We had it together and loaded with hickory hardwood pellets in about 30 minutes. As a standard grill, the Davy Crockett easily reaches the temperatures required for searing a crust on our hamburger patty. That high heat coupled with the flavor the hickory pellets infused into the food resulted in a juicy and very flavorful hamburger patty.
I wanted to love this model because the concept is great but it does have some flaws. For one, it feels a little bit cheap and I read in several reviews that it can rust and peel over time. Also, the grill grates are made of thin stainless steel whereas I would have preferred nonstick ceramic or iron.
Since the Grill2Go comes almost completely assembled, setup was easy. Its box shape, large handles, and manageable weight make it easy to move into position on a tabletop, and it fit easily into the trunk of our vehicle. We also liked the clips that hold the lid securely closed for transport. While the Davy Crockett is a very capable grill, it really shines as a smoker. Over eight hours, it never deviated from the set temp more than a few degrees, even when smoking at temperatures as low as 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
This superior grate is one of the big differences between the Q 1200 and our runner-up pick, the Char-Broil Grill2Go, whose perforated stainless-steel grate produced mostly lackluster browning. If you have the space for something bigger, check out our guide to full-size charcoal grills. For more backyard-grilling options, check out our guide to full-size gas grills. In general, a charcoal grill and bags of briquets cost less than a gas grill and propane canisters. Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce Eats who’s an expert on all things grilling. She’s personally tested several grills and smokers, including our top pick for a portable grill, the Weber Q2200 Liquid Propane Grill, and the splurge-worthy HitchFire Forge 15.
One thing to love about this model, however, is the damper adjustments that allow you to control airflow and, in turn, the heat for more precise grilling. The Akorn Jr. charcoal grill got hotter than any other grill I tested, which is not surprising since charcoal grills often do. The shape and style weber genesis 2 of this grill make it very good for heat retention, heat distribution and evenness of grilling. While slow-cooking on the Takibi would be challenging, you can at least adjust the grill height to control temperature. But, crucially, the GoBQ also performed quite well during the cooking tests.
It made great steak quickly and nicely browned chicken thighs in under 20 minutes with no noticeable flareups. Grease drips into a disposable drip pan, which makes cleanup easy. The lid, cook box and cast iron grates are all porcelain enameled for added non-stickability, easier cleanup and good heat retention.
For the most part, the scoring of the heat output follows manufacturer claims, but we made some exceptions based on our observations. For instance, while the Weber Q 1200 only claims 8,500 BTUs, in practice it operates at hotter temperatures and maintains that heat over a larger cook surface compared to other similar models. The infrared-cooking capability of the Solaire Everywhere puts out 14,000 BTUs, and confidently sears a steak faster than anything else.
We set the burner on low for the 100 percent beef burgers we grilled, flipped them once, and then turned up the heat to imprint sear lines from the cast-iron grate. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a portable grill that’s easier to tote around town than the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill. The top-rated design weighs 13.5 pounds and features push-start ignition as well as porcelain-enameled grates specifically designed to combat flare-ups while grilling. Each Go-Anywhere grill also features a glossy porcelain-enamel lid and bowl to ensure durability on all your adventures. Time Magazine called the COBB grill one of the best inventions of the year. Our ranking of heat output also considered each manufacturer’s BTU reporting, grill surface area, and lid sealing and construction.