Charcoal is smokier than gas, a possible issue for smaller, fenced-in spaces. Food grilled over charcoal has that coveted backyard-grill smoky flavor. This larger version of our pick offers more cooking area and higher heat output. Maintaining any grill is a good way to make it last for many years. Thankfully, if you follow the right steps, cleaning the Char-Broil Performance 300 shouldn’t take much time.
The Q 1200’s small fold-out side tables are handy for keeping grill tools within reach, though we wouldn’t feel confident resting a large tray brimming with meat or other heavy things on them. The thermometer in the dome lid is nice, but it isn’t necessary other than for letting you know when the grill is hot and ready. The Char-Broil Grill2Go can handle up to six large burger patties at a time without crowding. Foods such as bone-in chicken pieces and thick steaks require surround heat to cook thoroughly. You have the added chore of snuffing out hot coals and emptying ashes after grilling.
Like the Weber models, this Char-Broil grill has a thick cast-aluminum body for even heat distribution. But unlike its Weber competitors, the Grill2Go is incapable of searing food beyond grill marks, because its perforated grate blocks a lot of ambient heat from the firebox. We also had a few more flare-ups with the Grill2Go than with our other picks.
Their capacity and their compact size aren’t ideal for cuts of meat that require slow or indirect cooking, such as roasts or pork shoulder. Its ample cooking space makes this grill attractive for larger cookouts, where you’re trying to grill for twenty or thirty people at once. Its temperature gauge is located on top of the hood, so we couldn’t easily see the temperature without getting closer and looking directly down at the gauge. Second, the hood has a stainless steel handle that gets searingly hot when grabbed near the curvature close to the lid.
At this time of year, most of us are longing for those summer days when we can be outside with our loved ones enjoying a cookout and some delicious grilled food. But, if it’s time to spruce Blackstone Adventure up your outdoor space, you will likely want to start by knowing more about the best gas grills. After all, those burgers, wings, and dogs aren’t going to cook themselves next summer.
In our tests, the Jumbo Joe produced the best seared burgers, barbecued chicken, and grilled bratwurst. The two adjustable vents, in the lid and firebox, allowed the quickest and easiest temperature control of all the grills we tested. Even after loading the Jumbo Joe with a full chimney starter’s worth of red-hot embers , we could still tamp down the temperature to medium heat.
Assembly requires some tools, and the package does come with them. You’ll need an adjustable wrench, a screwdriver, and a 7/16″ combination wrench to put this grill together. It does come with a labeled blister pack of hardware, which makes it easy to stay organized. Gene Gerrard was recently voted as one of the top five personal chefs in Los Angeles.
Preventing grease and fire contact is especially important since the cooking grates on portable gas grills sit very close to the heating element (usually a 1- to 1½-inch clearance). Steel inserts that sit over the flame ports can help, as can a weber spirit 2 cleverly designed grilling grate that channels grease away from the fire. “Performance” is one of the series of Char-boil, but What does “300” mean? Having 300 square inches of primary cooking space, which is why it’s called “Performance 300”.