He is a dad. The month is June. Could it be any more obvious? Grilling season is here, and that means you can give the gift of fire to dad this Father's Day. From the best barbecues to the best air fryers for the great outdoors – yes! Outdoor air fryers! We live in the best of times! – and related accessories, there are lots of great gifts for dad's day.
I have to declare an interest here: I'm a dad (it's complicated), and I'm a very keen outdoor cook, so these are the things I love or want. If your dad isn't quite as into outdoor cooking as I am, you might want to get him one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers or some socks instead. But for now, let's talk about fire.
1. A kettle BBQ
Gas grills are great, but there's something magical about a charcoal kettle BBQ. The iconic Weber is the obvious choice here – I've got a Weber Master Touch and it's brilliant – but you don't need to spend £275-plus to get a good kettle. We also rate the Char-Broil Kettleman, a Weber-a-like for under £200, and if dad prefers to take his BBQ on his travels the Landmann Piccolino Portable undercuts Weber's similarly sized Smokey Joe quite considerably: it's £69 compared to £95-plus for the Weber.
2. An outdoor air fryer
How's this for a multicooker? The £349 Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker is an outdoor grill that transforms into a smoker and an air fryer too. The fact it's electric limits its range somewhat, but it's a great option if dad likes to cook outdoors but doesn't want to faff around with lighters, charcoal or gas canisters. And unlike BBQs, this one cooks chips.
If dad has a very small outdoor cooking area such as a balcony, Weber's new Lumin Compact is an interesting option too: my colleague Derek Adams absolutely loved it, although it's a little more expensive than the Ninja at around £399. It looks amazing, though, especially in its US colours; here in the UK you can have any colour you like as long as it's black.
3. A Kamado
My budget doesn't quite stretch to the Konnected Kamado Joe, which is $1,699 in the US, but I really want to get into Kamado cooking: egg-shaped Kamados are based on an old Japanese design and their ceramic bodies retain heat for ages, making them ideal for low and slow cooking. I'm currently tempted by the Landmann Kamado Mini, which is small enough for my flat's terrace but has an impressive 27cm cooking area. It's currently on special offer too, with £50 off the RRP to bring it down to a very affordable £149.
4. An outdoor pizza oven
Ooni pizza ovens are magical things. I've got an Ooni Fyra 12 and despite burning half my hand off on the door I still love mine unreservedly: the wood-fired version (there's also a gas one) makes the most incredible pizzas, looks hugely impressive when the fire gets going and produces tiny amounts of ash for you to dispose of afterwards. It takes a bit of getting used to, especially when it comes to bringing the temperature up between pizzas, but it's worth the effort.
5. A Looftlighter
It looks like a gun. It sets things on fire. What could be more fun? The looftlighter is an electric heat gun that can make even the most reluctant charcoal or wood burst into blazing life. It does that by blasting superheated air at whatever you point it at, and it's got a built-in bottle opener too. Expect to pay around £50 for a branded one and a lot less for a copy.
6. A Bluetooth thermometer
Cases of severe food poisoning rocket in the summer as a worrying number of dads adopt an "if it's burnt on the outside it must be okay on the inside" approach to their barbecues. A remote Bluetooth meat thermometer will delight your dad and ensure he doesn't accidentally kill your whole family. I really love the Meater wireless thermometer, which starts at around £84 for a single one, but if you like Weber BBQs you might prefer the Weber iGrill 3 probe. That's around £109.
