7 Essential Grilling Tools For Dad

Father's Day is coming soon, and there's no better time than now to prepare for the big day. Forget about giving Dad another banal tie rack, or a new wallet, or even a nice bottle of cologne — get him what he really wants. No, not a new sports car, although if you can swing that, that probably wouldn't hurt. How about some grilling tools? Father's Day isn't exactly like Mother's Day — after all, it's OK to make the guest of honor do all the work.

Sure, there are the usual suspects — a spritzer of water to put out those flare-ups in a hurry, a grate cleaner because a dirty grill means stuck food, a man's apron just because, and of course, a fire extinguisher just in case things get really out of hand. But what about the toys?

Click here to see 7 Unusual Foods to Grill.

We gathered together some tips from Joel Gamoran, resident chef of Sur La Table's Manhattan Cooking Program. Gamoran cooked in various West Coast kitchens in the early years of his career and went on to Florence, Italy, to study at the Culinary Institute of Florence. Later, he traveled back to the West Coast to study at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif., where upon graduating, he worked in numerous seasonally driven California and Seattle-based restaurants. Gamoran found his true calling when he started teaching, however, and has never looked back. Here's what he had to say.

Click here to see the 7 Essential Grilling Tools for Dad Slideshow.

Click here to see Easy Steak Grilling Tips.