It also features some nice bells and whistles, including a removable grease tray, built-in thermometer, and removable cooking grates, which were easy to clean between uses. It’s the weber genesis 2 smallest on our list, comes with a cork lid that doubles as a base, and you can choose from black or white. I loved using it to cook and found it super convenient to store away.
As you’d expect from such a powerhouse, this grill gets super hot and produces an “impeccably crispy” crust during our steak test. Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her 6+ years of experience as a product tester, she’s reviewed hundreds of items firsthand, and her work appears in publications such as PEOPLE, The Spruce, Homes & Gardens, portable bbq and more. Camryn is also the proud owner of a small homestead in Rhode Island, where she spends her spare time gardening, tending her many animals, and working through a never-ending list of home improvement projects. She’s an expert on all things home, including kitchen appliances, grills, and other cooking gadgets. These grills require open air for proper ventilation, as they can give off carbon monoxide.
When testing, food in contact with the cast-iron grates browned exceedingly well, the corn, in particular, had a nice char. You can also adjust the charcoal grate to several height settings to dial up the heat, if desired, and we loved that the grill has a pull-out ash tray that makes cleanup quick and easy. We sent various portable gas grills to the homes of our expert reviewers in addition to testing in our Lab.
An in-depth explaination of how we test barbecues is covered in our main guide. The one major downside of the PKGO is that it’s quite heavy, weighing almost 40 lbs. It’s definitely not the type of grill you’ll want to carry out to a remote campsite, but you can’t beat it for tailgating or grilling by the beach.
Away from home you want a great food experience, even in the great outdoors. From a camping stove to a beach-friendly portable grill, with Outback’s high-quality products you’ll always find the perfect partner for your time outdoors, whether that’s a few hours, a weekend or longer. It’s important to keep in mind that, despite the flat surface, this griddle is heated by a single propane-fueled burner, which means it gets much hotter in the middle than it does on the sides.
Lump charcoal is easier to ignite and burns hotter than charcoal briquettes. Because it’s charred wood, it consists of irregularly shaped pieces, and so requires a bit of experience to correctly build a fuel bed. As for performance, this model knocked it out of the park, with some of the highest scores we collected for heat regulation and we observed no flare-ups due to rendered fat.
Propane will need to be procured separately at your favorite home improvement or outdoor store. Many of these grills will work off the very small 1-pound propane cylinders, with a different attachment needed for larger propane tanks. The difference between the two kinds is weight—larger tanks are heavier and need to be carried separately from the grill—and amount. The smaller tanks are easier to carry in a backpack but will run out of fuel within a couple of hours. Whether it’s hiking, kayaking, or cross-country skiing, the Cuisinart Venture is perfect for any adventure. It’s not the biggest or most powerful grill in the world, but it’s small enough to carry in your pack, and it managed to reach searing temperatures in our Lab testing.
A 12,000 BTU tube burner under the grill is perfect to grill up some burgers, steaks, or whatever is on the menu. Nickel plated grill grates, a porcelain coated base, and a removable grease drip tray make clean up easy. A locking lid and a convenient carry handle are perfect for when it’s time to go.