The lid locks shut, and it’s light enough to carry it by the handle from place to place. You can cook up all sorts of tasty food before the big game with the Expert Grill Premium Portable Charcoal Grill. 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. (Camp Chef claims the heat diffuser plates vaporize grease drippings.) I didn’t experience an overload of grease in my testing, but I could see it being an issue cooking a large number of fatty burgers. It has two magnetic vents which, when set to half open, allow the grill to stay at 250°F for an hour.
Now that you’re ready to hit the road, read on to find the perfect portable grill for your next adventure. Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer for PEOPLE, specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. For this article, she consulted our testing insights and interviewed pitmaster Shannon Snell of Sonny’s BBQ for her tips on finding the best portable charcoal grills. All of the portable charcoal grills were then rated on their assembly, design, performance, ease of use, ease of cleaning, and value. We ran the numbers, and the PK Grills PKGO earned the top spot with a score of 4.8 out of 5.
Made of silicone-coated fiberglass fabric with a collapsible metal frame, it can withstand temperatures up to 2,200 degrees. We enjoyed the ease of setup, and once we were familiar with the grill, we could open it up in seconds. A flexible metal basket holds the charcoal, and we tested both with it full and with about 12 briquettes for a quick meal. Packed up, Cuisinart’s Venture resembles a picnic basket, making it about as portable as a table-top grill can get.
This portable grill comes fully assembled so all you have to do is plug it in and get to grilling dinner. It comes with a 6-foot grounded cord which works well if you’re on a patio or a balcony with an outdoor outlet, otherwise, for grilling further out, you can use an outdoor extension cord. If you’re taking this baby on the road, you’ll need to bring a portable power source. The affordable cost means it’s a pretty basic, no-frills grill—just good old charcoal cooking, which many feel is the only way to barbecue. The Walk-A-Bout has a latch-locking steel hood that can withstand high temperatures and adjustable vents so you can control the cooking temperature.
Once erected, you have a large cooking space–320 square inches–and a prep table. It also features some nice bells and whistles, including a removable grease tray, built-in thermometer, and removable cooking grates, which were easy to clean between uses. In a world where the Nomad didn’t exist, the Oklahoma Joe’s Rambler would be the top charcoal choice here.
The outside of the grill doesn’t get too hot, so you can actually place it on the ground without worry of burning leaves or other “kindling-like” materials. It only took about 10 minutes to cook hot dogs and hamburgers, which were cooked to perfection each time. It’s super portable and easy to take on weekend trips and other adventures. NFM carries an assortment of portable outdoor tabletop grills that can be fueled with propane gas, electricity or compressed food-grade wood pellets. These grills are great for small outdoor spaces and people who have limited storage space. They can also be an affordable choice for solo diners, small families or beginner grillers who want to test some easy grilled meals before buying a more expensive full-size grill.
It packs up in a tube 8-inches in diameter and 14 inches in length, and carries easily by the handle on top or with the included shoulder strap. We set the burner on low for the 100-percent beef burgers we grilled, flipped them once, and then turned up the heat to imprint sear lines from the cast-iron grate. Generally, we found it relatively easy to grill thinner foods and, even better, convenient to turn on and off as needed Expert Grill Combo Grills over the course of an afternoon. We were able to roll the grill around easily, with the collapsible cart, and with the dedicated firebox and locking grill lid, we didn’t spread ashes wherever we went with it. The Masterbuilt Portable Charcoal Grill makes grilling with charcoal easy, fast, and clean. If durability is your sole criteria and not weight, look at the grill’s build and features that contribute to longevity.
Small electric grills are also an option and while they sound great, remember you might not always have access to power, especially if you’re camping or spending a day in the park. Plus, you won’t get any of that flame-grilled goodness since there’s no, well, flame. Flat Top Grills Gas Grills Pellet Even though the Jumbo Joe isn’t the smallest or most compact charcoal grill we tested, it is lightweight (about 18 pounds) and easy to carry. A swiveling metal arm holds the grill together for transport and doubles as a lid holder while you’re grilling.
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.