Weber doesn’t make a grill cover for the Jumbo Joe, but a contractor garbage bag or a woven poly tarp should do the trick if you want an extra barrier from the elements. And since the spacious firebox fits a full chimney starter’s worth of coals, you can get two or three rounds of grilling per load. And in general Weber’s grills have a great reputation for performance and longevity.
Grills with side table attachments, stands, and other prep areas ended up ranking higher in our tests, as we rated grills for their overall design. When cooking outside, a clean, workable surface makes prepping convenient and efficient. The tiny Cuisinart CGG-180T Petite Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill suffered major flare-ups when cooking burgers and turned into a raging grease fire weber charcoal grill when cooking chicken pieces. Everything we cooked on this grill had a dark, sooty film and tasted like torched fat. Though some things are inherently inconvenient about a charcoal-fueled portable grill, the Jumbo Joe has some design features that make it easier to travel with. The push-button ignition and clearly marked heat-control dial make the Q 1200 easy to start and regulate.
This simple construction is what makes them budget friendly and lighter weight. And with proper care, a charcoal grill should still last for many years. Smaller grills in the 100- to 150-square-inch range are suitable for one or two people, maybe three in a stretch. One of the only problems encountered was correctly positioning the grates. Still, we found it heated quickly and was ready to cook in 10 minutes after adding lit charcoal from a chimney, while side vents gave us greater control over lower-temperature cooking.
Weber covers more parts on its gas grills for five years and nothing for less than two years, but those grills also cost significantly more. The larger Q 2200 is a great choice for car camping and tailgating, or even for folks with very limited outdoor space that won’t accommodate a full-size grill. But it weighs 40 pounds and is quite bulky for one person to carry—we wouldn’t want to lug it very far on foot. When the side tables are tucked inside the grill for transport, the Q 1200 is about the size of a small carry-on suitcase.
Cooking tests showed good caramelization and even cooking of meats and vegetables, with the heat concentrated at the center of the grill. In our tests, the Jumbo Joe charcoal grill made the best seared burgers, barbecued chicken, and grilled bratwurst. Plus, cooking with charcoal gives your food that smoky flavor that you can’t get from a gas flame. The Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18″ is the only weber portable grill charcoal portable we tried that can sear and cook foods about as well as a full-size backyard grill. It’s a good choice if you like cooking with charcoal or don’t want to spend a lot, but it’s less convenient than gas, especially when you’re on the go. The Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 Portable Gas Grill is a solid compact grill for remote cookouts because it’s rugged, lightweight, and easy to carry.
The stand is easy to operate, with clear indicators for raising and lowering it. Since the base is included, you won’t need to hunt for a safe cooking surface or crouch down to flip burgers, but it requires a little more storage space and room in your trunk. If you’re looking for a bigger portable grill, the Weber Q 2200 Gas Grill has the same features, performance, and build as our pick, but with almost 50% more grilling capacity. It can fit up to 10 large burger patties, two cut-up chickens, or 16 large bratwurst links at a time. They’re commonly constructed from thin porcelainized steel with thin wire-rod grilling grates.
The Weber Q 1200 is flare-up resistant and excellent at maintaining consistent heat. It’s constructed from quality materials, has some nice extra features, and is reasonably comfortable to carry (although heavy). Grilling with charcoal does have some downsides that make it less convenient, especially with a portable grill. Briquettes are bulky and messy, staining anything they touch with soot and ash. Plus you have the added chore of snuffing out hot coals and emptying ashes after grilling.
For the purpose of this review, we’ll be discussing gas grills exclusively, although we did review portable charcoal grills here. The grill runs a little hotter with the lid down than the temperature indicated on the built-in thermometer, and there were minimal flare-ups in cooking. Cleanup is easy; using a grill brush on the grates and wiping down the inside of the lid to prevent grease buildup did the job.