Food & Drink-- 1 day ago
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Cook sharper this summer with these grill-ready BBQ tools
Whether it’s a beachside barbecue or a picnic in the park, these blades, boards and slicers from Victorinox will elevate your al fresco dining…
- Words: Jonathan Wells
There are lots and lots of things a Swiss Army knife can do. It can snip. It can clip. It can strip wires, start fires, unscrew, corkscrew, and open everything from faded food tins to stubbornly capped bottles. Victorinox first patented the defining design in 1897, meaning it’s been doing all of that — and more — for over 125 years.
But our favourite time of year to whip out a Swiss Army knife (we’re partial to the 15-function ‘Huntsman’ model) is when the warmer weather hits. For, while these small-but-mighty multitools may be best known for DIY and domestic jobs, they’re equally well-suited to al fresco food prep — from barbecues to picnics. So, as 2026 starts heating up, we’re preparing for another sizzling Swiss Army summer.
However, while there’s very little a good Swiss Army knife can’t do — Victorinox’s handiest model, the ‘Swiss Champ XXL’, features a whopping 72 barbecue-friendly functions, including fish scaler and spatula — the Ibach-based brand also offers a full range of kitchen tools. And, from peelers to paring knives, scissors to seafood shears, each will help trim down time spent roasting, grilling and smoking this summer.
To prove it, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite outdoor-dining dishes, and raided the Victorinox toolbox to find the best utensils to help cook them this summer. So, whether you’re setting up a beachside barbecue or planning a simple, mid-hike picnic, these are the blades, boards and slicers that’ll elevate your al fresco food to the next delectable level.
For a classic cookout, invest in high-quality tools
Let’s start simple: sausages, burgers, buns. They’re the holy trinity of basic barbecuing, and the staples of any al fresco cookout. Victorinox knows this, but the brand has also developed a couple of additional tools that’ll elevate every slider and hot dog you serve this summer. First up: the best bread knife money can buy — with a maple handle and wavy blade to ensure your bun slicing is line-cook clean.
A decent grill turner, too, is essential for any self-respecting pitmaster. Victorinox offers a handful of sizes, depending on how smashed you like your patties. But the brand’s real masterstroke lies in its garnishing tools. There’s a tomato knife, ideal for slicing without crushing the core — but our top choice is the compact decorating knife, its crinkle-cut blade perfect for pickles.
For pizza, it’s all about precision crust-cutting blades
There’s nothing as nice as a slice — especially when you’ve stone-baked it at home. Backyard pizza ovens have surged in popularity of late, and Victorinox has taken note. The Swiss brand now offers a particularly handsome, heat-resistant peel, but the key to the perfect pizza remains that iconic implement: the wheel cutter. Sadly, no Victorinox Swiss Army knife features one as a foldaway function, but the brand’s standalone version — with stainless steel blade and ergonomic handle — more than makes up for it.
A cutting board, too, is essential for clean-slicing success. And Victorinox’s dishwasher-safe option is not only well-proportioned, it’s also heat-resistant to 175°C — meaning it won’t melt like mozzarella while you’re portioning out your pizza. Finally, when it comes to eating — especially if you’ve overloaded on toppings — a knife comes in handy, and this tomato-handled blade will glide through even the crispiest crusts with ease.
For steaks and smoking, control is the key to success
Which brings us to our bigger bites — steaks, smoked briskets, chops and ribs. These are the serious summer eats, the cuts that take a little longer to prepare and get right. Of course, with that greater level of care comes a higher demand for control, and that means picking up heavier-duty tools that can handle the more meaty side of cooking.
You should start with the finest carving set on offer — none of this plastic-handled business. Victorinox has you covered with its razor-sharp set, fitted with high-quality wooden handles that’ll keep you at arm’s length from those coal-fired cuts. The brand also offers an extendable barbecue fork with beechwood handle for campsite cookouts, and — for prepping more substantial joints — a burly Fibrox-line knife with a wide, strong blade that wouldn’t look out of place in a proper butcher’s block.
For picnics and picky bits, go portable and practical
Foot-long butcher knives are all well and good if you’re trimming a T-bone in the garden, but picnics call for something a little more pocket-sized. Happily, Victorinox has just the thing: a lightweight, plastic-handled folding knife designed for al fresco lunches and lazy afternoons. It may only feature a single 11 cm blade, but it’s as versatile and hardwearing as the brand’s iconic Swiss Army tools.
Victorinox also offers a picnic set: a knife, fork and spoon trio with ergonomic handles and a wavy-edged blade on the knife — which even folds away, meaning it’ll behave itself in transit. And, for the final piece of the picnic puzzle, there’s a compact cutting board crafted from an eco-friendly composite material, the perfect bijoux size for a backpack.
But that, after all, is both Victorinox’s strong suit and its calling card — packing serious utility into small, well-designed packages.
Want more from Victorinox? Check out the brand’s latest arrivals here…
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