What should you get in for a BBQ with friends?
Short answer: 21 items, from BBQ hotplate scraped and oiled before guests arrive through to water for the kids and non-drinkers. The complete BBQ with Friends checklist is written out below — and the exact same 21 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The BBQ with Friends checklist — all 21 items
- BBQ hotplate scraped and oiled before guests arrive
- Bin bags and a recycling bin clearly marked
- Condiments actually opened and ready, not still sealed in the pantry
- Extra chairs
- First aid kit for burns
- Fly spray or citronella candles
- Gas bottle checked and spare on hand
- Ice and chilly bin
- Matches or lighter as backup for an electric igniter
- Meat thawed the night before
- Meat thermometer (undercooked chicken ruins the day)
- Music speaker charged
- Plates and napkins, more than you think
- Salads made ahead so you're not cooking everything at once
- Serving platters for cooked meat, separate from the raw meat plate
- Shade or umbrella set up early
- Sunscreen and bug spray out for guests
- Tablecloth or clips if it's windy
- Tongs and a spatula (not just one pair of tongs for everyone)
- Vegetarian option for non-meat eaters
- Water for the kids and non-drinkers
Feeding your own household off the grill is easy. Add three other families and suddenly there are vegetarians, kids who only eat plain bread, someone's gluten thing, and the eternal question of whether anyone remembered ice. Hosting a crowd is a logistics job wearing a casual shirt.
This list covers the crowd version: quantities that stretch, the dietary curveballs, drinks and ice, outdoor seating, sunscreen and bug spray, and the cleanup you'll thank yourself for planning. Add to it by voice all week as RSVPs trickle in, then shop once.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "vegetarian patties" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you get in for a BBQ with friends?
You need 21 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from BBQ hotplate scraped and oiled before guests arrive through to water for the kids and non-drinkers — and the same 21 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=bbq%20with%20friends opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this BBQ with Friends list (21 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.