The cooking area of grills is typically measured in square inches, and the larger the cooking space, the more food you’ll be able to cook at once. A 16.4-ounce propane tank attaches to the back of the grill with a sturdy, easy-to-secure attachment. It has two plastic temperature knobs on the front of the grill; one knob controls in the inner flame ring and the other controls the outer. The cast iron grates are easy to scrub clean with a grill brush and the drip pan (located inside the grill) removes so you can wash it before storing.
If those cons have you second-guessing yourself, you may want to look at our best portable pellet grill for another option. When shopping for a new grill I usually recommend people consider the same 5 or 6 factors. You Expert Grill Combo Grills can find out more about this in our guide to the best charcoal grills. It’s a decent pick if you like Kamado style grills, but with a weight of nearly 70 pounds it’s not the most portable of the grills we’ve looked at.
Sturdiness is a big factor for safety and sanity when considering a tabletop or pop-up model. A grill that rocks and wobbles will provide significant challenges when you attempt to cook on it. As a rule of thumb, a grill with thicker construction will retain and spread heat better than one with thin walls and bottoms, with some exceptions. The Everdure CUBE, for example, has thinner construction but is specifically designed to distribute heat evenly. One of the only problems encountered was correctly positioning the grates. Still, we found it heated quickly and was ready to cook in 10 minutes after adding lit charcoal from a chimney, while side vents gave us greater control over lower-temperature cooking.
The only downsides mentioned were the time it takes to cool down the cast iron top (which is to be expected), and the price. It’s quite an investment, but it’s totally worth it if you can catch it on sale. The Snow Peak Takibi base height is ideal for getting indirect heat for the perfect toasted marshmallow. The height of the Takibi grill is perfect for sitting around the fire in camping chairs. Here, we’re grilling sausages on sticks outside of Joshua Tree National Park in a dispersed camping area with no established fire pit. We highly recommend only using the minimum amount of charcoal inside the sleeve and never filling it up over half way.
This is another Kamado Joe grill that’s smaller than the previous model. It boasts a temperature gauge right on its top lid to allow you to easily see the temperature at any stage of your cookout. At 37 pounds it does weigh quite a lot more than the Weber Jumbo Joe or Go-Anywhere, but the two handles make it easy to Charcoal Grills Combo Grills move. This, coupled with the suitcase design, makes the Nomad our top choice for a portable grill if you’ve got the budget. The exterior of the grill has an anodized finish which helps prevent rust. The grill has been designed to keep the outer shell temperature low, so it’s safe to use on virtually any surface.
We conducted two sets of tests for scoring, depending on whether the grill was gas-fueled or charcoal. The first step for each was to assemble the grill, rating it on the clarity of instructions and how easy it was to accomplish the task. Next, we judged the grills’ portability, such as how easy they were to move and if lids or grates fell off easily.
The magnetic grates stay in place when transported, are slightly domed for strength, and can invert for use as a vegetable cooker basket. The stainless steel grates take a little more work to clean than cast iron, but not a herculean effort by any means. The firebox pops out for easy emptying, but the handle bolts make removing it without tipping a little difficult.
The Weber Q 1200 is another solid model in this category due to the adjustability of its control knob and a sound electronic ignition system. We appreciate the naturally non-stick porcelain-enameled grilling surface and that the cast iron grates distribute a consistent temperature across the entire cook surface. Even though the Jumbo Joe isn’t the smallest or most compact charcoal grill we tested, it is lightweight (about 18 pounds) and easy to carry. A swiveling metal arm holds the grill together for transport and doubles as a lid holder while you’re grilling.
And they can be a good option if you don’t have the budget for a full-size grill. Grills with side table attachments, stands, and other prep areas ended up ranking higher in our tests, as we rated grills for their overall design. When cooking outside, a clean, workable surface makes prepping convenient and efficient. 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 transporting, and the grill is a good size for cooking for three or four people.
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. Camp Chef’s Barbecue Grill Box add-on includes convenient features such as a built-in thermometer, hinged lid, and easy to clean cast iron grate. You should clean your portable grill the same way you would clean a full-size gas grill.