Lush Food & Drink

Buying Guide ·Cookware

Best Grill Prep Trays for Family Barbecues

The deciding specification is published capacity, and the Cuisinart set is the lightest of the five at 1.0 pound.

By the Lush Editorial Team·Researched & Compared

  • Researched & ComparedSpecs pulled from the manufacturer listing
  • Like-for-LikeSame measures across every model
  • No Paid PlacementsNobody pays to appear here

I compared five grill prep tray sets using only the dimensions, weights, and features published by their manufacturers.

Our shortlist

Five products, one set of published numbers.
  1. Cuisinart Grilling Prep and Serving Tray
    Best for large cuts

    Cuisinart Grilling Prep and Serving Tray

    Rated to support up to 20 pounds and weighs 1.0 pound.

    • Cuisinart
    • Medium
    • 1 lb
  2. OXO Outdoor Grilling Prep and Carry System
    Best six-piece system

    OXO Outdoor Grilling Prep and Carry System

    Includes cutting board, deep tray, and two lidded trays.

    • OXO
    • 17.7"L x 3.1"W
    • 4 lb
  3. Grilling Prep & Serve Trays for Party Set of 2
    Best heat resistance

    Grilling Prep & Serve Trays for Party Set of 2

    Published as heat resistant up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • TasticTotes
    • 17.2" x 10.5"
    • 1.37 lb
  4. Tiangrid 4 Pcs Grill Prep Set - Stainless Steel BBQ ...
    Best stainless steel set

    Tiangrid 4 Pcs Grill Prep Set - Stainless Steel BBQ ...

    Stainless steel tray, cutting board, and two marinade containers.

    • Tiangrid
    • 15.75 x 9.65 x 2.76 inches
    • 3.25 lb
  5. Grilling Prep and Serve Trays
    Best stackable stainless pair

    Grilling Prep and Serve Trays

    Two stainless steel trays that stack for transport.

    • GuanBoXin
    • BBQ Serve Set of 2 with Grill Accessories
    • 3.5 lb

Side by side

Blank means the maker does not publish it.
ModelBrandSize (capacity)WeightBest for
Cuisinart Grilling Prep and Serving Tray Cuisinart Medium 1 lb Best for large cuts
OXO Outdoor Grilling Prep and Carry System OXO 17.7"L x 3.1"W 4 lb Best six-piece system
Grilling Prep & Serve Trays for Party Set of 2 TasticTotes 17.2" x 10.5" 1.37 lb Best heat resistance
Tiangrid 4 Pcs Grill Prep Set - Stainless Steel BBQ ... Tiangrid 15.75 x 9.65 x 2.76 inches 3.25 lb Best stainless steel set
Grilling Prep and Serve Trays GuanBoXin BBQ Serve Set of 2 with Grill Accessories 3.5 lb Best stackable stainless pair

Each pick in detail

What the listing says for it, and against it.
1 Best for large cuts

Cuisinart Grilling Prep and Serving Tray

Rated to support up to 20 pounds and weighs 1.0 pound.

  • For it
  • Two nesting trays for raw and cooked food.
  • Rated to support up to 20 pounds.
  • Dishwasher safe and BPA free.
  • Against it
  • Height is 1.0 inch, so edges are shallow.
  • No lids are published for either tray.
2 Best six-piece system

OXO Outdoor Grilling Prep and Carry System

Includes cutting board, deep tray, and two lidded trays.

  • For it
  • Six pieces including a cutting board and deep tray.
  • Two trays come with lids for marinating.
  • Top-rack dishwasher safe.
  • Against it
  • Weighs 4.0 pounds, the heaviest of the five.
  • Height is 3.05 inches, which takes more storage space.
3 Best heat resistance

Grilling Prep & Serve Trays for Party Set of 2

Published as heat resistant up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • For it
  • Heat resistant up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Raised textured surface keeps food off juices.
  • Deep contoured edges contain liquids.
  • Against it
  • Width, depth, and height are not published.
  • No cutting board or lids are included.
4 Best stainless steel set

Tiangrid 4 Pcs Grill Prep Set - Stainless Steel BBQ ...

Stainless steel tray, cutting board, and two marinade containers.

  • For it
  • Stainless steel tray, cutting board, and two marinade containers.
  • Dishwasher safe.
  • Tray size is published as 15.75 by 9.65 inches.
  • Against it
  • Weighs 3.25 pounds.
  • Width, depth, and height are not published as separate figures.
5 Best stackable stainless pair

Grilling Prep and Serve Trays

Two stainless steel trays that stack for transport.

  • For it
  • Two stainless steel trays stack for transport.
  • Dishwasher safe.
  • Deep tray and shallow tray separate raw and cooked food.
  • Against it
  • Weighs 3.5 pounds.
  • Width, depth, and height are not published.

Our verdict

For family barbecues, the Cuisinart Grilling Prep and Serving Tray is the lightest of the five at 1.0 pound and its trays are rated to support up to 20 pounds, which suits large cuts for a crowd. The OXO Outdoor Grilling Prep and Carry System is the heaviest at 4.0 pounds and includes a cutting board, a deep tray, and two lidded trays. The TasticTotes set publishes a heat resistance to 248 degrees Fahrenheit. The Tiangrid set and the GuanBoXin set are both stainless steel and dishwasher safe. The オクソアウトドア set is the lightest single item at 0.88 pound but publishes no dimensions.

“Capacity and weight decide the family tray.”

Lush Editorial Team

What separates these five

Weight and load The Cuisinart set weighs 1.0 pound and is rated to support up to 20 pounds. The OXO set weighs 4.0 pounds.
Heat resistance The TasticTotes set is published as heat resistant up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit. The other four do not publish a temperature.
Dishwasher safety All five sets are published as dishwasher safe. The OXO set specifies top-rack dishwasher safe.
Raw and cooked separation Cuisinart, TasticTotes, and GuanBoXin publish color-coded trays for raw and cooked food. OXO publishes color-coded trays with lids.
Storage Cuisinart, TasticTotes, OXO, and GuanBoXin publish nesting or stacking. The オクソアウトドア set also publishes nesting.

How we chose

Priorities, not a computed score. The inputs are published specifications, so we rank by what matters most and say how much.

  1. 30% Published capacityTray dimensions and rated load decide how much food a set holds for a family.
  2. 25% Published weightA lighter tray is easier to carry from kitchen to grill when full.
  3. 20% Heat resistanceA published temperature shows what the tray can handle near a grill.
  4. 15% Dishwasher safetyAll five publish dishwasher safe, so it separates none of them.
  5. 10% Storage designNesting and stacking matter for small kitchens and outdoor storage.

How the Five Compare on the Numbers

The five sets differ most in published weight and in what each maker states about capacity. The Cuisinart set is the lightest at 1.0 pound and is rated to support up to 20 pounds. The OXO set is the heaviest at 4.0 pounds and includes six pieces. The TasticTotes set publishes a heat resistance to 248 degrees Fahrenheit, the only temperature figure on the sheet.

Three sets publish no width, depth, or height as separate figures: TasticTotes, Tiangrid, and GuanBoXin. The オクソアウトドア set publishes no dimensions at all. That matters for a family barbecue because tray size decides how much food fits. Where a maker states nothing, the only honest answer is that the figure is not published.

Specification Cuisinart OXO TasticTotes Tiangrid GuanBoXin
Published weight 1.0 lb 4.0 lb 1.37 lb 3.25 lb 3.5 lb
Width 10.5 in 17.9 in not published not published not published
Depth 17.12 in 11.95 in not published not published not published
Height 1.0 in 3.05 in not published not published not published
Material Melamine Not published Plastic Stainless steel Stainless steel
Dishwasher safe Yes Top rack Yes Yes Yes
Heat resistance not published not published 248 F not published not published
Rated load 20 lb not published not published not published not published
Number of pieces 2 6 2 4 2

The table does not tell you how any tray performs with hot food, how it feels when loaded, or how it holds up over time. It also does not give a serving count, because no maker publishes one. Use the figures as stated and treat the missing ones as missing.

Capacity and Load Ratings for a Crowd

What the Cuisinart Load Rating Means

Cuisinart publishes a rated load of up to 20 pounds for its two-tray set. That is the only load rating on the sheet. For a family barbecue, that figure suggests the trays can hold a whole chicken or a large cut of meat. The trays are melamine and weigh 1.0 pound together, so the set is easy to carry when empty.

The trays nest for storage. One tray is red for raw meat and one is black for cooked food. That color split is a published feature, not a claim about performance. The set is dishwasher safe and BPA free. The height is 1.0 inch, so the edges are shallow compared with the OXO deep tray at 3.05 inches tall.

What the OXO Six-Piece Set Adds

OXO publishes a six-piece set with a cutting board, a deep tray, and two trays with lids. The deep tray is for seasoning, carrying, and serving. The cutting board has non-slip accents for prepping or carving. The two trays are color-coded and lidded for marinating. The set weighs 4.0 pounds, the heaviest of the five.

The OXO set is top-rack dishwasher safe. Its published width is 17.9 inches and its depth is 11.95 inches, so it takes more counter space than the Cuisinart set at 10.5 inches wide. The height is 3.05 inches. For a family barbecue, the lidded trays let you marinate ahead and stack for transport.

Heat, Material, and Cleanup

The Only Published Temperature

TasticTotes publishes a heat resistance up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit. No other set on the sheet publishes a temperature. That figure is the only one a reader can use to judge how close a tray can sit to a hot grill. The TasticTotes trays are plastic, BPA free, and dishwasher safe. They weigh 1.37 pounds for the set.

The TasticTotes set publishes a raised textured surface that keeps food lifted from grease or juices, and deep contoured edges that contain liquids. Those are published features. The set does not publish width, depth, or height as separate figures, so its footprint is not stated. It comes as a set of two, one green and one black.

Stainless Steel Options

Tiangrid publishes a four-piece set with a stainless steel tray, a cutting board, and two marinade containers with lids. The tray size is published as 15.75 by 9.65 inches. The set weighs 3.25 pounds and is dishwasher safe. The maker states the stainless steel is designed for durability and safety. No width, depth, or height is published as a separate figure.

GuanBoXin publishes a two-piece stainless steel set with a deep tray and a shallow tray that stack. It weighs 3.5 pounds and is dishwasher safe. The maker states the trays are made of thickened stainless steel and are BPA free. The deep tray is for raw meat and the shallow tray for cooked meat. No dimensions are published.

Which One Fits Your Kitchen

Buyer who cooks large cuts. The Cuisinart set is rated to support up to 20 pounds and weighs 1.0 pound. Its two trays separate raw and cooked food. It is the lightest of the five and the easiest to carry when empty.

Buyer who wants a full system. The OXO set includes six pieces: a cutting board, a deep tray, and two lidded trays. It weighs 4.0 pounds. The lidded trays let you marinate ahead and stack for transport.

Buyer who grills near high heat. The TasticTotes set publishes heat resistance up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit, the only temperature figure on the sheet. It weighs 1.37 pounds and has deep contoured edges to contain liquids.

Buyer who prefers stainless steel with a cutting board. The Tiangrid set includes a stainless steel tray, a cutting board, and two marinade containers with lids. It weighs 3.25 pounds and is dishwasher safe. The tray is published as 15.75 by 9.65 inches.

Buyer who wants a stackable stainless pair. The GuanBoXin set has a deep tray and a shallow tray that stack. It weighs 3.5 pounds and is dishwasher safe. The two trays separate raw and cooked food.

What We Could Not Verify

Several figures are not published by the makers. Where a number is missing, it is listed here rather than estimated.

  • The TasticTotes set does not publish width, depth, or height as separate figures.
  • The Tiangrid set does not publish width, depth, or height as separate figures.
  • The GuanBoXin set does not publish width, depth, or height as separate figures.
  • The オクソアウトドア set does not publish dimensions or a size.
  • No set publishes a serving count or a number of portions.
  • Only the TasticTotes set publishes a heat resistance temperature.

Frequently asked questions

Which grill prep tray is best for a family barbecue?+

The Cuisinart Grilling Prep and Serving Tray is the lightest of the five at 1.0 pound and is rated to support up to 20 pounds, which suits large cuts. The OXO Outdoor Grilling Prep and Carry System is the heaviest at 4.0 pounds and includes six pieces. The TasticTotes set publishes heat resistance to 248 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do these trays separate raw and cooked food?+

Cuisinart publishes a red prep tray for raw meat and a black serving tray for cooked food. TasticTotes publishes a green tray for raw meat or seafood and a black tray for cooked food. GuanBoXin publishes a deep tray for raw meat and a shallow tray for cooked meat. OXO publishes color-coded trays with lids.

Are these trays dishwasher safe?+

All five sets are published as dishwasher safe. The OXO set specifies top-rack dishwasher safe. The Cuisinart set is BPA free and dishwasher safe. The TasticTotes set is BPA free and dishwasher safe. The Tiangrid set is dishwasher safe. The GuanBoXin set states all components are dishwasher safe.

What is the heat resistance of these trays?+

Only the TasticTotes set publishes a heat resistance figure, which is up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit. The other four sets do not publish a temperature. The GuanBoXin set states its stainless steel can withstand high temperatures but gives no number. The Cuisinart set is melamine and publishes no temperature.

How much weight can the Cuisinart trays hold?+

The Cuisinart set is published as able to support up to 20 pounds. That figure is for the trays as a pair. No other set on this sheet publishes a load rating. The OXO set weighs 4.0 pounds itself but does not publish how much it can carry.

Do any of these sets include a cutting board?+

The OXO Outdoor Grilling Prep and Carry System includes a cutting board with non-slip accents. The Tiangrid set includes a cutting board. The other three sets do not publish a cutting board. The オクソアウトドア set includes a cutting board that fits both up and down for carrying.

Specifications come from the manufacturers' own published listings. Lush Food & Drink may earn a commission if you buy through a link on this page, at no extra cost to you. How we research.