Wind resistance was another particularly strong aspect of the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor, whose electrically heated cooking surface seemed completely unfazed by convective heat loss, as far as we can tell. The single-rack model with the largest grilling area is the Coleman Roadtrip 285. As the name describes, it has an impressive 285 square inches of cooking space. Our team found that this is plenty enough room to cook for a good-sized backyard BBQ or backcountry base camp. Our thorough testing process began with scouring the internet for the latest and greatest products across the portable grill market.
If you can operate the controls of a modern kitchen oven, then this model is a no-brainer. This grill can be set from “low smoke” to “high smoke”, and for temperatures ranging up to 550 degrees. We were impressed with the high-heat grilling performance of the Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Grill. But when the firebox got hot, the side vents that regulated airflow stuck in place, rendering us unable to control the temperature—critical for slow-cooking things like chicken and sausages.
However, the value of such an easily carried, easily portable grill can’t be beaten, even with a few minutes of work at the top. All of the portable charcoal grills were then rated on their assembly, design, performance, ease of use, ease of cleaning, and value. We ran the numbers, and the PK Grills PKGO earned the top spot with a score of 4.8 out of 5. The Everdure CUBE was right behind it with a 4.78, so we named it our runner-up as a less-pricey alternative. Any grilling enthusiast will tell you that charcoal grills deliver better flavor than gas models, which is why they’re a favorite among so many chefs — even Bobby Flay swears by them!
The Casus grill can only be used once, of course, but it actually gets fairly hot in about five minutes and stays lit for over an hour. It also has enough space to cook three or four burgers, sausages, dogs, veggies or chicken. Well, it is and these GoSun solar-powered grills actually work pretty well. When I tested it, it got scorching hot and cooked chicken thighs, sausage, fish and veggies all in under 25 minutes or less. The 31-pound Weber Q 1200 is still surprisingly portable due to its useful handles.
The Coleman Roadtrip 285 has large wheels that handle fairly rough terrain and a long handle, so you don’t have to hunch over while hauling it. We appreciate the stable Flat Top Grills Gas Grills Pellet tripod base, which keeps the grill steady on uneven ground. And we give the Jumbo Joe points for having an ash catcher, even though it’s just a flimsy aluminum pan.
The detachable cutting board (which doubles as a lid during transport) is especially helpful for campers looking to streamline their packing list. The RoadTrip 225, unsurprisingly, offers 225 square inches of cooking space and is great for a road trip. The grill is compact and lightweight but has two separate burners that Expert Grill Combo Grills put out 11,000 BTUs of heat. The Weber Q 1200 remains at the top of our list of tabletop gas grills because it packs the performance of larger grills into a small form. Assembly is simple thanks to the manual providing pictogram-style instructions, and the whole task took just 12 minutes for us to be ready to cook.
Take your culinary skills to the next level on the trail, at the campsite, or on your next weekend BBQ with a portable grill. In addition, pay attention to the cooking grate material composition; some are made from stainless steel or plain cast-iron. The PKTX offers more temperature control than any other grill we tested with four air vents.
Similar to charcoal grills, pellet grills take some time before they’re ready for cooking, and this model takes a while to warm up. Lastly, the Camp Chef Portable Pellet is very heavy compared to the majority of portable grills we tested. Although the wheels are helpful, it’s not super fun to drag this grill very far from your vehicle.