8 Best Portable Grills to Buy in 2023

You should clean your portable grill the same way you would clean a full-size gas grill. Once you’re finished cooking, allow the grill to cool down slightly, then brush grease and food pieces off the grates with a damp grill brush. You may also need to wipe down the interior of the grill and empty or dispose of the grease tray at the bottom. In testing, we were most impressed with the cast-iron grate, which didn’t stick at all to fish or steak, and features a unique wave shape to keep items from falling through the gaps. With the lid shut, it was able to reach well over 600 degrees (albeit with 10 minutes of preheating), and the control dials are actually effective and reasonably accurate at adjusting the flames.

portable bbq

And worth noting you’ll also want two small propane tanks to get the whole grill lit. There’s also an adapter sold separately to rig it up to a full-sized tank if you prefer. Grill yourself silly no matter where summer takes you with a high-performance and highly portable grill. Folds down to 17% of it’s volume, unfolds to become a complete grilling system WITH a lid. The GoBQ grill is the best gift you can give a foodie camper who loves all things grilled outdoors. It’s ideal for social distancing when you want to “Grill Away From it All” far from crowds.

The standalone stove is quite large, but features collapsible legs and two fold-out prep tables, so it packs down to a stowable 36 x 15 x 10 inches that tucks easily into your car’s trunk. With the attachments and propane tank, we’re talking about a lot of gear, but you have a portable kitchen at your disposal, so it’s great to have for long camping excursions. The GoBQ grill is a great option for traveling, weber charcoal grill tailgating, or even for folks with small apartments, given its ease of packing, stowing, and carrying. We loaded the firebox with charcoal from The Good Charcoal Company, which was a consistent medium size and perfect for the small, 1.5-pound-capacity firebox. We lit the charcoal with a torch for about 60 seconds, turned the fan to medium, closed the firebox, and in 15 minutes we were grilling burgers.

The entire thing is made of durable steel, so it should last for quite some time against the heat and wear and tear many cookouts will bring upon it. However, this material isn’t very rust resistance on its own, so be sure to store the charcoal grill properly to extend its lifespan. Kamado style grills promote even heating across their cooking surfaces, and this model is no exception. While the PKTX is advertised as a portable grill, it’s so good you’ll want to use it as your primary charcoal grill at home.

This will let you get used to the short space between the charcoal and grates. The corners of rectangular grills have a tendency to collect ash and other residue, so you’ll probably have to spend a little more time than you like thoroughly cleaning this grill after each use. Carrying this grill to various different cookout sites is easier than ever thanks to the Tuck-N-Carry lid lock. With a name like “Jumbo Joe” at first glance this doesn’t exactly scream portable grill. Our team of barbecue experts has put these grills to the test to see how well they perform, and how portable they really are.

You’ll need to safely dispose of grease and wipe down the grill grates to avoid any mishaps (yes, dirty grills and grease traps can attract bears). Make sure to have the proper grill brush for your grates, since warm grates are easier to clean. If you’re going to be carrying your grill with you, take into account how easy it is to pack up.

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It’s great for cooking multiple burgers the same way, for this reason. We were impressed with the high-heat grilling performance of the Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Grill. But when the firebox got hot, the side vents that regulated airflow stuck in place, rendering us powerless when it came to heat control—critical for slow-cooking things like chicken and sausages. With 189 square inches of grilling area (17 by 12½ inches), the Weber Q 1200 has enough space to grill a full dinner for two or the main course for a small gathering. We found that this Weber model is capable of grilling six large burger patties, a whole cut-up chicken, or 10 bratwurst links at a time.

Finally, we should note that, at 40 pounds, this grill is more suited to car camping or picnicking, where it’s only a short walk to where you’ll be cooking. We found the Traveler “intuitive and approachable,” as one tester put it, to assemble, light, and use. With a similar burner and grate design to the Q 1200 but a larger cooking area and an upgrade to 13,000 BTUs, the Traveler is more suited to family-size groups than the former.