The Cuisinart CCG-100 GrateLifter Charcoal Grill has a convertible cooking grate that lifts when you open the lid for easier access to the coal bed. Levers on the sides of the grill adjust to keep the grate in the up or down position. During our tests, one side of the grate would get stuck in a different position than the other about a third of the time, forcing us to wrestle with hot metal. While the grill is hot, scrape the debris and stuck-on food from the hot grates with a wire grill brush. We prefer to do this when the grill is preheating and the embers are their hottest. Wipe the grates with a wet rag to remove the soot, and then brush them with vegetable oil.
Portable kamado grills are gaining popularity, but we think their 12- to 14-inch grilling surfaces are too small to justify the high price. We didn’t focus heavily on hibachis because they’re lidless, primarily for high-heat grilling, and limited in performance. Looking for the right balance of heating weber charcoal grill power and portability in a grill? The maximum heat output is 11,000 BTUs and it is spread over a generous cooking area of 225 square inches. I have to say that this is a grill that is both easy to assemble and set up. The integrated stand comes with two wheels, so moving it around is not a problem.
The wood pellet grill can get up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and in addition to its main grilling area, it also has a removable upper rack. You can control the grill via its digital dial, and while the model is compact, keep in mind it weighs a substantial 42 pounds. Among the charcoal models, the Weber Go-Anywhere scores top marks for control. Thanks to a relatively deep basin, we were able to build and stoke a substantial volume of coals to achieve the exact heat we desired.
And vegetables on each to see how the portable grills performed in their most critical of duties. It’s also worth noting that you’ll be getting more of a broiled result versus a traditional grill since there is no actual flame so don’t expect char marks on your oblong burgers. There are a few sizes, including this mid-size GoSun Goand the larger GoSun Survival if you’re planning on cooking for a group.
However, once it reached the desired temperature, we were very impressed by how even and steady the temperature remained. The flame from the pellet fire heats a large plate that simultaneously distributes heat and directs grease to the grease bucket. There’s no need to worry about having to add coals or switch out propane canisters with the Camp Chef Portable Pellet – you can simply top the pellet hopper off while the grill is in operation.
This grill can be set from “low smoke” to “high smoke”, and for temperatures ranging up to 550 degrees. The George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor 15+ may offer a huge grilling surface, but can only be operated on a single heat-setting. Notice that while the onions were just beginning to nicely char, our burgers were over-browning to a crisp. Higher BTUs produce more heat, but it is challenging to determine the heat output from the BTU rating alone. Grill size, construction materials, and design all contribute to how much heat will be produced on the actual grilling surface. U-shaped burners, as found on the Weber Q 1200, are the design of choice to efficiently deliver heat across the extent of a grill surface.
In addition, we promptly dismissed gas grills equipped with a coupling for a 20-pound propane cylinder. We prefer 1-pound liquid-propane tanks because they’re small and lightweight enough to stash in a backpack or tote bag. Portable gas grills come equipped with a coupling that fits 1-pound liquid-propane canisters . These mini propane cylinders are lightweight and packable, and they’re available at most hardware stores. While setting them up, make sure that there are no structures or even tree branches around the area. In addition to performance, we test ease of use and score each grills on the types of features they have like shelves, storage space, amount of wheels, etc.
Everything but the grill grate on the GoBQ is made of flame-retardant fabric, and the whole thing weighs nine pounds and packs easily into something about the size of a knife roll. Great quality product, I’ve been cooking on it ever since we got it. If you have the space for something bigger, check out our guide to full-size weber genesis 2 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. If you have enough space for a full-size grill, you’ll probably be happier with one of our full-size gas or charcoal picks.
Our team found that this is plenty enough room to cook for a good-sized backyard BBQ or backcountry base camp. Smaller charcoal grills like the Weber Smokey Joe 14 can run out of heat if you don’t time your cooking just right. The Coleman Roadtrip 285 tops the list of our favorite propane models when it comes to grill control and temperature regulation. There are three dials that control the different zones, but all of those heat zones overlap.