The lower profile lid on the Traveler does mean that you will have to make some minor compromises when it comes to gilling large items. For example, you can fit a couple of whole chickens on the Traveler but you will need to spatchcock them first. BBQGuys does more than test and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too. Our experts provide the recipes and skills you need to be a grill master.
We were impressed with the high-heat grilling performance of the Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Grill. But when the firebox got hot, the side vents that regulated airflow stuck in place, rendering us unable to control the temperature—critical for slow-cooking things like chicken and sausages. In our tests, the Jumbo Joe charcoal grill made the best seared burgers, barbecued chicken, and grilled bratwurst. Plus, cooking with charcoal gives your food that smoky flavor that you can’t get from a gas flame. Char-Broil covers the Grill2Go X200’s lid, firebox, and burner for five years and everything else for one year.
You don’t need to buy Weber’s specialty tins for the grease tray either—instead, just line the catch pan with aluminum foil and pull it off when you’re done. Then we grilled bone-in chicken to test for flare-ups and how well the gas and charcoal grills could sustain a medium-low cooking temperature over 45 minutes. They’re commonly weber q constructed from thin porcelainized steel with thin wire-rod grilling grates. This simple construction is what makes them budget friendly and lighter weight. And with proper care, a charcoal grill should still last for many years. In fact, some of its weight can actually be forgiven due to how well constructed this gas grill is.
Speaking of weight, one of the few negative things that I do have to say about the Weber Q 2200 is regarding how heavy it is. For a portable gas grill, it can be quite heavy, making it difficult to lug around, particularly on its own. The only annoyance in the wind is the disposable aluminum drip tray liner, which is designed to save you from having to clean what can notoriously be the nastiest part of a grill. Without some significant weight added — like a rock — you can expect that this drip pan will pick up and fly away with the first significant gust of wind. The Weber Q 1200 is an unexpectedly powerful grill, resulting in cook times that were much faster than expected for such a petite barbecue. Like other top models, this is all thanks to a single, U-shaped burner that effectively delivers heat across the range of the grill surface.
When I checked on the grill five minutes later, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the lid thermometer already read 400 degrees. That was hot enough for my needs, so I put my burger on the grill and let it cook. The meat was cooked to perfection in around 10 minutes, and I was really impressed at the heat put out by the grill’s 12,000 BTU burner. Despite its large frame, the Q 1200 only sports 189 square inches of grill space.
The Q 1200’s small fold-out side tables are handy for keeping grill tools within reach, though we wouldn’t feel confident resting a large tray brimming with meat or other heavy things on them. The thermometer in the dome lid is nice, but it isn’t necessary other than for letting you know when the grill is hot and ready. The 1200 is flare-up resistant and excellent at maintaining consistent heat. It’s constructed from quality materials, has some nice extra features, and is reasonably comfortable to carry (although heavy). Portable grills aren’t just for camping, picnicking, and tailgating; they’re also great for city and apartment dwellers with limited outdoor space. And they can be a good option if you don’t have the budget for a full-size grill.
The cart is wheeled, giving backyard grillmasters the ability to move their grill around for optimal conditions. After Weber launched the first Q-series grill in 2004, Weber added different options to suit grill owners everywhere. If you’re looking for a new gas grill that can slide into your car for a weekend getaway or tailgate, you probably have looked at the weber charcoal grill-series of grills. Disposable drip pan liners are sold in sets of 10 for around $6-$8. They are sturdy enough that they can last quite a few meals with proper care and cleaning, but for those that want to avoid the extra cost, lining the catch pan with aluminum foil will work. All cast aluminum parts (body, lid) have a 5-year warranty, excluding paint which has a 2-year warranty that excludes fading or discoloration.
It seems like it was a one-off fluke, and honestly, the resolution was simple enough that it didn’t bother me too much. This means that the burner doesn’t need to crank out heat at nearly the same rate as other, less well-insulated grills. If you are still not sure if either grill is for you, there are other portable grills that might be worth taking a look at. Both grills are built as tabletop models that you can put on a picnic table at the campground or out on your back deck. However, Weber added further functionality and flexibility with a portable cart for the grill to rest on.
In our tests, the well-placed vents in both the lid and the firebox provided precise temperature control that no other portable charcoal grill we tried—including two other Webers—could match. Portable grills aren’t just great for toting to a campground, park, or tailgate. If you don’t have the space or budget for a full-size grill, they might also be the best option for your backyard. After grilling 65 burgers, 30 pounds of chicken, and 25 pounds of bratwurst on nine portable grills, we have recommendations for both gas and charcoal options. The frame is made of a really tough fiberglass that will resist heat. The burner is made of stainless steel, and the cast iron grill grate has a porcelain coating.