The Davy Crockett requires electricity to operate the hopper, and it comes with a plug for a standard wall outlet, a plug for a car accessory outlet, and clips for a 12V battery. The George Foreman plugs into a standard outlet, which uses an electric heating element for its nonstick grill surface. The grill half nearest the electric controls registered weber genesis 2 the highest heat output while the far half was notably lower with a max temperature under 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Armed with knowledge about the different types of portable grills, shoppers must balance the pursuit of flavor with the desire for convenience. Below is info about factors and features to keep in mind when choosing the best portable grill.
In my testing, the Mini Big Green Egg has excellent heat control and, like the larger version, is extremely fuel-efficient. No matter how you measure it, the Traveler’s 13,000-BTU burner gets plenty hot and really shines when searing. The 320-square-inch grilling surface is big enough to grill for a crowd. It’ll still fit in the trunk of most cars, but it definitely takes up a considerable amount of space. The only part about using the Nomad that I didn’t love was emptying it.
Next, we fired up the grills and did a quick, but thorough, evaluation of cooking-surface temperature. For gas grills, we used slices of white bread to cover the grilling surfaces to identify uneven heating. For charcoal grills, we used a glowing bed of charcoal directly underneath food, and then placed bricks to one side to see how well the grill body distributed heat. We also noted if it was easy to load up and move charcoal around inside the grill, and whether vents provided sufficient airflow. Cast-aluminum fireboxes are durable, corrosion resistant, and excellent at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat, so you have fewer hotspots. This means you don’t have to obsessively babysit your barbecued chicken to prevent excessive charring.
The Jumbo Joe’s 18-inch-diameter cooking surface is enough to grill a complete meal for two or the main course for a small party . We also like the Jumbo Joe’s tripod base, which automatically stabilizes on uneven terrain. The simple ash catcher is a nice touch and keeps hot embers from falling on the ground. And the heat-resistant lid handle stays cool enough to grasp without a towel or oven mitt. While these features were impressive, the Pit Boss Grills had a harder time heating up that large cooking surface. Whereas other portable gas grills we tested reached temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit, this grill could only maintain cooking surface temperatures in the mid 400s.
Cory Bahr is the chef and owner of Parish restaurant in Monroe, Louisiana, a finalist on The Next Food Network Star, and a Food & Wine Best New Chef. Jake Wood is the owner and pitmaster of Lawrence BBQ in Durham, North Carolina. Finally, Tank Jackson is the pitmaster and hog farmer of Holy City Hogs in Charleston, South weber q Carolina. We paired their input with combing retail and review sites to research the best portable grills, dubbing the Weber Q1200 the winner. Read on to see why and view the rest of our picks in several key categories. We were impressed with the high-heat grilling performance of the Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Grill.
You already have yoursunscreen, swimsuits,beach chairs and umbrellas ready for a day at the beach or a camping trip. Still, there’s something about the long summer days and clear skies that makes us want to grill outdoors. Even though the Weber Q 1200 neatly folds up (albeit into a not-so-compact package), the lack of a lid latch is perhaps more annoying than anything when considering the portability of this grill.
If you’re looking for a budget pick, go for the Weber Smokey Joe 14-Inch Portable Charcoal Grill, which is lightweight, sturdy, and offers a nice-sized cooking space. There are more types of small grills now using every fuel source imaginable, including the sun. Portable grills are perfect for campers, city folks living in apartments and anyone without a big backyard weber genesis 2 or who finds themselves often on the move. Single-use grills exist, and while they may not be the most practical option for everyday use, if you have one long hike planned and want to do some grilling, this is a good option. The Casus grill can only be used once, of course, but it actually gets fairly hot in about five minutes and stays lit for over an hour.
We’ve been testing grills for decades in the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliance and Culinary Innovation Lab. We’ve tested more than 60 grills, including gas grills, charcoal grills, pellet grills and smokers weber q and more. We’ve also tested a slew of portable grills as part of our typical grill testing over the years. Each time we test, we use the same testing methodology and ingredients to make sure our results are comparable.