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 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.
There is a broad range of prices in this category, but two of the lower-priced models stand out. The Cuisinart Grillster has the power you need to sear steaks, but due to its lower-end price point, it lacks the overall control of better grills. The Char-Broil Grill2Go is slightly more expensive but cooks with the quality of an infrared burner Flat Top Grills Gas Grills Pellet and includes additional features like a thermometer built into the lid. If you’re looking for a larger propane grill, the Coleman Roadtrip 285 is more of an investment but performs on par with many non-portable patio grills. If you’re ready to jump into the pellet world, it’s going to cost you – these types of cookers are not cheap.
This can be remedied by doing away with this disposable part or just by putting a rock in it. Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart.
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.
For instance, the small grill top only has enough space for one or two steaks at a time. Finally — and the most notable problem — the low-heat performance is practically nonexistent. Although the heat is adjustable, we would describe the settings as “High” to “Extremely High.” Furthermore, the only purpose of the lid is portability; you cannot close it while cooking. While it prepares steaks very, very nicely, other foods are nearly impossible to cook well.
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.
(Pun intended—have you seen that handle?) We didn’t choose the Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill based on handles alone, but what stands out on this camping grill fits so well with its chosen title. Portability (and room for multiple patties) reign supreme with this camping grill. The cover locks in place with moveable, steel-plated legs that tuck up and around, making the top handle as good as a suitcase handle. However, if that doesn’t suffice, two other handles on the long ends will do the job, especially if you’re moving this portable grill with warm charcoal inside. To find the best portable grills for camping, we grilled dozens of burgers, hot dogs, veggies, and chickens to judge the ease of use, speed of cooking, and heat levels of each grill.
The fact that the carrying handle doubles as a lid holder is also useful for keeping an eye on the food when cooking. Once you have attached the liquid propane tank correctly to the grill unit, most portable gas grills feature a “click and turn” button for igniting the grill. Some of the grills we tested featured just one knob, used for both igniting the grill and controlling the strength of the flame. (Of course, to properly ignite any gas grill, you must ensure the propane tank is open). Two separate burners allow for multiple types of cooking (like searing and indirect heat), as with a standard-size grill. It gets hot and has, as one tester noted, “highly responsible” temperature control.
The unit has a cast aluminum body and ergonomic side handles to make it easy to move from one place to another. It’s a little bit heavy for a portable option, weighing in at over 43 pounds, but most of the weight is actually its cast-iron grates, which can be carried separately for easy transport. If you’re a fan of outdoor cooking, a portable grill is a must-have item.