We also had a few more flare-ups with the Grill2Go than with our other picks. Of all the portable propane grills we tested, the Weber Q 1200 grilled foods the most consistently, with a cast-aluminum firebox that evenly held and reflected heat throughout. It had the fewest hotspots of all the weber q grills we tried, due in large part to the U-shaped burner, which evenly heated the grate. While the high heat setting perfectly seared burgers without burning, the Q 1200 also outperformed the competition at steady medium-low heat for items such as bone-in chicken and large sausage links.
And the single-tube 8,500 Btu burner runs along three edges for better heat distribution, so all of that space is usable. More space between the coal bed and the grilling grate lessens your chances weber genesis 2 of ending up with charred food. The extra room also allows for more coals, so you have the option of longer cooking time. You can also create hot and cold spots for searing and indirect cooking.
The charcoal bin is pretty deep, letting you stack a significant amount of the fuel to reach pretty high temperatures for a portable grill. A vent at the bottom of the grill further helps you to control the temperature of the cooking space. It’s extraordinarily easy to carry thanks to its three separate handles and light 14-pound design. We’ve tested a range of grills capable of packing up and grilling hot dogs, burgers and much more at the campground, park, or tailgate. The tiny Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill suffered major flare-ups when cooking burgers, and turned into a raging grease fire when cooking chicken pieces.
You don’t get this uncompromising high-heat cooking performance without some drawbacks. First, the grill top is small, with space for only one or two steaks on it at a time. Finally — and this is the most significant issue — the low-heat performance is virtually nonexistent. The heat options are adjustable, but they would best be described as “High” to “Extremely High.” Further, the lid is only for portability; you cannot close it while cooking.
Controlling the temperature in a charcoal grill is all about vent placement, since you can’t turn coal heat down. But vents are also important for the airflow required to keep your coals lit. We found that a vent in the top of the lid and another in the belly of the firebox created the best air circulation.