The Top Accessories You Can’t Grill Without
Hōmdoor breaks down the importance of being properly equipped for the tandoori grilling experience in this blog post. You’ll learn about:
- Gaddi Pads
- What is a gaddi pad?
- Why you need a gaddi pad for tandoori grilling
- Weather Covers
- What is a weather cover?
- Benefits of having a weather cover for your grill
- Bread Tools
- What are bread tools?
- Why bread tools are beneficial for the tandoori grilling experience
- Laser Thermometers
- What is a laser thermometer?
- Benefits of using a laser thermometer while grilling
To become a true grill master, one needs to have the proper equipment. While having the right grill is a great place to start, selecting your tandoor is only part of the equation: Pitmasters need to also have the right accessories in order to get the most out of their grilling experience.
Whether you’re new to the art of tandoori cooking or are a seasoned pro, it’s important to have the right accessories to make every grilling experience an enjoyable one. Read on to discover what game-changing grilling utensils you need to add to your culinary arsenal this summer!
Gaddi Pads: What They Are & Why You Need Them
What Is a Gaddi Pad?
A gaddi pad is a cotton cushion used to place naan bread on the inside wall of your tandoor. The term “gaddi” is an Indian word that traditionally means “a cushion, especially for a throne.” You can think about the gaddi pad as the “throne” upon which your naan bread sits when being transferred onto the walls of your tandoor.
Benefits of Using Gaddi Pads with Your Tandoor
The greatest benefit of using gaddi pads is the ability to safely stick naan to the tandoor oven’s interior walls. Doing this without the proper tools can be very tricky — not to mention dangerous. With tandoori grills seeing an average internal temperature in excess of 500º F, it’s not a good idea to attempt making naan bread without having a gaddi pad to act as a buffer between your hand and the hot surface.
Weather Cover: What It Is & Why You Need One
What Is a Weather Cover?
If you’ve ever owned an outdoor appliance before, you’ve probably used a weather cover (or at least thrown it to the corner of your garage somewhere… for safe keeping, of course). While you might be tempted to forget about this unassuming grill accessory, your weather cover is one of the most invaluable tools you have for your tandoor. Weather covers are specifically designed to protect outdoor appliances from natural elements, like rain, snow, ice, and other challenging conditions.
Benefits of Having a Weather Cover for Your Tandoor
Having a weather cover for your tandoor offers many different benefits, including:
- Water Resistance: Weather covers are ideal for repelling water away to protect against corrosion, rust, and other damage to your grilling equipment.
- Durability: Tandoors that are protected with a weather cover endure longer than those that are left to contend with the outdoor elements on their own.
- Breathability: A good weather cover will offer enhanced breathability to prevent trapping moisture inside your grill, which can lead to mold and mildew.
Bread Tools: What They Are & Why You Need Them
What Are Bread Tools?
Just like gaddi pads, bread tools are used in tandoori cooking to safely manipulate naan bread once it has been cooked. The bread tools that Hōmdoor offers are a pair of stainless-steel rods that are 3/16” round and 30” long. One of the bread tools is a hook while the other is a spade, allowing home chefs to more easily grab the naan off the interior wall and transfer it to the serving plate.
Benefits of Bread Tools for Tandoori Grilling
In order to cook authentic naan bread, it needs to be placed on the interior wall of your tandoor. As we already mentioned, these walls get extremely hot, so having the bread tools in addition to your gaddi pad becomes essential.
While a gaddi pad is great for quickly slapping the naan onto the wall, it’s not as effective for grabbing the bread and removing it once it’s been thoroughly cooked. With the hook-and-spade bread tools, you’ll be better able to slip the spade in between the wall and the naan, hooking through from the opposite side to grab it off the hot surface without burning your hand.
Laser Thermometer: What It Is & Why You Need One
What Is a Laser Thermometer?
An infrared laser thermometer is arguably one of the most important tools that any grill master can have. These thermometers offer a point-and-shoot capability, allowing grillers to easily point the gun at the wall of their tandoor and receive a temperature reading on their devices within seconds. With a temperature range of -76º – 1,022º F, these systems are incredibly precise and help home chefs ensure a perfect cook each time.
Benefits of Having a Laser Thermometer While Grilling
Because most tandoori recipes require extremely high heat and short cooking times to achieve the right texture and flavor, it can be difficult to measure these high temperatures accurately without the right tools. Many conventional oven thermometers are unable to withstand these high-heat conditions, making laser thermometers the only viable option for precise temperature measurement.
Additionally, laser thermometers are able to measure the surface temperature of the food itself. By measuring the surface temperature of your tandoori meal, you’ll be able to have a better idea of whether or not it’s been fully cooked.
Grab Your Tandoori Grilling Accessories Online!
If you’re ready to become a BBQ pro, you can find all of the tandoori grilling accessories you need at Hōmdoor. With each of our grill accessories thoughtfully crafted right here in the United States, we offer the highest-quality tandoori cooking experience while still staying true to the rich traditions of authentic Indian grilling. Explore our innovative tandoor ovens and grilling accessories online by shopping our store today!