Every grill flared somewhat, but the Q 1200 (and the Coleman below) have heavy enameled cast-iron grates that are closed over the burners, which helps keep the flaring under control. Full sized grilling capabilities in a portable package – cook anything from roasts to burgers. It has two magnetic vents which, when set to half open, allow the grill Charcoal Grills Combo Grills to stay at 250°F for an hour. I checked the grill every 20 minutes and was able to keep it at that temperature on less than a full chimney of charcoal. Our camping grills were tested from the Mojave Desert to the pine forests of Maine, from warm summer nights to snowy winter evenings—during afternoon grills and by camping lantern at night.
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, 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. Having a foldable cart means you won’t have to worry about finding a safe and stable spot to place your grill at your destination. Then you should look at what portability features the manufacturer has included. Along with the larger size, this is the main difference compared to the Smokey Joe. Included meat probe lets you check on your food without lifting the lid.
Special mention should be given to the fact that it can be purchased as a tabletop model (like we did) or can easily be integrated into a separate wheelable, folding stand for enhanced parking lot convenience. The clear champion of this section of our assessment is the Camp Chef Portable Pellet. The digital controller goes far beyond the accuracy of any mechanical knob.
However, charcoal is available in smaller or larger bags, depending on your needs. Choose what works better for your taste buds and the space in your car. The UCO Flatpack won us over for its price ($50 compared to the $100-$400 range of other camping grills we reviewed). We’re fans of its low weight (3.3 lbs), its spaciousness relative to its size (you could fit 6 burgers easily!), and its ease of packability (down to 1.5 inches thick). We also love that it works well in various circumstances, terrains, and grill-skill levels. However, with the killer reviews and outstanding tester notes for the Snowpeak Takibi Grill, we couldn’t quite give it the top winning spot.
After you connect the propane and have checked for leaks, turn on the burner(s). Some grills, such as the Weber Q 2200, have electronic ignition, in which case you simply push the button to ignite the gas. For grills that lack this feature, you’ll need to use extra-long matches or a match holder to ignite the propane and get the burner started. The Napoleon Travelq is the full-featured grill-on-a-cart you need to wheel out onto the sand.
We loaded the firebox with charcoal from The Good Charcoal Company, which was a consistent medium size and perfect for the small, 1.5-pound-capacity firebox. We lit the charcoal with a torch for about 60 seconds, turned the fan to medium, closed the firebox, and in 15 minutes we were grilling burgers. The fan is electric, of course, Charcoal Grills Combo Grills but that doesn’t mean you have to be tied to an outlet—it can also be powered by four AA batteries. And if your home or apartment features a small outdoor space, there are small grills made for city dwellers and those who have small balconies. A portable grill is essential for a great tailgate before the next game or concert.
The grill has no lid for cooking, as the top consists of a storage compartment and cutting board. As such, you’re grilling with direct heat and should keep that in mind when meal planning. That aside, foods cooked fairly evenly and sported aesthetically pleasing grill marks in our tests. And with generally good cooking results, it’s an easy model for someone to get started with gas grilling. While slow-cooking on the Takibi would be challenging, you can at least adjust the grill height to control temperature. My only real complaint is that without a lid you can’t smother your remaining charcoal and reuse it, but in most cases when the food is done I load up the Takibi with firewood and enjoy it as a fire pit.
Although this portable powerhouse reaches top temperatures with ease, it is more difficult to learn how to harness the heat of the grill surface for foods that require more low-and-slow cooking. But if you hope to regularly grill up delicious meals while on the road, the Weber Q 1200 is an accessible portable grill that is sure to appeal to both novice cooks and professional chefs alike. Over the past seven years, our experts have bought more than 25 of the best portable grills to test side-by-side. This updated review highlights 15 of the top options to help you cook up delicious meals, even while on the road.
Thanks to the brand-new pellet adapter, you can use logs, charcoal, or pellets. Although they can be harder to ignite, the pellet adapter worked smoothly and evenly for a great searing temperature. This new sleeve not only insulates your C4 and Grills Portable Grills protects the exterior, but makes youTher C4 even more fuel efficient. You can fire up your C4 Portable Grill with as little as 8 smaller size charcoal briquettes or up to 15 to 18 briquettes of charcoal for higher steak searing temperatures.