Next, we narrowed our selection to create a manageable yet comprehensive list of the best products available. We bought all these products at retail cost to allow us to conduct an extended, objectively honest, and comparative review. These review editors rigorously assessed these grills and distributed them to friends to gather a fresh perspective. The Grillster is an excellent option for searing steaks and other high-temperature cooking, but controlling the overall range on this rip-roaring grill is challenging.
Some foods such as burgers need to be formed into a more cylindrical or elongated shape to fit inside. The slender device is perfect for cooking hot dogs, most veggies, fish and chicken pieces which slide in with ease. When I tested it, it got scorching hot and cooked chicken thighs, sausage, fish and veggies all in under 25 minutes or less. Scores in this metric were determined weber charcoal grill by the size of the cooking surface, the surface material, and any coatings, whether the grill has any side tables or any other added features. Additional features and functions include a grill grate that can be turned over and made into a skillet or bonus features like a warming rack or smoker tray. We also took into account how simple or challenging each contender was to clean.
We smoked a rack of ribs on a pretty nasty fall day at an elevation of 7,000 feet in central Utah and had absolutely no issues with wind. If you’re looking for a larger model, the best way to get the weight off your back is by going with a wheeled model. The Coleman Roadtrip 285 has large wheels that handle fairly rough terrain and a long handle, so you don’t have to hunch over while hauling it. We’ve tested hundreds of products in our camping kitchen reviewsincluding the best camping tables and top camping coffee makers for your outdoor forays. First, the setup was challenging as the legs were difficult to install properly.
Although this portable powerhouse reaches top temperatures with ease, it is more difficult to learn how to harness the heat of the grill surface for foods that require more low-and-slow cooking. But if you hope to regularly grill up delicious meals while on the road, the Weber Q 1200 is an accessible portable grill that is sure to appeal to both novice cooks and professional chefs alike. In our tests, its built-in thermometer confirmed it reached 600ºF in less than 10 minutes. It made great steak quickly and nicely browned chicken thighs in under 20 minutes with no noticeable flareups.
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliance and Culinary Innovation Lab where she oversees all kitchen appliance content and testing. This is her third season testing grills for Good Housekeeping and has had weber q her hands on at least 35 grills and counting. The summer is favorite season, mostly because she can put one of her many grills to the test nightly. Some folks mentioned having trouble with assembly and misaligned parts in verified purchase reviews.
Next, the heat distribution was very uneven, where a uniform layer of coals still resulted in a hot spot in the center. Surely you’ve seen — and possibly owned — one of these little guys in the past. The Weber Smokey Joe is a staple at park cookouts and on camping trips and that’s for good reason. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products.
Control is the criteria that most distinctly separates the highest performers from the rest of the contenders. For gas and electric, this metric was scored based on how many burners each product has and whether they can be adjusted to high, medium, and low temperatures. For charcoal, we assessed how easy it was to maneuver the coal bed to create heat zones. For pellet grills, we studied the user interface and considered the details of the startup and shutdown process.