Look for grills that have these features, as they’re better suited for portable, spur-of-the-moment grilling adventures. Some portable grills have removable or foldable legs that make them easy to pack up and transport. It’s a sturdy portable grill that rests on stable legs, perfect for placing on a table or bench. The biggest flaw is the thinness of its grates, which don’t allow for a ton of weight to be stacked upon them, and which sometimes results in the grate flipping if too much meat is placed on one side.
The dimensions and weight of a grill are key here — it’s best to opt for a model that you can comfortably pick up and store in your vehicle. However, there are certainly some downsides to using charcoal grills as opposed to other options. Now let’s look at why cooking with charcoal is an excellent choice for portable grilling. 300 Square inches of cooking space is enough to feed around four people at once, with smaller surface areas obviously being better suited for feeding smaller groups.
The design of the Camp Chef Portable Pellet is practically unaffected by wind. The burner is deep within the tub of the grill body so it’s protected by the walls of the grill, the heat distributor, and the lid. We smoked a rack of ribs on a pretty nasty fall day at an elevation of 7,000 feet in central Utah and had absolutely no issues with wind. On the charcoal side, insulation plays a much more important role in output power and efficiency. The Cuisinart Portable Charcoal and Weber Go-Anywhere are very similar in terms of coal bed volume, but the Go-Anywhere scores much higher thanks to its cast iron construction. Keeping coals lit in the Weber Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill 14″ was a challenge.
If you’re looking to cook a whole lot of food at once, you can’t top the Camp Chef Portable Pellet. Between the main grill and the upper shelf, this model offers 500 Grills Portable Grills square inches of cooking space. If you like the idea of grilling large hunks of meat on one shelf while roasting veggies on the other, this is the grill for you.
All in all, it’s a fun alternative to the average grill if you’re looking to go beyond barbecue. For its Portable Charcoal Grill, Masterbuilt employed a simple version of technology it developed for its larger 560 Digital Charcoal Grill. With the use of a fan and a separate charcoal firebox, you can have this grill hot enough to cook in about the same time it takes to heat up a portable propane grill. Ultimately, it’s the RoadTrip X-Cursion’s versatility (it can transform into a steamer with an additional attachment) and high-heat capabilities that earned it top marks.
This is her third season testing grills for Good Housekeeping and has had her hands on at least 35 grills and counting. She’s a professional, trained cook, recipe developer and grill aficionado. The summer is favorite season, mostly because she can put one of her many grills to the test nightly. Lindsey Lapointe is a freelance writer and has tested gear professionally since 2020. Her careers have included working as a biological oceanographer for NOAA, outdoor wilderness instructor for Appalachian Mountain Club, and science teacher. Lindsey currently writes and edits on the subjects outdoor recreation, science education, and motherhood – as well as being the author of Seacoast Hikes and Nature Walks.