The twist-start ignition makes start-up even easier, so put away the matches. Like the removable grill top, the removable drip tray makes for easy cleanup. Two testers agreed the Cuisinart CGG-306 Chef Style Portable Propane Tabletop was the best portable gas grill they had ever cooked on. One was glad for its compactness while living in a garden-level apartment outside of Boston; the other was grateful for its portability between home and snowmobiling trips in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. When we tested this grill, we were impressed with how easy it was to move, and it heated up to over 500 degrees in just a few minutes. There was plenty of space to arrange all the food — with room to spare — and everything had nice browning by the time we were done cooking.
This portable grill has everything you need to cook up delicious meals, including 280 square inches of cooking space and two folding work tables to make food prep quick and easy. We tried it out, at home and on the road, to grill hot dogs, steaks, and veggies and were impressed with the final results each time. This charcoal grill did take a little longer to heat up than other models, but it still did a great job cooking a variety of food during testing. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a lid that you can use while cooking, but it still exceeded expectations in terms of performance. Plus, the grill was very easy to clean out after use, and its stay-cool handles and light weight made it easy to move around.
After grilling 65 burgers, 30 pounds of chicken, and 25 pounds of bratwurst on nine portable grills, we have recommendations for both gas and charcoal options. If you’ve decided you want a portable charcoal grill, there is nothing like the Nomad—it’s expensive but worth it. Not only is it easy to pack and carry, it excelled at every cooking task I gave it.
Some portable grills are meant for tabletop use—they can also be used on the ground if you’re comfortable with that, but it may not be as convenient. They’ll often have fold-out legs and built-in carrying handles for easy storage Charcoal Grills Combo Grills and set-up. Grills with tall legs let you work at a comfortable standing height, but the legs add weight and bulk, so they’re not as convenient to carry. The legs also might not be as stable and wobble a bit while you’re cooking.
The stainless steel fire pit unfolds in one easy motion to give you an inverted pyramid of a basin, which is punctuated near the lip of the fire pit with ventilation holes to aid in stoking the fire. The Snow Peak Takibi Grill is our best camping grill for its clever folding design, quality of heat distribution, and ease of use. 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. In terms of performance, the Smokey Joe fell in the middle of the pack during testing. It reached over 500 degrees after 10 minutes of preheating and its dampers made it easy to adjust the heat, but our food ended up looking more baked than grilled, with minimal char lines.
These grills require open air for proper ventilation, as they can give off carbon monoxide. If you want to cook inside, you’ll want to look for an indoor grill, which are typically electric. The Cuisinart All Foods Roll-Away scored the lowest in wind resistance.
It easily sets up on a tailgate, picnic table, or portable camping table so you can cook standing up, but is also safe to use on the ground. I’ve been a backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, and rafting guide in Alaska and Colorado; packing and preparing food for multi-day trips is second nature. Grilling burgers and dogs for 30 Boy Scouts on a river trip in northern British Columbia is no joke. In addition to being an outdoor writer, I’m a foodie who worked as a recipe editor for a major meal delivery company.
I love cooking pancakes, french toast, eggs, and bacon on my flat top while sleeping out in the woods of New Hampshire. Besides its high price, the two main complaints we have about this grill are that it heats somewhat unevenly when the lid is open and that it’s tough to clean. The first issue can be solved pretty easily by just leaving the lid closed while you’re cooking, especially at high temperatures, but the second one is kind of annoying.
The charcoal bin is pretty deep, letting you stack a significant amount of the fuel to reach pretty high temperatures for a portable grill. Other than that aspect, it’s a solid choice for a portable, easy-to-use charcoal grill. While the Jumbo Joe has more cooking space, the Go-Anywhere gets runner-up honors thanks to its excellent searing capability and portable design. You get the same amount of cooking space as the 18″ Kettle classic, but this grill only weighs 22 pounds and can easily be carried by one person. The collapsible Weber Traveler is basically a full-size propane grill on wheels, making it a perfect choice for small patios and times when you need to bring a grill to a cookout or a party.
When the side tables are tucked inside the grill for transport, the Q 1200 is about the size of a small carry-on suitcase. It weighs about 30 pounds, and you need two hands to carry it, because it doesn’t have a latch to hold the lid securely to the firebox. But the position of the side handles helps to evenly distribute its 30-pound heft and lessens the burden of hoisting and moving the grill. Portable grills aren’t just for camping, picnicking, and tailgating; they’re also great for city and apartment dwellers with limited outdoor space.