If you already live in paradise, then you probably want to grill your meal in peace and tranquility as far away as you can from those annoying tourists. If you ARE an annoying tourist, follow that local who’s trying to get away from you and chances are you’ll find an amazing spot with a spectacular view. If you live in California, you may also be able to bring in 1-pound canisters for free refills or exchange empty canisters for full ones.
But some portable gas grills come with handy removable drip trays, which collect grease and are easy to remove, wipe out, and wash clean. Some portable grills have dishwasher-safe components, although all we weber q tested can be wiped down with a damp cloth, scrub brush, or even hosed down. This grill offers 218 square inches of cooking space, and its heavy-duty cast iron grates produce a beautiful sear on any food.
This is the grill that I still have and use time after time, mostly because it looks so cute on my kitchen shelf when not in use, and it is so convenient. It gets full points from me for portability, and even more for its stylish design weber q and colorways. I managed to squeeze up to six small burgers on this grill.I was skeptical about this grill as it doesn’t have a lid that you can use while cooking. So, it’s one for just cooking small pieces of meat and veggies, too.
We tried it out at home and on the road to grill hot dogs, steaks, and veggies and were impressed with the final results each time. The Weber Q 1200 is another solid model in this category due to the adjustability of its control knob and a sound electronic ignition system. We appreciate the naturally non-stick porcelain-enameled grilling surface and that the cast iron grates distribute a consistent temperature across the entire cook surface. Although this portable powerhouse reaches top temperatures with ease, it is more difficult to learn how to harness the heat of the grill surface for foods that require more low-and-slow cooking. If portability is paramount to your decision, the Cuisinart Grillster is about half the size and weight of this grill, features a lid latch, and still packs a punch in terms of output power.
Lastly, the Camp Chef Portable Pellet is very heavy compared to the majority of portable grills we tested. Although the wheels are helpful, it’s not super fun to drag this grill very far from your vehicle – other top options like the Weber Traveler are much more portable. Despite that, we loved cooking with the Camp Chef Portable Pellet grill – it is the perfect addition to an RV setup.
While slow-cooking on the Takibi would be challenging, you can at least adjust the grill height to control temperature. My only real complaint is that without a lid you can’t smother your remaining charcoal and reuse it, but in most cases when the food is done I load up the Takibi with firewood portable bbq and enjoy it as a fire pit. The Cuisinart Venture, with its picnic basket appearance, is a good entry-level grill for the uninitiated and a value model for more experienced grillers. It’s a model intended for direct-heat cooking, as there’s no lid to control humidity for “low and slow” cooking.
This charcoal grill did take a little longer to heat up than other models, but it still did a great job cooking a variety of food during testing. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a lid that you can use while cooking, but it still exceeded expectations in terms of performance. Plus, the grill was very easy to clean out after use, and its stay-cool handles and light weight made it easy to move around. To help you find the best portable charcoal grills for entertaining, tailgating, camping, and more, we tested 14 of the most popular options. After grilling up all sorts of food, we evaluated each model on its design, ease of use, performance, and more.
If you like the idea of grilling large hunks of meat on one shelf while roasting veggies on the other, this is the grill for you. The Cuisinart gas grill is definitely lighter and a bit more portable than the Weber. It also feels slightly less sturdy while grilling, but is not flimsy by any means.
Both Weber gas grills I tested were effective and easy to cook on, but the nod goes to the Traveler here for its passionate embrace of portability. When folded up, the legs become a handle that you can pull behind you as if you’re walking with a nice roller bag. The legs on one side of the grill become a sort of handle when the grill is folded up; you can walk with it, kind of as if you’re pulling a nice roller bag.