The terms grilling and barbecue are often used interchangeably, which is fine, but if you get serious about cooking over flame you’ll want to learn the distinction. Grilling usually means cooking directly over high heat, while barbecue typically refers to cooking over indirect heat for longer periods of time. To test this I marinated some chicken in lemon juice and olive oil and laid it on the grills. Every grill flared somewhat, but the Q have heavy enameled cast-iron grates that are closed over the burners, which helps keep the flaring under control. It’s a little-known secret that the built-in thermometers on most grills don’t work well, so I used a standard kitchen thermometer to see how hot things got and how well they held that heat.
Surely you’ve seen — and possibly owned — one of these little guys in the past. The Weber Smokey Joe is a staple at park cookouts and on camping trips and that’s for good reason. It can get surprisingly hot, pumping weber charcoal grill out 20,000 BTUs so you will have to watch the heat. The Weber Traveler Gas Grill has a single, right-side shelf that is large enough to do some prep work or house a tray while adding/removing food from the grill.
The Cuisinart Petite Gourmet and Eureka Gonzo Grill are very similar in size and weight. The Petite Gourmet has an elongated burner beneath a rectangular grate, while the Gonzo Grill has a round burner beneath a round grate. For a given temperature setting on each, the Gonzo grill top presents a more uniform temperature than the Petite Gourmet. You have more options to move your food around to different portable bbq temperature zones on the rectangular grates, but you have greater uniformity of cooking conditions across the top of the Gonzo. Gas grills are extremely convenient, as they’re easy to start, heat up quickly, and hold a steady temperature. From lightweight grills that are ideal for camping to larger models perfect for a tailgate, we list our picks for the best portable grills to help you decide.
Setting the grill bridge about four inches up worked nicely for us, with our burgers right over the coals. Chicken on the bone needs to be set a little higher to be sure it cooks evenly. With the Takibi, once the cooking is done, remove the grill bridge, throw on some more wood, and you’ve already got your campfire going. Just how compact does the grill need to be and how lightweight?
This is certainly something to consider if you’re looking to average out the cost over its expected lifetime. Reviewers also appreciate the fact that the portable barbecue suitcase grill is easy to clean and is great to whip up a quick dinner for two. The grill also comes with a convenient mess-free ash catcher, and it locks and closes securely for safe transport.