close your grill and leave it for 10-20 minutes and allow it to get hot. You want to put food in a hot grill and on hot grates to hear that sizzling sound. Preheating lets the food be cooked by direct heat from the grill and the grates instead of the indirect heat from the charcoal.

Close down the lid

Having your grill lid open exposes the fire to a lot of oxygen; this, in turn, makes the flame even bigger. If you want a quick sear on your burger or seafood, an open lid works fine, but for any thicker cuts, put the lid down to suffocate the flame but keep the same high temperature.

Have different heat zones

Flare-ups or too hot charcoal can catch anyone by surprise. For this reason, it’s advised to always have several heat zones on your grill. When you have your hot charcoal, don’t spread it evenly in the grill. Have a central hot zone where all the cooking will be done and a slightly colder zone. If your main zone flares up or just gets way too hot, you’ll have a place to move your food to a less hot area.

Monitor your meat heat

Before cooking, we all fantasize about how we’re going to bite into that perfectly cooked juicy steak or chicken breast; to achieve that fantasy every time, you need to use a thermometer. Eye-balling and timing might get you the result you want, but it varies from different grill heat, protein temperature, charcoal type, or even weather. 

Be safe; use your tools.

Many people think they’re smarter or more experienced while dealing with fire and sooner or later get burnt. Always wear heat-resistant gloves when handling charcoal starters, hot grill grates, or lids. Furthermore, use tongs, spatulas, brushes, and thermometers to deal with your food instead of your hands to stay safe and more efficient.