The Traveler is not much easier or more difficult to clean than your standard gas grill. There’s a drip tray to catch the worst of it and you can easily remove the grill grates to clean the inside of the firebox or hull of the grill. The grates are best taken to the sink or a hose for rinsing. The heavy duty cast iron grate is designed to work in partnership with the single burner and funnels grease away from the burner towards the center of the grill.
I have a lot of experience with the Q Series grills and, while I am a big fan of the Q series, there are a few things that could be improved. In fact, when I was shopping for a new grill I took a hard look at this one at Costco but bought another Weber model instead. Please keep in mind that while the body of the grill will never rust, the grates and burner tubes will if you do not keep the grill properly cleaned between uses.
From there, it was simply a matter of checking the drip pan. In the weeks that I used it, the disposable tray only needed to be emptied once, and I simply lined it with heavy-duty aluminum foil as a makeshift tray. However, if you prefer the perfect fit of Weber’s disposable tin trays , you can get replacements for quite cheap. It just so happened that while I was testing the grill, my boyfriend had an off-site event at work.
The heavy-duty cast-iron grates have a tough porcelain coating. Contrary to many opinions, as long as you take the time to preheat appropriately, they will absorb and distribute heat evenly, weber charcoal grill resulting in delicious seared-in flavor. Apart from this, the grill comes with a long six-foot grounded cord to help you keep the grill at a distance from the power source for safety.
The grill is large enough to cook for 4-8 people, highly affordable and looks great. Bought it for camping, but use it at home all the time. Opted for the 20# tank hose, easier to use, less running to store to get more 1# bottles. The biggest complaint from negative reviews was about how hot the portable bbq grill was, and in some cases, how hot it wasn’t. I would guess that most of these people had regulator issues, and in many cases, could easily be solved by contacting Weber’s customer service center. After you have finished cooking for the day, let the grill cool off enough to handle the grates.
The regulator is integrated into the body and employs an infinite controller that is easily adjusted between clearly marked low, medium, and high settings. The body and the lid of 1000 is made of cast aluminum, making it durable as well as lightweight. The burner, on the other hand, is made from high-grade stainless steel, while the iron-cast cooking grates are coated with porcelain for additional protection. If this was not enough, Weber has reinforced nylon frame with glass, making this grill quite tough. The highlight of the Q 1200 is its porcelain-enameled cast iron cooking grates. This is the same material that is known as the signature of top-quality cookware like Le Creuset.