It’s that time of year when basking in sun, s'mores by the fire and trips to the lake are the best way to while away the days. With the sun out, there’s also no better time to ditch the kitchen, grab your grill and head outdoors for some perfectly seared meats (or vegetables). With the 4th of July fast approaching (a holiday that practically insists you eat outdoors), here are six Midwest products you need to kick your grilling up a notch.

Smokin' Joe’s BBQ-Sprayer

Forget the brush and use this hand-pump-pressurized sprayer to flavor your meat with anything from marinade and wine, to butter and oil.

BBQ Dragon

No need to wait 45 minutes to get grilling with this “BBQ and fire supercharger.” Clamp the BBQ Dragon to grills, fire pits, fireplaces or smokers and regain ultimate control of your fire. By controlling the amount of air, and thus oxygen, you’ll be able to start your fire faster and set the perfect temperature for a raging beach barbeque or slow-cooking smoker.

Automatic Chef Fire Pit Grill

Portable, adjustable and battery-powered — starting a fire at the drop of a hat just got a whole lot easier with this hanging grill.

Chicago Cut Steak Knives

Your steak stands no match against these forged-steel knives from Chicago Cut Steakhouse. This set of four blades was designed to slice each section of meat without tearing.

Apple Flavor Grilling Pellets and Hickory Sauce

Don’t have a smoker? Fear not. Wisconsin’s Mad Dog and Merrill help you turn up the smokiness without one. Add a few of their apple-flavored wood pellets (made from real wood in the Midwest) to your grill, or slather on a layer of their hickory sauce.