Lindsey currently writes and edits on the subjects outdoor recreation, science education, and motherhood – as well as being the author of Seacoast Hikes and Nature Walks. She resides in New Hampshire where she can be found hiking, camping, and paddling in the mountains, lakes, and seas of New England. Since these grills are all easy to move, we’d recommend storing them somewhere covered between uses, if not in a shed or garage. (But make sure to let it cool down before moving it.) If you do leave it out in the open, consider using a weatherproof cover to protect it.
They also offer an economical alternative to wasteful disposable barbecues that scorch grass and are, ironically, difficult to dispose of. It’s an extremely versatile cooking appliance for anyone who plans to spend a long stretch in the great outdoors. One Popular Mechanics editor used it at her neighborhood block party to grill hot dogs and sausages.
Brad Ford has spent most of his life using tools to fix, build, or make things. Growing up he worked on a farm, where he learned to weld, repair, and paint equipment. From the farm he went to work at a classic car dealer, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. Today, when he’s not testing tools or writing for Popular Mechanics, he’s busy keeping up with the projects at his old farmhouse in eastern Pennsylvania. We took the Traveler to cook some lakeside brats on an ice fishing adventure.
For pellet grills, we studied the user interface and considered the details of the startup and shutdown process. We also considered whether the grilling surface presents a consistent temperature throughout, whether it includes a thermometer or push-button ignition, and how well both perform. There are advantages and disadvantages to a grill surface that naturally creates different temperature zones. Our thorough testing process began with scouring the internet for the latest and greatest products across the portable grill market. Next, we narrowed our selection to create a manageable yet comprehensive list of the top models. We bought all these products at retail cost to allow us to conduct an extended, objectively honest, and comparative review.
It has a large 332-square-inch cooking surface with a height-adjustable grate, and the grill is mounted on a handy folding stand, allowing you to cook just about anywhere. Our tester had some trouble with this little smoker due to external circumstances (a key part wasn’t delivered with the order). As a result, the heating component has been rather thwarted during the first month of testing. That said, our tester likes the overall compact size, and that the charcoal chamber is easy to remove for cleanup.
Think of a tabletop grill a bit like a small air fryer that you only use when the weather is warm. There are also many barrel-style grills, which are essentially miniature versions of larger smokers. They’re generally made from high-quality materials like cast aluminum, and while the material is durable, it makes these grills heavy and clunky, limiting their portability. Rounding out the bottom of the list for this metric is the Camp Chef Portable Pellet.
If the worst part of barbecuing is waiting for your food, then this is the portable grill for you. The LotusGrill has a built-in fan, which helps the charcoal get to temperature in around five minutes. Compared to other charcoal barbecues, we couldn’t believe the ease with which you could cook – no need to coax the coals, simply fire it up and expect good heat for over half an hour.
The ceramic construction retains heat and turns it into a portable oven as well. The MiniMax Big Green Egg is identical to its larger cousin in nearly every way, but smaller. It weighs 75 pounds, making it by the far the heaviest grill I tested, but the double-handle carrying system makes it easy for two people to carry it.
It has some other nice design touches, like the ability to transition the grill from folded to cook-ready with one hand, and a lid that locks automatically for transport and storage. The Weber weber genesis 2 Traveler heated up quickly, and I met no resistance when turning food on the porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates. Of all the grills I tested, the Traveler was the easiest to set up and use.