7 Best Grilling Essentials To Buy At Dollar Tree

This Labor Day, we'll be soaking up the sun (assuming the weather cooperates), taking one last dip in the pool before the water gets too chilly, and celebrating the company of our loved ones for a final summertime get-together before all the fun of autumnal festivities kicks into high gear. Do you have all your grilling needs on hand?

With the holiday right around the corner, we're heading to Dollar Tree for some surprisingly handy cookout essentials. Not only does this discount retailer have everything we need for a DIY dish drying rack, but it's also stocking many of your BBQ needs to make sure your family grill master is ready to go on the holiday marking the last bit of summer. From storage and hand tools to the foil and pans you need to keep your dishes piping hot and food-safe, Dollar Tree has you covered. And, yes, even if the retail chain has raised its prices recently, it's still super budget-friendly and is a great one-stop shop for nearly everything cookware-related on your list.

The best way to rest your grilled meat may be in a cooler, but, when time and space are of the essence, you can't beat a basic cooling rack to allow your grilled proteins that all-important time to rest and retain juices right after they come off the heat. At just $1.25 each as of writing, you can grab several of these and have enough resting room for all those steaks, burgers, and other goodies coming off the grill. 

Cleaning the grates of your grill before firing it up and after cooking isn't just a top-tier grilling hack; it's a necessary step that ensures both high-quality flavor and food safety. Keeping your grill in perfect condition is much easier with this triple-effective tool that combines a scraper, a wire brush, and a scouring pad. At a cost of just $1.25 each, purchasing one of these brushes is a no-brainer. 

Basting your meat with butter while grilling helps ensure succulent flavor, a great sear, and extra juiciness, while brushing on some BBQ sauce (like the affordable sauces from a famous Texas ranch, perhaps?) leaves you with a sweet and smoky finish. Either way, you'll need something to baste with, and it's hard to beat a McCormick silicone brush for just $1.25. Effortless to use and easy to clean, you will be — literally — reaching for this tool all the time. 

Whether you are piling up smoking hot dogs or a mountain of your signature potato salad (perhaps with a canned upgrade for crunch factor), foil pans for organizing and serving are a cookout necessity. Dollar Tree has a plethora of foil pans in all shapes and sizes for all your needs, with most coming in at or around $1.75. 

One of the mistakes to avoid when grilling vegetables like an expert is letting your green beans or chunks of potato fall through the grates. A disposable grill topper pan is an easy-peasy way to make sure the heat from your grill distributes evenly while providing a solid platform for your smaller food items. Dollar Tree currently sells a two-pack for $1.75. Best of all, you can simply throw it away when you are done ... no clean-up required. 

One of the essential tips for grilling perfect burgers is knowing when to flip 'em and when to leave 'em alone. When the time is right, your flipping game will be on point if you have the right spatula for the job. This one from Dollar Tree costs $1.25 and has an extra-long handle, ensuring that your food in the back of the grill can be turned with no trouble. Its slots allow grease and excess sauce to fall through and not pool on the surface, avoiding mess. 

The 30-inch handle on this telescoping fork helps guarantee that you'll have no trouble retrieving items that fall between the grates of your grill or while grabbing finicky tidbits. No matter what's on the menu, you surely need a BBQ fork that collapses for easy transport and storage. Did somebody suggest roasting marshmallows as the perfect way to tie a bow on your Labor Day cookout? With a price tag of just $1.25 each, you can supply every guest at your party with one of these and gather around the grill for some s'mores.