Everything we cooked on this grill had a dark, sooty film and tasted like torched fat. Always use your grill—gas or charcoal—outside, in a well-ventilated spot. Combustion produces odorless carbon monoxide, which can kill in minutes without warning.
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. Our thorough testing process began with scouring the internet for the latest and greatest products across the portable grill market.
Since the area of the basin exactly matches the surface area of the grill, we were then able to spread out those coals to create targeted heat zones. The clear champion of this section of our assessment is the Camp Chef Portable Pellet. The digital controller goes far beyond the accuracy of any mechanical knob. If you can operate the controls of a modern kitchen oven, then this model is a no-brainer. This grill can be set from “low smoke” to “high smoke”, and for temperatures ranging up to 550 degrees. No matter how you measure it, the Traveler’s 13,000-BTU burner gets plenty hot and really shines when searing.
Think of portable gas grills as small, outdoor, propane-powered ovens. The push-button ignition and the temperature-control dial should be easily accessible and clearly marked so you can quickly start the grill and adjust the heat without fumbling. In our tests, the side shelf proved to be useful, as did the tool holders located on the front of the grill. weber charcoal grill Beneath the shelf, we found that the one-pound propane tank attached easily. Weber claims that the grill is designed to optimize gas usage, which we didn’t actively test but we did notice anecdotally that it lasted longer than the other portable grills we tested. In our tests, its built-in thermometer confirmed it reached 600ºF in less than 10 minutes.
If you prefer that smoky charcoal flavor, the lightweight Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18″ matches the searing and grilling abilities of a full-size kettle. 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. 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 (about eight burgers). We also like the Jumbo Joe’s tripod base, which automatically stabilizes on uneven terrain.