We also took into account how simple or challenging each contender was to clean. If you’re cooking only one type of food that covers the entire grilling surface, then you will want to have consistent heat throughout. If you are cooking a variety of foods all at once, you might prefer weber charcoal grill different temperature zones. To test the distribution of heat across a grill, we grilled different food types in different corners of the grill. The Petit Gourmet is lightweight with a small footprint that is great for packing in small spaces, making it great for camping.
Our team of editors cast a wide net to test several of the most popular small and portable charcoal and gas grills on the market. The ones we feature were assessed for everything from quality of materials to temperature accuracy to ease of setup. Top brands like Cuisinart, Blaze Grills, Solo Stove, Weber and more have great go-anywhere grills that don’t take up too much space in your car or backyard.
The big drawback with this nifty portable oven is its cooking capacity. Since food has to be loaded into a tube, you can’t really cook many of the traditional barbecue meats such as ribs. weber charcoal grill Setup was a snap — you simply unhinge the sides and the entire thing opens up like a clamshell. The grilling space is large too with 226 square inches of ceramic-coated nonstick grates.
Finally, we assessed the grill’s portability by physically carrying each grill to our vehicle and attempting to place it in the trunk. The Cuisinart uses a kettle style that’s notably shallower than other kettle-style grills. On the plus side, the shallow kettle required just 12 briquettes to heat the entire 14-inch cooking portable bbq surface. The Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Pellet Grill differentiates itself from standard portable grills with its ability to smoke as well as barbecue, making it the most versatile grill we tested. Like its little brother, the Jumbo Joe heats evenly and can reach temperatures well above what’s needed for searing.
Every grill flared somewhat, but the Q have heavy enameled cast-iron grates that are closed over the burners, which helps keep the flaring under control. Warm weather is still a ways off for many of us, but this is time of year when, like a groundhog, the grill starts to poke out of the snow and show its rusty, neglected self. If you’re in need of a new grill this year, here’s our guide to the very best portable grills. We’ve researched and tested dozens of portable grills to see which can brat the best.