For searing the honeycomb-shaped cast iron cooking grates produce fantastic sear marks. Whether you’re headed camping or to a tailgate, or grilling out in your backyard, our portable grills have you covered. In our tests, steak and chicken cooked quickly and got nice char marks without any flare-ups. Ash falls through the coal holder holes onto the bottom of the grill for a neat grilling experience, and the stainless grill grate is small and easy to wash in your sink once you get home.
Like the Traveler, the Weber Q2200 can also accommodate a full-size propane cylinder with an adapter. The push-button ignition is battery powered, which I actually found slightly easier to use. The Everdure Cube by Heston Blumenthal is a cute little charcoal grill that’s easy to carry and comes in a number of color options. It’s easy to handle the grill even when lit because of the cool-touch handles. Ultimately, I found food fell in between the bars of the grate too easily and the grill itself was too small to be useful. The temperature is easily controlled with the knob, which makes for more even cooking, and fewer headaches (and burned pizzas).
That said, the Camp Chef Portable Pellet’s price is fairly reasonable considering its top-notch performance. Well-designed portable gas grills will produce evenly-cooked food with a solid sear and grill marks. During our testing, we even found some could rival standalone models for versatility.
Without worrying about food falling through the slats of a grill, your options open up; you can stirfry and hibachi in the woods or griddle up veggie burgers and fry up eggs in the morning. If your desired grill doesn’t already come with a griddle option, you could opt for an additional griddle plate (like this option for round grills or this rectangular option). However, griddles aren’t always the best option for portability’s sake.
Attaching the gas bottle took a little manipulation that sparked safety concerns but ultimately resolved once connected. After the easy task of lighting the grill with the pushbutton ignition, the grill grates came to cooking temperature in just eight and a half minutes — Flat Top Grills Gas Grills Pellet a tough task for most portable grill competitors. Finally, there are other small, shallow charcoal grills that have a similar design to many portable gas grills. These typically perform the best in terms of portability, and they’re one of the best options for tailgating.
But at least there’s a barrier to keep hot embers from falling on the grass or your deck. Be sure to clean your grill thoroughly to keep it working as long as possible. If you use the grill only occasionally, you may need to wipe down the burner tubes to make sure they light effectively. First, the setup was challenging as the legs were difficult to install properly. Next, the heat distribution was very uneven, where a uniform layer of coals still resulted in a hot spot in the center. My gear expertise stems from 6 years of gear reviews for Backpacker Magazine, 8 years of guiding, years of camping adventures, and a plethora of gear-head friends.
As far as portability, this table-top grill doesn’t break down to take up less space—what you see is what you get, and it might be difficult to transport in smaller cars. That might seem a tad heavy, but it has cast iron grill grates and is fabricated from thick-gauge steel, instead of cheap Flat Top Grills Gas Grills Pellet stamped sheet metal. It’s built to last, though we wouldn’t suggest hiking into the woods with it. Another tabletop option, this portable gas grill from Weber was a standout for our testers, who named it the winner of the group, and even noted its performance rivaled standard-size grills.
Since the area of the basin exactly matches the surface area of the grill, we were then able to spread out those coals to create targeted heat zones. If you’re cooking only one type of food that covers the entire grilling surface, then you will want to have consistent heat throughout. If you are cooking a variety of foods all at once, you might prefer different temperature zones. To test the distribution of heat across a grill, we grilled different food types in different corners of the grill.
There is an add-on cast iron coal bed ($33) that holds charcoal, but I don’t see it as necessary (nice to have perhaps, but not necessary). This is time of year when, like a groundhog, the grill starts to poke out of the snow and show its rusty, neglected self. If you’re in need of a new grill this year, here’s our guide to the very best portable grills. We’ve researched and tested dozens of portable grills to see which can brat the best. Each tester put these grills through a series of criteria to determine their rating. The Weber portable grill can fit a lot of burgers on one surface, ideal for bigger groups.
We wish the charcoal grate were closer to the grill grate itself — the grill does cook food as is, just not at high temperatures. Overall, the grill gets the job done, and you can’t beat its light weight and low price. The Weber Jumbo Joe is our pick for the best portable charcoal grill for most people thanks to its affordable price, capable size, and lid-locking feature.