OXO

Origin and philosophy

OXO is not a barbecue brand, it is a kitchen tool brand that has carried the same universal-design philosophy that made it famous in 1990 out into the garden. Sam Farber founded it in New York with his son John after watching his wife Betsey, who had mild arthritis in her hands, struggle with a conventional peeler. The idea was simple — make utensils whose handles are comfortable for someone with reduced strength or dexterity — and it turned out to be comfortable for everyone else too. That is the textbook definition of "universal design".

The name "OXO" is an ambigram: it reads the same right-side up, upside down, sideways, or mirrored. A small branding detail that captures the company's mindset. The first collection — the original fifteen Good Grips — debuted at the Gourmet Products Show in San Francisco in 1990, developed in collaboration with the design agency Smart Design. Sam Farber sold the company to General Housewares in 1992, and since 2004 OXO has been part of the Helen of Troy group following a $273 million acquisition.

What sets OXO apart

In the BBQ accessory segment — tongs, brushes, scrapers, instant-read thermometers, marinating kits — OXO does not compete on price. It competes on two things most generic competitors forget: non-slip handle textures that hold even with grease or oil on them, and geometries designed from the grip outward, not from the function back. An OXO tong takes less squeeze force than a hypermarket tong to lift the same chop, and the difference shows after an hour standing at the kamado.

The BBQ range is not the broadest in the catalogue — the brand is still primarily kitchen-focused — but the pieces it does sell are pieces that have been thought through. The Good Grips grill brush with replaceable head, the stainless tongs with storage lock, the bevelled scraper for cast-iron grates. Nothing spectacular individually, but the set feels like serious tools, not disposable gadgets.

Our experience with the brand

We have had OXO tongs, brush and instant-read thermometer in our Torrevieja kit for several seasons. The brush has clocked the most use — we clean the grate after every cook — and the head lasts about six months of weekly use before asking for a replacement. The tongs still close with the same tension as day one after two years. The catch worth mentioning is that OXO uses silicone on some handles, and budget silicone degrades under intense UV: leave the tongs in the sun on the terrace counter and within a couple of summers they change texture. The fix is trivial — store them indoors — but worth knowing.

Who it is for

We recommend OXO to the cook who values hand feel in tools, who cooks often and notices the difference between a well-designed handle and a merely acceptable one. It is the brand for someone who wants to build a barbecue kit without premium-brand pretensions but with real quality. It is not the pick if you want industrial aesthetics or heavy Weber Pro-style tools — OXO is deliberately light and friendly. For the daily life of a family kamado, it is one of the brands that delivers the most quality per euro in its range.