Plus, our tester found the grill easily reached high temperatures with both burners running, delivering plenty of heat for cooking all types of food. In general, gas or propane grills make for the best portable grills since they’re clean, easy and fast to get fired up. Charcoal is a fine alternative but the charcoal is heavier and messier portable bbq than a small propane tank and charcoal generally takes longer to light. Small electric grills are also an option and while they sound great, remember you might not always have access to power, especially if you’re camping or spending a day in the park. Plus, you won’t get any of that flame-grilled goodness since there’s no, well, flame.
The Gonzo Grill, contained by its included nylon bag, requires two hands to carry but is a little less fiddly otherwise. Models like this are easy to carry into the park to find your ideal picnic spot. With any grill, cleaning them before transporting them will lead to less mess. Things worth considering when it comes to size are where you’re going to use the grill, how many people you’re cooking for, and how you’ll get it there.
They’re small enough for a balcony or patch of grass outside your back door, plus you can pack them up for car camping and tailgating. And there are models are from major grill and home appliance brands, like Weber, Cuisinart, and Camp weber charcoal grill Chef, plus options across price points, from under $50 to upwards of $250 or more. The Weber Q 1200 is one of the highest-scoring in this category due to the adjustability of its control knob and a sound electronic ignition system.
You can control the grill via its digital dial, and while the model is compact, keep in mind it weighs a substantial 42 pounds. Most grills performed about as well as advertised, with some topping out at as much as 100 F hotter than others. The better grills also generally ended up reading out a more consistent temperature throughout cooking. This multifunctional charcoal grill doubles as a wood-burning fire pit, and it even features a small fan attachment to blow smoke out of your face for comfort. You can also use the lower fan setting to help get charcoal going or kindling lit and save yourself some excessive fanning and blowing. This is the best option on this list for transitioning from a barbecue dinner to a post-meal fire pit session.
We also had a few more flare-ups with the Grill2Go than with our other picks. We put all nine portable grills, gas and charcoal, through the same tests. We weber q loaded the grates with 6-ounce burger patties and assessed the evenness of the heat, the temperature control, the searing performance, and any flare-ups.
In our tests, the Weber Q 1200 topped the competition in grilling performance. Its heavy-duty cast-aluminum firebox was the best at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat, providing the most consistent grilling of all the portables we tested. The Q 1200’s design caused the fewest flare-ups of any model we tried, thanks to porcelain-coated cast-iron grates with built-in channels that helped keep grease and drippings away from the flames.
The Q 1200’s warranty covers most parts on the grill for five years. For those who love the taste of wood pellet grilled and smoked food, the Frontier Series Traveler Country Smokers Wood Pellet Grill is a must-have. The portable model works as both weber genesis 2 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.
Like the Traveler, the Weber Q2200 can also accommodate a full-size propane cylinder with an adapter. The push-button ignition is battery powered, which I actually found slightly easier to use. The Q1200 arrives mostly assembled—we were able to get it ready for testing in less than 10 minutes. Lighting it was easy thanks to its battery-powered electric ignition that’s a welcome upgrade over the less reliable piezo ignitions found on many portable gas grills. Smaller grills can manage with 8,000 BTUs , while larger models might need 20,000 BTUs per burner. As a guideline, consider that heat output should be between 80 and 100 BTUs per square inch of cooking surface.
A family event, comparing grills and eating good food in March in Drictor, Wydaho. All that now stands between you and mobile grilling is your final choice and a big pile of grillable grub. Crack that first tailgate can, ponder our comparative assessments, and pull the trigger on an excellent portable delicious-making machine. None of our choices are poor options and all can facilitate memorable dining experiences. We are proud of the work we’ve done to hash out all the options and honored to be a small part of your transient culinary journey. The Cuisinart All Foods Roll-Away scored the lowest in wind resistance.