The lid, cook box and cast iron grates are all porcelain enameled for added non-stickability, easier cleanup and good heat retention. This Weber grill is a mini version of the brand’s well-loved charcoal kettle. Testers appreciated the solid but portable build and how quickly they were able to set it up.
Whether it’s the salty sweetness on that lightly charred corn or the rich smoothness of smoked meat, warm weather begs us to get outside and light a fire. My favorite aspect of guiding (whether on the Arkansas River, backpacking through Colorado’s Collegiate Peaks, rock climbing around Denver for a day, or just driving people into the Yukon) was the meals. I even hail myself as the Charcoal Grills Combo Grills snack queen who plans her trips around great meals (and great brews afterward) and will never be caught without something extra to munch on. We grilled everything from veggie kebabs to bratwursts and deer steaks, and from dinners for one to almost a dozen hungry hikers. The Solo Stove Bonfire can generate quite a flame when you light it, especially right after adding pellets.
When you’re ready to pack the grill, you can store your tools and propane hose under the grill’s lid and lock it all up with the latches on the side. Use the lengthwise handle to carry the portable grill wherever you need to store it. This gives it a leg up over other portable gas grills, that are often heavy and bulky. Most portable charcoal grills have a basic, no-frills design, but there are certain features that can make them more convenient to use.
When it comes to cooking with this grill, we’d recommend using only a few coals at first during a handful of test cookouts to really get a sense of how the grill performs. Carrying this grill to various different cookout sites is easier than ever thanks to the Tuck-N-Carry lid lock. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal. With the ability to Grill, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise, & BBQ all on one grill, there’s no limit to what you can cook.
We loaded the firebox with charcoal from The Good Charcoal Company, which was a consistent medium size and perfect for the small, 1.5-pound-capacity firebox. We lit the charcoal with a torch for about 60 seconds, turned the fan to medium, closed the firebox, and in 15 minutes we were grilling burgers. The fan is electric, of course, but that doesn’t mean you have to be tied to an outlet—it can also be powered by four AA batteries. And if your home or apartment features a small outdoor space, there are small grills made for city dwellers and those who have small balconies. A portable grill is essential for a great tailgate before the next game or concert.
For pellet grills, we studied the user interface and considered the details of the startup and shutdown process. We also considered if the grilling surface presents a consistent temperature throughout, whether it includes a thermometer or push-button ignition, and how well both perform. There are advantages and disadvantages to a grill surface that naturally presents different temperature zones. A portable grill could be just mobile enough to load it in and out of your truck bed with a friend, or it might be compact enough to fit inside a large backpack. Such a wide range of sizes and shapes of “portable grills” presents a real challenge to our testers, but that’s why we take time to analyze the entire marketplace and select the best options available today. We then put ourselves in your shoes and put each model through an array of creative real-life cooking scenarios.