The built-in thermometer skewed about 30 degrees lower than our test probes, but the heat retention was very good overall. Setup took less than 20 minutes, but instructions are very detailed and require close attention to succeed on the first try. The shelves provided the biggest challenge, with little clearance for your hands to attach them easily. The components fit snugly and stay put when weber charcoal grill transporting, and the grill is a good size for cooking for three or four people. This solar oven requires no charcoal, propane or any fuel source (hooray for the environment!) and is super light and transportable. It’s a perfect camping cooker except you do need sunlight for this to function so I wouldn’t rely solely on this for eating if you’re heading into the woods for an extended period.
The beauty of this pick is it functions as a portable fire pit and charcoal grill, which makes it great for camping. It has two oversized handles for carrying and its legs fold up to make moving it even easier. It can be used with firewood or charcoal – just slide on the included grill grate to use as a grill. The sides of the fire pit are perforated so you can see the flames, and it comes with an app-controlled fan to control the size of the flames. We conducted two sets of tests for scoring, depending on whether the grill was gas-fueled or charcoal.
With any grill, cleaning them before transporting them will lead to less mess. This could be a good starter grill for someone who wants to try grilling but doesn’t want to make a large commitment to the endeavor. Its biggest drawbacks are wobbly legs, even when ensuring that the attachment hardware is fully tightened, and visible air gaps in the lid that limit the ability to control the temperature. The Dyna-Glo scored highly for performance but was edged out for Best Value by its weight (40 pounds) and a more complicated assembly process that could require a second person to accomplish easily.
We also update our tests as needed to ensure they’re still relevant and we’re keeping up with the trends and latest innovations. The value of your portable grill depends on your cooking needs and your intended usage. A basic, more affordable grill might get you through a backyard bash, but a more expensive product will tend to last longer, even under more rigorous or extensive use. But if you would like the option to sear a steak and slow-cook chicken on the same grate, you’ll likely only find such features on higher-quality models. Similarly, the least expensive grills don’t offer the maximum heat output nor the control to cook more complicated foods.
The Coleman Roadtrip 285 offers the cooking performance of your typical backyard grill in a portable package. There are three individual burners – a main burner that reaches across the entire grill from side to side, and two additional burners on each side. The result is top-notch control coupled with incredibly weber genesis 2 even heat distribution. The Roadtrip 285’s instructions are clearly written and all tools required for assembly are included, making this model a breeze to put together. It’s easy to convert between travel and cooking mode, and the large wheels and long handle make it our favorite wheeled model to move around.
Then, we rated them on how easy they were to light, add charcoal (if applicable), and how long they took to reach a cooking temperature. Portable grills cost anywhere from $50 for a simple Weber charcoal grill all the way up to $500 or more for fancier gas and propane grills with bells and whistles galore. My favorite portable grill, the Weber Q-1200, sits at about $259 but you can find it for less on sale. Most sturdy small grills should last you several years to a decade if the unit is cleaned, covered and cared for properly.
And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. We grew frustrated at the number of times we had to re-light this weber q model in high winds. The Weber Q 1200 comes with a disposable aluminum drip tray insert that you can place in the more permanent drip tray.