Making a comeback from the '50s, sliders are today's trendy party food. But these little burgers can often fall or get stuck between the grates of a grill. The Charcoal Champion Mini Burger Set holds nine burgers and comes with a plastic burger press. It retails for about $29.99.

Another gadget, the Chop Keeper, is a flexible cutting board with a 1/2-inch raised edge to keep your meat or vegetables from sliding off the board. It's handy for transporting from your kitchen counter to the grill, and you can fold it to transfer excess juices to the garbage without drips. A set of three is $12.99 at retail stores and at www.argeecorp.com.

Handy for nighttime cooking is the HUGlight, a flexible tube with two high-intensity LED lights on each end. It can wrap around your shoulders or be positioned so that your hands are free to cook. It retails for around $19.99 in stores nationwide.

Although some guys feel the urge for all latest bells and whistles, most of the dads we heard from go for the basics. A boon to penny-pinchers looking for a Father's Day gift, they're also fairly inexpensive.

One of the most frequently mentioned was the chimney starter, found for around $15-$20. You place unlit charcoal in the top of the metal cylinder and crumpled newspaper in the bottom under a grate. When the newspaper is lit, it burns and lights the charcoal above.

Long-handled tongs, basting brushes, meat thermometers and wire grill brushes also got a thumbs-up. Most grilling gurus already have these, but some could use a replacement.

e-mail: vphillips@desnews.com