Running out of gas without a refill can bring your cookout to a halt, while foraging for firewood may prove possible when the charcoal burns out too soon. There’s no correct answer; it depends on your preference for space and ease of use. The GoBQ also performed well, cultivating a steady and hot fire, and has a robust 185 square inches of grilling space. It’s a little more expensive than some on the market, but it’s built to last. If you want portable charcoal grilling in a truly portable package, this is the best small grill to buy.
An experience-based, comprehensive review of the best portable grills on the market. Gas grills are extremely convenient, as they’re easy to start, heat up quickly, and hold a steady temperature, and the Weber Q2200 Propane Gas Grill is our top choice for a portable option. Our tester found this model easy to use, conveniently designed for cooking at a tailgate or camping, and worthy of everyday home grilling as well. Burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and veggies all turned out great and our tester experienced no flareups. The fan did indeed cut down on smoke blowing in my eyes and both the charcoal and wood burned nicely giving me both food and then warmth after dinner as I sipped a nightcap. It also functioned well as a grill with good ventilation to keep the coals hot — although the cooking capacity is on the small side.
Green Mountain Grills does suggest removing the legs and using the Davy Crockett as a tabletop grill. While we didn’t have a chance to test it as a tabletop, raising it to table height would certainly make using it for grilling much easier. George Foreman’s extensive line of indoor electric grills have a great reputation for the ability to grill food while extracting unhealthy grease. This model extends that tradition while providing the option to grill outdoors. The Pit Boss Grills Portable Grill is clearly designed to go on the road.
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 weber q 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.
Weber makes affordable covers for both the Q 1200 and Q 2200 , and we strongly recommend the investment. The carrying case for the Char-Broil Grill2Go isn’t weatherproof, but you can use a heavy-duty contractor-style garbage bag or a tarp for protection. A swiveling metal handle tightly holds the grill together for easy weber charcoal grill transporting. The propane coupling juts out the side, and attaching 1-pound liquid-propane canisters is easy. An adapter for the Char-Broil Grill2Go allows you to use a Type 1 tank connection for 20-pound propane tanks. Foods such as bone-in chicken pieces and thick steaks require surround heat to cook thoroughly.
In our tests, this grill quickly cooked a steak and four chicken thighs, all of which were juicy and tender. I wanted a charcoal grill that did not rapidly lose heat because its materials were too thin. I wanted a gas grill that kept a nice even temperature once it was set.
Since you’ve come here looking for a portable grill, we thought it made sense to recommend one for those of you who prize portability above all other features. Everything but the grill grate on the GoBQ is made of flame-retardant fabric, and the whole thing weighs nine pounds and packs easily into something about the size of a knife roll. There are a few choices when it comes to the best portable propane grill. Our top pick, the Weber Q1200 portable grill, is great for anyone looking for an all-around capable grill with plenty of built-in features. After evaluating each grill’s cooking ability, we determined how easy it was to clean the grill. We also looked at what additional features the grill offered, such as smart controls, integrated thermometers, and side tables.
Camping trips, road trips, tailgates, closet-size outdoor spaces—there are a lot of scenarios that call for a portable grill. But unfortunately, many of the factors that make a grill portable can also keep it from working well. For more details on how we tested and what we looked for, scroll down to the bottom. With its all-stainless steel body and cooking grates, the Pit Boss Grills Stainless Steel Portable Grill is certainly one of the most handsome portable grills on the market. While it doesn’t heat as well as other gas grills, it differentiates itself with a vast cooking surface and the ability to create multiple cooking zones. To kick off testing, we unboxed each grill, assembled it if required, and examined its workmanship and build quality.
It also wasn’t as easy to move as the GoBQ because…nothing was as easy to move as the GoBQ. Flattop grills operate like traditional portable gas grills without lids, but their stainless steel tops act like griddles. Cast-iron grates are durable but require frequent cleaning and oiling. Stainless steel is also durable and requires very little maintenance but doesn’t distribute heat as evenly as cast iron. The downside is that cast iron is quite heavy so is less suitable for some portable grills. The Portable BBQ Grill is perfect for grilling just about anywhere.