This Folding Knife/Spatula Is the Perfect Gift for Grill Lovers

I have to be honest: I’m pretty skeptical about high-priced kitchen equipment. Suppose there’s no significant improvement or useful functionality for the extra cost In that case, I’ll usually stick with the value-priced alternative that does the job just as well but with less pizzazz. You can imagine that I had doubts about the $100-plus Opinel Grilling Set, but using these high-end tools has proved me wrong.

The ingenious part of the set is the folding knife/spatula. It’s based on Opinel’s No. 8 Folding Knife, one of our favorite French kitchen tools. The 6-inch blade flips in and out, and the large spatula head slots into place when it’s closed.

It sounds a little gimmicky, but this thing is incredibly well-constructed and works smoothly and perfectly. You just give the metal ring at the end of the handle a quarter-turn to lock and unlock the blade. Across several grilling and washing sessions, I haven’t had any trouble swapping back and forth. You’d be surprised how helpful it is to have a good-sized, razor-sharp knife outside next to the grill, whether that’s for scoring vegetables before they go on the grates, slicing up a grilled steak before serving, or even chopping grilled pineapple for tableside salsa.

Everything about the set just feels nice to use. The smooth beechwood handle is generous in length but has the right diameter to hold comfortably. The spatula is even big enough for perfectly grilled burgers, and its beveled edges help slide smoothly beneath items that tend to stick. The separate tongs are enormous, with no springs or hinges you have to worry about cleaning or rusting, and there is a serrated edge to help grip a large, heavy pork tenderloin or rack of ribs.

This set is expensive but worth it. It’s the kind of thing most grilling or barbecue lovers would never buy themselves but would cherish forever as a gift. If you have an open-flame-cooking-obsessed friend or a loved one who is hosting a barbecue or has a birthday coming up, I highly recommend it.