You also have the choice between the colors white and red for the lid. This Weber grill model has been and still is a very popular model. The 2 stainless steel burners weber charcoal grill make it very easy to use for many temperature settings. They had genuine barbecue flavour – and without the extra faff that charcoal and gas brings to the table.
The Weber BBQ grill has the option to use a smoke box for extra smoke flavor just like most grills. This means that the flame can be controlled from low to high without any steps but in any stand. There is a different knob for both of the burners to adjust the temperature from low for a kind of slow cooking to high for searing a steak. If you lower the side tables you can use the smaller standard 6553 model grill cover. This Weber gas grill is available in propane gas and a natural gas edition.
That whole grate has just a single burner to heat it up, but it was able to reach 660 degrees in testing, hot enough to get a good sear on larger pieces of meat. The unit is designed to use camping-style 1-pound propane tanks, but it does include an adapter hose to accommodate the standard 20-pound cylinders, too. It would be difficult to get a full-size grill to work comfortably in these scenarios, but luckily, there are plenty of portable electric, charcoal, and gas grills available. The options run the gamut from lightweight grills that are ideal for camping dinners to larger models perfect for a tailgate. Of course, you’ll want to decide on a fuel type and think about where exactly you will be toting the grill before making your purchase.
A 1-pound propane canister will average about one to one-and-a-half hours of cooking. It’s less common for portable grills to use charcoal as fuel, but this one can deliver that distinctive flavor in an easy-to-transport format. The Masterbuilt’s cart folds flat and has an extendable handle so you can roll it around like a wheeled suitcase, and then when it’s set up in cooking position, it can lift and roll but also sits firmly.
Shopping for a new grill can be challenging, especially if you’re budget-conscious and have a ceiling on your spending. Yet, you can still find an excellent grill for $300 or less if you prioritize function over special features. Higher-priced models come with bells and whistles that you may not need. You’re also paying for their thick construction, which retains heat for hours. While the thinner construction of lower-priced grills means less heat retention, the best of them make up for it with enough heat to achieve good sears and defined grill marks. We spent more than a month testing 23 gas grills ranging in price, and three under $300 met our criteria.
For this list, we selected the top-performing grills under $300. Starting with assembly, we rated the difficulty of assembly and the clarity of the instructions on a scale of one to five. We then judged the sturdiness, evenness of heat distribution, and overall subjective impression on the same scale. Aside from the aforementioned grates, the Lumin Compact ships with two stainless steel trays – one for containing water for steaming or wood chips for smoking, the other for placing the ingredients.
We do not just look at the high ratings, but start at the lower ones to see if we can find negative points that come back more often. The Spruce Eats Editor Siobhan Wallace compiled testing data from our official Lab as well as insights from our home testers’ full product reviews to update this roundup. 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. 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.
However, if you want to smoke, grill, and bake outdoors, this ceramic cooker is a strong choice. My only complaint about the Venture is that the grease tray is small and therefore prone to spilling if you aren’t careful when you slide it out. Despite that, this is a clever, fun, well-designed grill that’s perfect for searing on the go. Not everyone has a yard, and it’s increasingly common for apartments to ban open flame grills on balconies.
Keep in mind that this is a little different than normal grilling, since it cooks from the top and bottom, which means your food cooks faster. This will ensure that your food doesn’t stick to the grill plates. Thanks to its dual-vent system (one at the bottom, one at the top), you get the same fine-grained level of temperature control you’ll find in Weber’s full-size kettles. The RoadTrip is another portable grill that suffers from significant temperature inconsistencies on the grill, which, unfortunately, knock it out of the running. Since the burners are in the middle and not on the side I think indirect grilling is not easy on this grill.
These wallet-friendly options offer efficient heating, even distribution, and overall performance. If you’re looking for a larger electric grill, Weber also has the Q 2400, which boasts 280 square inches of cooking space for a slightly higher price. Despite being light and very portable, the Venture features a heavy-duty cast iron grilling surface that cooks evenly and sears well. In fact, I rarely turned this one up past medium, because it gets plenty hot on low.