Charcoal grills give food a distinct smoky flavor that so many people love, which is why the Weber Smokey Joe Portable Grill is such a popular product. This compact grill is basically a miniature version of Weber’s cult-favorite charcoal grill, and it’s the perfect cooking device to take on the road with you. Despite being light and very portable, the Venture features a heavy-duty cast iron grilling surface that cooks evenly and sears well.
It is a US federal crime to publish or distribute anything on this website without permission. Try to get one with a cover for the best temperature control and to prevent burning thicker meats. Try to get enough surface area so you can set up for 2-zone cooking.
The removable snap-on tray and storage container are nice features. It’s easy to handle the grill even when lit because of the cool-touch handles. Ultimately, I found food fell in between the bars of the grate too easily and weber q the grill itself was too small to be useful. 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.
This feature is ideal for foods that require different cooking temperatures, or for simply keeping food warm. Materials aren’t a big concern with portable charcoal grills. They’re commonly constructed from thin porcelainized steel with thin wire-rod grilling grates. Charcoal grills’ simple construction is what makes them budget friendly. In addition, we promptly dismissed gas grills equipped with a coupling for a 20-pound propane cylinder.
The NOMADIQ Grill offers 226 square inches of cooking space across its two nonstick grates, which are heated by individually controlled stainless steel burners that deliver 9,200 BTU per hour. This means you can only turn on one burner if you are cooking for a smaller crowd or you can cook burgers on one side and warm up the buns on the other. For those who love the taste of wood pellet grilled and smoked food, the Frontier Series Traveler Country Smokers portable bbq Wood Pellet Grill is a must-have. The portable model works as both a grill and smoker, and it can hold up to 5 pounds of wood pellets in its built-in hopper. The grill features 256 square inches of cooking surface, and it can be used to bake, seat, roast, braise, grill, and smoke all sorts of foods on the go. In terms of its cooking performance, the HitchFire runs on two small propane canisters, and it has two burners that can be controlled individually.
The grilling space is large too with 226 square inches of ceramic-coated nonstick grates. The weight of a grill brings the question of how much effort you want to put into moving your portable grill. The grills weighing in at over 50 pounds will require some assistance for you to move, unload, and stow safely, while the smaller models can be shuttled about with relative ease. The grill features a locking lid and pop-up stand that lifts the grill to a comfortable height without requiring insulation to protect a table or tailgate. Two side tables are convenient for holding tools, condiments, or plates.
Use two or three small fire starter blocks under the coals and start grilling once the flames have died down. GrillGrates amplify heat, prevent flareups, make flipping foods easier, kill hotspots, flip over to make a fine griddle, and can be easily moved from one grill to another. You can even throw wood chips, pellets, or sawdust between the rails and deliver a quick burst of smoke. You’ll need to start a campfire to get this grill going, but that just means you get to flex your lumbersexual woodsman skills in front of your buds. The grill grate also has retractable legs, so when you’re not cooking over the open fire, it collapses and folds to dimensions so small it can be stashed in your backpack.
The compact design is easy to bring to a sporting event or out camping, yet the porcelain-enameled cooking grate can still fit up to eight burgers at a time. This Cuisinart grill features a 5,500-BTU burner, a twist-start electric ignition, and a temperature gauge. The grate gives you 145 square inches of cooking space, accommodating four to six people at once. There’s nothing else quite like the Nomad on the market today. When closed, this portable grill is easy to carry one-handed thanks to a soft, grippable handle. When opened it has 212 square inches of cooking space—that’s enough for a whole chicken with room to spare, a rack of ribs, or close to a dozen turkey burgers.
Invented in South Africa, the sturdy, kettle-style Cobb is a small, portable cylindrical unit that can grill, fry, bake and even roast a whole chicken, albeit a small one. Although Traeger says its maximum temperature is 230˚C, we noticed that the actual highest temperature reaches about 241˚C and with a roaring flame beneath the heat shield. This means it could feasibly be used to sear steaks, too; something pellet grills usually don’t excel at. Camp Chef claims it puts out 12,000 BTU, but it’s uneven—our bread test revealed comparatively cool corners at the front edge, owing to the coverage of one burner. Otherwise, that’s a lot of heat available to a relatively small grill surface. In some respects, we found it was actually a bit too much heat.
There’s no correct answer; it depends on your preference for space and ease of use. With the many sizes and formats of portable grills available, the choice weber genesis 2 comes down to what size you like and what type of fuel you prefer. The propane-fueled Weber Q1200 offers reliable, steady heat in a compact form.