Grill Daddy Heat Shield Spatula

When it comes to grilling, the spatula and tongs are the main tools of the trade. A fireman can not do his job without a hose and water, the spatula and tongs are the two tools a griller has to have for grilling.

Some may ask, “Yeah, we know this. Can’t I just take a spatula from my kitchen and take it tailgating and that will do the job?”. Sure, you could, but why would you want to? You are not just your run of the mill tailgater. Why would you want a run of the mill grilling tool? We recently tested out the Grill Daddy Heat Shield Stainless-Steel Spatula to see if it was worth the upgrade from your regular spatula.

Grill Daddy Heat Shield Spatula meat thermometer

The basic spatula has a handle on one end and a flat surface to turn your meats on the other. The Grill Daddy Heat Shield Spatula has taken that basic concept and made four major improvements.

The first improvement is that the folks at Grill Daddy added a swiveling heat shield that is weighted and always faces down. No matter where your hand is positioned, the heat shield is blocking the heat radiating up from your grill. How many times have you gone to get those last few burgers on the back of the grill grate only to come back with the hairs on your knuckles singed off? The rotating heat shield now prevents that from happening and you don’t have to fear working on a really hot grill.

The second improvement is the spatula adjusts to the size of your grill. For tight spaces, keep the Grill Daddy Heat Shield Spatula at normal length. For larger grills, the spatula has a telescoping shaft for extended reach and adds 5.5 inches of length of the spatula. Most spatulas do not give you the option of length adjustment. Most are either regular length or a long handled model. The Grill Daddy Heat Shield Spatula gives you the option of a regular spatula when you want it and a long handled one when you need it.

The third improvement we found with the Grill Daddy Heat Shield Spatula was the flat spatula end is removable. We found this to be a great feature in that normally this is the only part of the spatula that gets dirty and needs to be placed in the dishwasher. Just remove the stainless steel spatula head from the shaft and place it in the dishwasher. No need to take up a large area in there if you only need one smaller piece to be cleaned. Because the spatula head is removable, there are an array of other attachments you can place in the telescoping shaft including a basting brush, fork, slider flipper and a wider spatula flipper for fish. All you do is push a button to release the attachment and replace it with one of the ones you want to use for whatever grilling application you are doing. Each of the different grilling attachments are sold separately.

The final improvement we found was the Grill Daddy Heat Shield Stainless-Steel Spatula comes with a food thermometer in the handle. Simply pull it out and remove it from the handle to test the temperature of meats you are grilling. Place it back in the handle after sanitizing it for use the next time you need to check your food’s temperature. No more fumbling around in the tailgating kit to find your meat thermometer because this one is right there in the handle.

We took the Grill Daddy Heat Shield Spatula out tailgating to the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on December 26th. We grabbed our Sizzle-Q and made some grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids. This was a perfect opportunity to test out the Grill Daddy Heat Shield Spatula in a real tailgating environment. We also cooked some hamburgers and brats on our original Freedom Grill FG-50 to thoroughly test out the spatula.

Cut to the chase, the spatula worked flawlessly. We enjoyed the ergonomic handle and the way the heat shield swiveled to always point down and protect our hand from the heat. The shaft slid in and out easily whenever we needed some extra length to reach those items on the back of the grill. After thoroughly running the Grill Daddy Heat Shield Stainless-Steel Spatula through it’s paces, we are going to definitely deem it “Tailgate Approved”.

The Grill Daddy Heat Shield Stainless-Steel Spatula normally costs about $25 but right now they cost $17.99 at Amazon. I would highly recommend this grilling spatula to any and all tailgaters that are looking to not only get a handle on their parking lot grilling but to protect their hands from burns and to be the king of the grilling space. It may be too late to give this as a gift for Christmas but Father’s Day is about six months away and this would make a perfect gift for the dad that loves to grill.

The very nature of tailgating being a temporary party in the parking lot, the speed and convenience of using many disposable items like paper plates, napkins and zipper storage bags produces a lot of refuse. Trash disposal while tailgating is as big of an issue as making sure your cooler has enough ice or you have have found the perfect spot to park. We recently had the opportunity to test out the Trash-Ease: A portable, reusable and adjustable trash bag holder.

The Trash-Ease is a one-piece wire system that is powder coated to prevent rust and the ends are rubber coated to protect surfaces from scratching. You simply attach the Trash-Ease to the edge of your tailgating table and then hang a 13-galloon drawstring bag off of it. The trash bag is held open and is off the ground. Also, the trash bag is easy to find and people can toss their rubbish in the bag easily without having to bend over and pick up the top opening of the bag that is laying on the ground. Once the tailgate party is over, simply take the bag off of the wires, cinch up the drawstring and carry the bag to the nearest dumpster on your way to the entrance gates. Just as recently as last night we used the Trash-Ease on our GoPong 8′ Football Beer Pong Table while tailgating before the San Diego Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego.

We tested the Trash-Ease on the side of our beer pong table but it also works on those folding utility tables that almost every tailgater seems to have. Before we took it tailgating, we tested it on the counters in our kitchen at home and even on the side of our dinette table at home as well. The Trash-Ease held strong on all different types of ledges and the bag was easy to put on and take off each and every time.

In the interest of fairness, we have tested a number of trash receptacles that were designed for tailgating. The first was the Bag-Caddy which we tested out in 2009. The Bag-Caddy is a stand alone trash bag holder but the one thing we found that was a flaw was that unless it was immediately filled with trash, it tended to tip over in the wind. After adding a few cans and bottles and other trash items that added some weight to the bottom, the Bag-Caddy would not tip if there was a gust of wind.

The other trash receptacle that we most recently tested was the Kwickan. The Kwickan was very similar to the Bag-Caddy and had the same flaw in that it tipped in the wind if it was not weighted down with trash. An additional flaw was the Kwickan went inside the trash bag so sticky and messy garbage could potentially get on the holder and would be a messy clean up in order to get it back in your car.

After thoroughly testing the Trash-Ease and comparing it to the other tailgating trash collection devices, we are going to declare Trash-Ease the winner. Of course that means that Trash-Ease is Tailgating Ideas “Tailgate Approved”.

Of course we tested the trash-Ease in regards to how well it performs while out tailgating. It is small and compact enough to fit into your tailgating kit and you can even use it at home when you are not tailgating. Put it on the side of your coffee table when watching your team play on the road. Throw your peanut shells or my favorite, pistachio shells in there and save yourself the hassle of having to wash a bowl. You can even use it for scrap booking or even for food prep for throwing away the stems and ends of fruits and vegetables. If you have a table or a ledge where trash will be thrown away, Trash-Ease has you covered.

Trash-Ease’s slim, one piece construction allows it to be stored easily away or hung without fear of losing pieces. When you want to use it, it does not require any tools. It just hangs on the underside of your table and you are good to go. The best part? Trash-Ease is 100% Made in the USA.

Trash-Ease is available for purchase online at Camping World and also on Amazon. Camping World is currently running a special on the Trash-Ease, pricing them at $12.99 while Amazon lists them for under $20.

To learn more about Trash-Ease, visit: trashease.com

Some say that stocking stuffer ideas are the hardest to find and come up with. Not only do they need to be the perfect gift for that special someone on your list, but stocking stuffers by nature need to be small and compact enough to fit in a stocking. TailgatingIdeas.com to the rescue. Over the course of this past year we have tested and reviewed a ton of tailgating products that would make great gifts. (Make sure to check out our Holiday Gift Guide for Tailgaters – 2013 Edition if you still need some gift ideas.) Without further delay or unneccesary introduction, here are the Tailgating Ideas Stocking Stuffer Ideas for 2013.

Beerouette

Beerouette in ice

Remember a while back when we told you about the guys from Spin Chill that successfully surpassed their goal of $10,000 and raised over $40,000 on Kickstarter to develop their Beerouette? Well, it finally made it into mass production and would make a perfect stocking stuffer. It runs on three AA batteries and fits nicely into your pocket and of course slides easily into a stocking. It spins a canned beverage or even a bottled beverage in ice and turns a warm drink to ice cold in under two minutes. Price: $35 plus $6 postage and packaging. Buy two Beerouettes, one for you and one for a friend, and they ship in the same box for $9. Get the Beerouette HERE. Read the rest of this entry »

As a tailgater and a sports fan, it is safe to assume you have eaten a few hot dogs inside the stadium. For some reason and you can’t put your finger on it, they always seem to taste better than the hot dogs you prepare at home or out in the parking lot. Is it because they use special hot dogs and buns you can’t buy at the store? That’s not it. Is it that they just seem to taste better because of the atmosphere you are in and your brain just associates a better tasting hot dog because you are inside the stadium watching a game? That’s not it either.

The reason why hot dogs purchased inside the stadium tend to taste better than the ones you prepare on your own can be summed up in one simple word: Steam.

Hot dogs and their buns are cooked inside the stadium using steam. Trying to replicate that steaming process that the ball parks use at home or at the tailgate has been quite difficult. That is until we discovered a new product called the Steemee Wonder.

The Steemee Wonder takes the process of cooking your hot dogs and steaming the hot dog buns into a simple three step process and produces six delicious ballpark tasting hot dogs in six minutes. The Steemee Wonder is a three pot system with one lid that can be used at home or on the grill out in the parking lot. Here is how it works.

Take the bottom pot of the Steemee Wonder and fill it half way full with water. Place it on your heat source, stove top or grill, and get the water to a rolling boil. While the water is getting hot, place six hot dogs in the second chamber. The second chamber is a pot with numerous holes on the bottom to allow the steaming water below to heat the hot dogs. Once the water is boiling, place the second pot with the hot dogs on top of the boiling water pot and cover. Set the timer for three minutes and while the hot dogs are cooking, place six hot dog buns in the top pot. This pot has four holes in it to allow the steam to get into the buns. Make sure to not cover the holes with the buns so as to avoid the buns from getting soggy and cutting off the flow of steam to the other buns. After the hot dogs have steamed for three minutes, place the pot with the buns on top of the other two pots and let steam for three minutes. After three minutes remove the buns and place the hot dogs in them and allow your guests to top them with the condiments and toppings of their choice.

As you can see in the above gallery, we first tried the Steemee Wonder at home on our stove top. Cut to the chase, these hot dogs tasted identical to the ones you get at the stadium. If you have more than six people who are hungry, the water is already boiling, just place six more hot dogs in the middle pot and do another batch.

The taste of the hot dogs prepared in the Steemee Wonder was uncanny when comparing it to the taste of stadium hot dogs. My girlfriend practically grew up going to Los Angeles Dodgers games and has consumed quite a few Dodgers Dogs in her lifetime. Anyone who has been to Dodger Stadium will probably agree that the Dodger Dog is the end all, be all when it comes to stadium hot dogs. My girlfriend remarked that had she known about the Steemee Wonder years ago, she probably would have save a small fortune by not having to buy a Dodger Dog every time she went to a Dodgers game. Now if that is not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.

But of course this is a tailgating blog where we test products and review them in a real tailgating environment. The Steemee Wonder makes six ballpark style hot dogs on the stove at home flawlessly. But how does it perform on a grill in a tailgating parking lot? That remained to be seen.

We tested the Steemee Wonder on a grill to see how it would perform had it been brought tailgating. The same process as we used when testing it on the stove top was used on the grill. We fired up the grill on high and got the water boiling. It took a little longer to the get the water boiling on the grill because it was not directly over the heat source or the flame on the stove. Most grills you need to heat to 500 degrees before putting on your food and the good news is that you only need the grill to get 212 to get the water boiling.

We followed the same process once the water started boiling of placing the hot dogs on for three minutes and then adding the buns for the remaining three minutes. After a total of six minutes on the grill the hot dogs tasted just like we purchased them at the stadium.

After testing the Steemee Wonder both at home and on the grill, we are going to deem the Steemee Wonder “Tailgate Approved”. It is dishwasher safe and if you buy one, a carrying bag and 50 Hotdog wrappers are included. Currently priced at $29.97, the Steemee Wonder is available on Amazon.com. The Steemee Wonder only has four reviews on Amazon but the positive news is all four are five star reviews and all of the reviewers raved about the product.

For more information you can also visit: tvhotdog.com

In two short weeks, just 14 days from today, it will be Christmas Day. You know what that means? It means you probably haven’t gotten any of your holiday shopping done. (like us)

Have no fear because Tailgating Ideas is here to save the day. As we have done in the past three years, we offer you a quick reference guide of the latest and greatest gear that any tailgater or sports fan on your shopping list would love. In case you missed the previous years’ gift guides, you can also reference those gift guides for tailgaters from 2010, 2011 and 2012. Without further delay and superfluous introduction, here is the Tailgating Ideas Holiday Gift Guide for Tailgaters – 2013 Edition.

Kamikaze

Don’t let the name fool you. This little party starter is not just for sharing kamikazes. It used to be called the Party Starter but has since been renamed to the Kamikaze. This versatile mixed drinks and shots dispenser is actually dual-chambered and the liquor and the mixers only come together when the trigger is pressed. Fill up the rear reservoir with the liquor of your choice, the front reservoir with the mixer, pressurize the chambers with the plunger and that is when the fun starts. There is an intensity dial on the Kamikaze that you can determine how strong or weak of a shot you want to give out… or serve to yourself. With measuring lines and drink recipe suggestions on the back, the Kamikaze is truly the one party tool your tailgater on your gift list would love to receive. Priced at $25, the Kamikaze can be found HERE.

Game Bibs

You have a tailgater or a sports fan on your gift list that says they are a die hard fan and are not afraid to show it? Make them prove it by getting them a set of Game Bibs. These bib overalls come in a variety of colors to match any professional or college football team your fan can imagine. Not for the wallflower on your list because Game Bibs will definitely get your sports fan noticed. They’ll feel like an A-list celebrity while out tailgating because everyone will come up and want to take their picture with him/her. A wide variety of sizes for women, men, infants, toddlers and youths are available. Game Bibs cost about $50 per pair and they even offer cargo pants and shorts, sundresses and fitted skirts. Get your tailgater their own pair of Game Bibs HERE.

Tailgate Couch

The reason why tailgating is called tailgating is because people used to unfold their pick-up truck tailgate and have a party in the parking lot. People still do that but the tailgate party has evolved. You no longer have to have a sore butt from sitting on that cold hard truck tailgate anymore. There is the Tailgate Couch that now makes tailgating a lot more comfortable. With a Tailgate Couch in the bed of the truck those old school folding chairs are now obsolete. The best part? The Tailgate Couch is a chick magnet. Seriously, if given the choice of sitting on a hard metal tailgate or on the soft comfort of the Tailgate Couch, I am betting all the women will opt for choice No. 2. I hate to stereotype but I am willing to bet on this. Priced at about $200, the Tailgate Couch comes in Camo and classic red colors. You can find the Tailgate Couch HERE.

Party Barge

It may be cold outside right now and the furthest thing you can think about is playing beer pong in the pool but Spring will be here before you can say “bringbacks”. (Hard core beer pong players will know what that means.) The main difference between the Pool Pong Party Barge from other floating beer pong tables is they essentially built the better mousetrap. There are the recessed cup holders on each end as with most inflatable beer pong tables but that is where the comparisons end. The Party Barge has additional cup holders around the sides and the real genius of this design is the sunken central cooler. The capacity on the central ice chest is 18 canned beverages plus ice. Now you never have to get out of the pool to refill the cups when it is time for the next game to begin. Priced at $55, the Pool Pong Party Barge can be found HERE.

Pro Football Cookbook

Books are always a popular holiday gift item but this is one book that the tailgater on your list will love this year. The Pro Football Cookbook is a compilation of 32 main dishes, 32 sides and 32 cocktail recipes all inspired by the 32 NFL franchises and the city from where they hail.

For tailgaters stuck in a rut, this cookbook would be great for some new recipe ideas to make everyone in the parking lot stand up and take notice. The Pro Football Cookbook is a fantastic road map for tailgaters to have a built-in menu to reference for a meal theme based on that weekend’s opponent. Your team is playing the Washington Redskins? Make Hogs Sandwiches, Roasted Redskin Potatoes with Mustard and a Red Gin Rickey (pages 160 – 163) to wash it all down. When it comes time for your Super Bowl party, find the section of the two different teams playing and make those recipes for your guests and people will think you are a world traveling genius. Stadium Journey Pro Football Cookbook is available in hardcover from Amazon.com and would make a great gift for any tailgater this holiday season.

Spin Pong

The tailgater on your list says regular old beer pong has gotten a little dull lately? Maybe they have gotten so good at beer pong they need an added element of challenge? Or maybe they just want to stand out from the rest of the tailgate parties with a regular beer pong table and want look just a little bit different? No matter what they’re looking to do to spice up their beer pong game, Spin Pong has got you covered. Simply stated, Spin Pong is a battery operated beer pong rack that rotates the cups clockwise while you play. Just insert two AA batteries, load up your cups, fill your cups and let the balls fly. The level of difficulty increases while the fun level is raised as well. Spin Pong is priced at $17 for one rack or $30 for a set of two, one for each end of the beer pong table. Spin Pong can be found HERE.

Cocktail Gator

Do you know a tailgater that is not a beer drinker? If the tailgater on your list likes mixed drinks, the Cocktail Gator is the one gift you have to get him or her. Basically it is an insulated soft sided cooler that has compartments to hold a full liquor bar and ice on the go for your tailgate party. The CocktailGator comes in two different models: the Walkabout Cocktail Gator and the Mega Cocktail Gator which is larger and holds more. The Walkabout Cocktail Gator costs $85 and the Mega Cocktail Gator costs $159. You can purchase both models of the Cocktail Gator HERE.

Steemee Wonder

For some reason, hot dogs just taste better at the stadium. They don’t use magic hot dogs and buns made from an age old secret recipe. Stadiums use steam to prepare their hot dogs and it is the reason why you can’t duplicate the same taste at home or in the tailgate parking lot. That is until now. The Steemee Wonder is a stainless steel hot dog steaming system that can prepare six hot dogs and six buns in six minutes. They taste exactly like the hot dogs you have grown up eating inside the stadium but at a fraction of the price. The Steemee Wonder sells for under $35 on Amazon.com.

Bongzilla

By nature, tailgating is a social activity. What could be more social than doing a beer bong with five additional friends all at the same time? That’s what the Bongzilla is all about. The Bongzilla is a pole mounted beer bong with six hoses coming off the bottom. The pole lowers and extends for ease of filling in the lower position and once filled, raise it up to the full height and bring in your friends. The pole extends and raises the funnel up to six feet in the air to allow gravity to do it’s thing. Did we mention that the Bongzilla funnel can hold 144 oz of liquid? That’s a whole 12-pack of beer for those of you math challenged. At the end of each drinking tube is an open/close valve so everyone can start drinking at the same time. Also, if you don’t have a total of six people wanting to drink, you can plug the tops of the hoses from inside the funnel to block any liquid going into the hoses that will not be used. The Bonzilla is priced at $55 and can be found HERE.

Ryobi RYI2200

Ryobi RYI2200 Generator

It is no secret that Honda generators are the gold standard by which all generators are compared. Packing a max load of 2200 watts and extremely quiet, the Ryobi RYI2200 is the new kid on the black that may knock Honda off as king of generator mountain. The Ryobi is more than affordable priced under $550 and can be found at your local Home Depot.

MegaPongo

Before we were introduced to BasketPong, beer pong was only played on a flat table. Now here comes MegaPongo and it turns the beer pong world on it’s ear. With backboards and a ball collection system, this is the new age of beer pong. Or if you are not a beer pong player, you can still play it by making up your own rules and standards for play. Numerous cup configurations are only limited by your imagination and it all packs up and is easily portable to any tailgating location. Priced at $135 for a complete set, you can buy MegaPongo HERE.

Hi-Tops

Tossing games are a main staple in the tailgating parking lots but the same ones you have seen are getting about as fresh as a Billy Idol concert. Hi-Tops is a new tailgating game that combines elements of other popular tailgating games like cornhole and beer pong but puts a new twist on it to make it a fun and unique tailgating game. Hi-Tops is priced at $129.99 and that includes two official Hi-Tops Towers, two official Hi-Tops Playing Balls (foot bags), six stakes and one package of Hi-Tops playing cups. For more information or to buy a Hi-Tops game set for someone on your list, visit: playhitops.com

Mini Beer Pong

Some say “Bigger is Better”. And in most cases they are right. But when it comes to tailgating, smaller is normally better because of size constraints placed on getting everything you need into your tailgating vehicle. Sometimes not only smaller, but something that is mini, may be the best choice for tailgating. Mini Beer Pong is a smaller wooden game that is roughly 24 inches long. A “regulation” beer pong table is 2′ wide, 8′ long and 27 1/2″ high. Mini Beer Pong is four times smaller than a standard beer pong table making it more portable and can fit into the tightest spaces within your tailgating vehicle. If the tailgater on your list is looking for something different that nobody else has, Mini Beer Pong is the gift for them. Mini Beer Pong is priced at $60 and can be found HERE.

Make sure to come back early next week when we publish another edition of our Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Tailgaters. In the meantime, you can also check out the Stocking Stuffer Guides from years past including last year, 2011 and 2010.