Best charcoal rake

The Best Charcoal Rake You can Buy today to Safely handle charcoal

Ever wonder if there is some sort of tool to remove ash from your grill, handle charcoal, move it around, spread split, and rake it. Yeap, there is a tool for that and is called a charcoal rake. A charcoal rake is a tool you can use in your charcoal grill or smoker to rearrange and safely move hot charcoal around in your grill.

This tool is often used to reset hot charcoal after a cook and prep the grill for a sizzling steak sear. It can also be used to scoop ash out the grill when you are done using the grill.

In this article, we will look at the best charcoal rakes we found online and the ones you can get today.

What is a charcoal rake?

Well, kids, a charcoal rake or ash tool is a metal tool shaped similarly to a scoop or spatula, but so you can shovel or move charcoal in your grill around. 

These tools are designed with a blade or head on one side and a handgrip on the opposite side connected by a long shaft, usually averaging 20 to 30 inches long.

The tool is devised to handle hot charcoal from a safer distance and not use things like broomsticks cloth hangers to move hot charcoal around. Yeap, I’ve been there. 🙂

How to use a charcoal rake?

This is a simple tool, and all you have to do is grab a pair of cooking gloves, grab the charcoal rake, and spread or rearrange charcoal as needed.

For example, say you are reverse searing a steak, and the time comes to crank up the heat. You can use a charcoal rake to pile the hot charcoal into a corner of your grill and create a hot zone to sear the steak.

You can also use some charcoal rakes to scoop ash or shovel old charcoal out of your grill. For example, some kamado grills do not have a removable ashtray, and the only way to remove ash is by scooping it out or using a shop vac.

Charocal rakes with a slight head angle work well for shoveling ash, whereas rakes with a 90 degree shaped head or blade work better for pushing charcoal around.

A 90-degree head rake tool can also push hot pizza stones, burn wood, and even pick up grates.

How we chose the best charcoal rakes

As with anything that comes in contact with hot charcoals, charcoal rakes need to be heat resistant and withstand high temperatures. We are going to closely look at the materials used to build the rake.

Also, the blade or head angle will play a role and determine which kind is best for you. For example, a charcoal rake with a large blade might not work well if you own a kamado, but a smaller ash tool that can fit inside the kamado’s ash box will do the job better.

If you are working with a large smoker and need to move lots of charcoal, then a big head rake will work best. So consider how you will be using the tool.

The best charcoal rakes You Can Use.

1. Our Top Pick – The Weber 7649 Charcoal Rake

The Weber charcoal rake has excellent online reviews and is popular among all skill-level users. This tool is built out of stainless steel and is 21 inches long. This means this tool can put about two feet of distance between you and hot charcoal.

Length: 21 inches

What we like:

• It is well priced for what it is, and it works well.
• Gives you 21 inches of distance from hot charcoal.
• It is made out of stainless steel.

What we don’t like:

• Is a bit sharp, so be careful.
• It would be nice to have a rubber handle.

2. Second Best – The Grilljoy Stainless Steel Ash Rake

The Gilljoy ash/rake is another excellent option. It is 25 inches long, and it features a rubber grip handle. The grip might be helpful for those with sweaty hands or if the handle gets too hot. The blade on this rake is bent 90 degrees will help push large charcoal chunks around.

Length: 25 inches

What we like:

• The rake is 25 inches long, putting more distance between your hands and hot charcoal.
• The rubber handle is welcomed as it helps to hold the tool better.
• Built out of stainless steel.
• The 90-degree head is excellent for pushing things around, including charcoal, pizza stones, and grates.

What we don’t like:

• Is a two pieces design that can come unscrewed sometimes.

3. Good for Kamado Grills – Dracarys BBQ Ash Tool

The Dracarys Ash tool can replace the raking ash tool included in your Green Egg and Kamado Joe. Although this tool does not have a large blade or head, it works excellent in ceramic kamado grills with small ash door openings and small places.

Length: 18, 26, and 32 inches

What we like:

• Excellent replacement for original kamado ash tool.
• Available in different sizes.
• Small in enough to fit in Kamado ash box.

What we don’t like:

• The head or blade on this tool is small and might not work for those wanting to move large chunks of charcoal around.

4. Longest – Mydracas Charcoal Grill Rake Grill Ash Tool

The Mydracas charcoal rake is 32 inches long and the longest on this list. This tool puts a reasonable distance between your hands and hot coals.

Length: 32 inches

What we like:

• This tool is 32 inches long
• Two pieces design helps to dismount the tool for storage.

• Rubber grip

What we don’t like:

• Not as strong as the top two options in this list.
• The two tube design is not as strong, and the junction where the two parts join will wabble.

5. Good – ROMANTICIST Ash Tool / Rake

The Romanticist ass tool rake is good and features a rubber handle, and is 24 inches long.

What we like:

• 90 Degree head helps push charcoal around or pick up ash
• Rubber grip helps hold the tool better.
• 24 inches long
• 10 years warranty

What we don’t like:

• the head will not fit the ash access opening of some kamado grills.
• Not as strong as the top two on this list.

One Last Word

Charcoal ash or rake tool is a simple BBQ grill accessory yet, handy around charcoal grills and charcoal smokers. Spending a few bucks on this type of tool can make working with charcoal a bit easier.

The best charcoal rake tool needs to withstand high temperatures but also work well with your charcoal or smoker grill.