The 6 Best Portable Grills of 2023 Tested by GearLab

The burner design on the Coleman Roadtrip 285 distributes heat very evenly, even in strong winds. In addition to the grill BTU rating specs, we used an infrared thermometer to track temperature increases portable bbq over time. This grill proved its portable capability, performing nearly anywhere on any surface. Though slightly lacking on space, this grill has ample power to cook up any meal you can dream up.

The new design, the Lodge Cast Iron Sportsman’s Pro Grill, maintains the all-cast-iron build, but it features a new manual sliding ventilation mechanism. We haven’t tested this new version, but in her experience with the previous Lodge, Lesley found that the hibachi-style grill excelled at high-heat searing, making it ideal for steaks. Since the whole grill was cast iron, it held an intense amount of heat. But the lidless design limited its ability to tackle slow-cooking tasks. Grill up your favorite foods when you’re away from home with a Weber portable grill. From Weber camping grills to tabletop grills, shop a variety of grill sizes and styles to find your perfect portable gas grill at Ace Hardware today.

An example of a built-in feature might be hooks for hanging grilling tools, keeping tongs and a spatula within easy reach. You can read more about how we evaluate portable grills in our Lab and consumer tests — plus everything you need to know to shop for your perfect grill — at the end of this guide. Check out our guide to best grilling accessories and how to clean your grill to get it ready for grilling.

Not everyone can have a charcoal grill, and for them, this is a great second choice. Easy, convenient and efficient grilling without the hassle of gas or charcoal. Enjoy a traditional grilling experience complete with smoky, chargrilled flavor.

Like the Q above, Weber’s Traveler uses a single burner that wraps around the entire bottom of the grill. That’s covered by a two-piece cast iron grill grate that’s solid where it runs over the burner, which acts as a heat diffuser and keeps the burner from getting covered in grease. Speaking of grease, it has a slide-out grease trap that’s easy to empty. It also has a built-in thermometer that’s reasonably accurate, but I still suggest getting a separate instant-read thermometer.

It’s just as capable as a full-size kettle at searing and grilling food to perfection. We liked the consistent heating and thoughtful features on the Q1200. At 189 square inches, the Q1200’s cooking surface isn’t the largest, but it is certainly above average. Weber has a reputation for building grills that gracefully blend cooking performance and reliability, and weber q that tradition is rolled into a portable package with the impressive Weber Q 1200. Simply put, this model let us grill with more precision, predictability, and control than most of the other models we bought and tested. Cast-aluminum fireboxes are durable, corrosion resistant, and excellent at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat, so you have fewer hotspots.

In our tests, this grill quickly cooked a steak and four chicken thighs, all of which were juicy and tender. You can probably find charcoal en route to your destination, while propane might take slightly longer to locate. Electric grills don’t require you to make space for a heavy bag of charcoal, but you’re not likely to find an electric outlet at the beach. You can easily grill up your favorite foods while camping using the Coleman Gas Camping Stove, which has a number of useful features. This grill uses TRU-Infrared technology to prevent flare-ups and provide even cooking every time.

portable bbq

The Cuisinart’s legs don’t spread as widely as the legs on other kettle grills, giving it an unstable feel. Because of the grill’s small leg footprint and light weight, users should be cautious while flipping burgers and encountering subsequent resistance; we feared the grill might overturn. The Davy Crockett is a smart smoker, connecting to an app that allowed us to monitor the meat’s temperature, access pre-programmed cooking profiles, and control the grill temperature from afar. While the app was certainly useful for monitoring cooking, we had to reconnect it to the grill every time the smartphone went to sleep, which made it useless for receiving alerts. At one point, it simply refused to connect at all, forcing us to abandon the app controls.