This larger version of our pick offers more cooking area and higher heat output. This could be a good starter grill for someone who wants to try grilling but doesn’t want to make a large commitment to the endeavor. Its biggest drawbacks are wobbly legs, even when ensuring that the attachment hardware is fully tightened, and visible air gaps in the lid that limit the ability to control the temperature.
If you’re interested in a tabletop grill—one with shorter legs that can be setup on a picnic table or bench—you can’t do better than the Weber Q1200 Gas Grill. Its strong, intense flame combined with cast iron grates produced one the best sears in our test, although it’s heavier than other models we tested, and slightly awkward to carry. It packs up tidily into a large lunchbox shape, and comes with a sturdy carrying strap.
The Nomad ships with a single grate, giving you 212 square inches of cooking space, slightly less than the Jumbo Joe above. I managed to smoke nine chicken breasts, and another time I fit two racks of ribs. If you need to grill for a crowd, pick up the second grill grate for $128, but even without it I never felt cramped while cooking for five (two adults, three ravenous children).
It’s small and compact, which makes it quite portable, yet sturdy and powerful for good, fast cooks. We’ve tested both this model and the larger stand-up model with shelves, and were impressed with the sear marks we got on chicken, steak, burgers and hot dogs. Like most of Weber’s Grills Portable Grills grills, the Q1200 has a disposable drip tray below the grill, which makes clean-up much easier than some portable grills with drip trays that need to be washed out periodically. We especially liked that the shelves that were big enough to hold tools, plates and cutting boards.
This configuration is specifically designed so that the heat zones overlap. The result is top-notch control coupled with incredibly even heat distribution. The Roadtrip 285’s instructions are clearly written and all tools required for assembly are included, making this model a breeze to put together. It’s easy to convert between travel and cooking mode, and the large wheels and long handle make it our favorite wheeled model to move around. In our tests, the Grill2Go X200 produced intense heat that was ideal for searing steaks but had us battling some flare-ups when cooking chicken pieces.
Overall, we loved how easy this grill was to set up, cook with, and clean up afterwards. This may not be the grill you hit the trails with, but it might be the grill you bring to the next car camping trip. However, this isn’t to say that this is too small of a grill, considering how it can hold six burger patties. But when you’re ready to pack up at the end of the meal (or the mid-summer camping trip), just fold up the steel-plated legs, slide the camping grill into the trunk of your car, and head back to town. The rectangular shape had no adverse effect on cook time, heat dispersion, or quality of sear, either, when compared to circular models.
Speaking as a firefighter here, safety should be high on your list of considerations. Will you be in a wilderness area with LNT requirements, or based in your own backyard? Will you be using the grill near your house, or in an area full over overgrown brush, or on a sandy bank? Wherever you are, make sure you have fire-suppressing safety measures in place — whether that be extra water, a pailful of sand and a shovel, or a fire extinguisher. Portability is crucial and foremost on our list of considerations since we want a grill we can easily take with us to our favorite adventure spots. The Biolite Campstove 2 comes with a light that runs off the pellet stove (no electricity or batteries needed).
If you can’t, and you left your lighter fluid at home, gather dry pine needles, extra napkins from your center console, or even leftover dryer sheets to get your charcoal grill going. Most propane grills will have an ignition button installed for easy lighting. If, however, that is not included or that button fails, here’s how to light your propane grill by hand. The BBQ Depot has an excellent guide to cleaning different grills and grill parts, as does Popular Mechanics. Grab some grease-cutting dish soap, warm water, and a grill brush, and start scrubbing. (Except with cast iron, keep soap away from cast iron at all costs. Here’s how to clean cast iron.) Check your manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning products and advice.