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 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. We started by loading the grates of each with 6-ounce burger patties (without crowding, of course) and assessed the evenness of the heat, the temperature control, the searing performance, and any flare-ups.
The Jumbo Joe got the pick for best charcoal grill in our guide to the best tailgate grills. With a name like “Jumbo Joe” at first glance this doesn’t exactly scream portable grill. While many of these grills are designed for grilling, we’ve also looked at if you can smoke on them as well. The Pro Series grill makes it simple to achieve incredible wood-fired flavor. Set-It & Forget-It® ease and precise temperature control help you create unforgettable meals. All-natural hardwood pellets don’t just fuel the fire—they’re the secret ingredient.
A vent at the bottom of the grill further helps you to control the temperature of the cooking space. The cooking grate is 240 in.², too, so there’s plenty of space for food, and the grates are made from coated porcelain. Kamado style grills promote even heating across their cooking surfaces, and this model is no exception. We’ve tested a range of grills capable of packing up and grilling hot dogs, burgers and much more at the campground, park, or tailgate. Loaded with upgraded features, it’s built to deliver superior flavor every time. Your mileage may vary depending on what you cook, but you shouldn’t notice a huge difference between a portable and a full-size grill if you’re just cooking the basics for a few people.
We wish the charcoal grate were closer to the grill grate itself — the grill does cook food as is, just not at high temperatures. Overall, the grill gets the job done, and you can’t beat its Charcoal Grills Combo Grills light weight and low price. The Weber Jumbo Joe is our pick for the best portable charcoal grill for most people thanks to its affordable price, capable size, and lid-locking feature.
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. It’s not as good as our Weber picks at searing food, but it heats evenly and is easy to use. Then we grilled bone-in chicken to test for flare-ups and how well the gas and charcoal grills could sustain a medium-low cooking temperature over 45 minutes.
When we surveyed over 1,000 Wirecutter readers about their grills, a large majority said they owned a Weber. And of those Weber owners, 69% said they were extremely satisfied with their grill. Finally, we enlisted fresh bratwurst links to gauge each grill’s ability to handle a grate full of fatty meat. Not everyone has a yard, and it’s increasingly common for apartments to ban open flame grills on balconies. Fans have added thermometers, fastened knobs to make it easier to open and close vents, attached hanging ashcans, and come up with creative ways to cook taller items, like beer-can chicken.
If your grill doesn’t come with a grill case, consider purchasing one (or a grill cover for in-between). The Cuisinart Chef has two burners that can heat at different temperatures, allowing you to cook steak and vegetables at the same time. You can cook up all sorts of tasty food before the big game with the Expert Grill Premium Portable Charcoal Grill. The Flat Top Grills Gas Grills Pellet one major downside of the PKGO is that it’s quite heavy, weighing almost 40 pounds. It’s definitely not the type of grill you’ll want to carry out to a remote campsite, but you can’t beat it for tailgating or grilling by the beach. If you want to really get into this age-old debate, we have a full guide to the differences between charcoal and gas grills.
For searing the honeycomb-shaped cast iron cooking grates produce fantastic sear marks. Whether you’re headed camping or to a tailgate, or grilling out in your backyard, our portable grills have you covered. In our tests, steak and chicken cooked quickly and got nice char marks without any flare-ups. Ash falls through the coal holder holes onto the bottom of the grill for a neat grilling experience, and the stainless grill grate is small and easy to wash in your sink once you get home.
The infrared burner of the Solaire Everywhere heats the entire grill surface to about the same temperature. This is good for cooking lots of one type of food, but not so good if you’re hoping to cook different foods at different rates. The value of your portable grill depends on your cooking needs and your intended usage.
It’s also a champ at keeping a constant, even heat in pretty much any weather conditions. A storm blew in one afternoon, but it just kept on cooking despite the high wind and rain. Thanks to its dual-vent system (one at the bottom, one Flat Top Grills Gas Grills Pellet at the top), you get the same fine-grained level of temperature control you’ll find in Weber’s full-size kettles. If it’s hard to move, it isn’t actually a portable grill; it’s just a grill that’s smaller than you’d like it to be.