This lets you carry the grill from the lid handle and prevents you from having to place the lid on the ground or on another table when you need to get at the cooking area. Thanks to some clever design touch from Weber, the Jumbo Joe manages to pack a lot of the quality and features you expect from a full size Weber Kettle into a portable package. (Camp Chef claims the heat diffuser plates vaporize grease drippings.) I didn’t experience an overload of grease in my testing, but I could see it being an issue cooking a large number of fatty burgers. This somewhat simple, unassuming grill turned out to be the sleeper in our test.
Remember that a larger cooking space also (usually) correlates to a larger grill body to store when it’s not in use. Propane grills are lightweight (although the containers add some weight), easy to transport, and (generally) easy to light. However, trouble with fuel lines can add a level of intricacy to cooking while camping, so be sure to read up on your owner’s manual. Gas grills are easy to regulate and adjust for direct heat and indirect heat, so most folks prefer it for their cooking options.
Sign up to receive new product news, exclusive offers, grilling tips & recipes, and more from Weber and its affiliates / subsidiaries! We took the Traveler Charcoal Grills Combo Grills to cook some lakeside brats on an ice fishing adventure. Charcoal is also smokier than gas, a possible issue for smaller, fenced-in spaces.
It can still hold up to six regular-sized burgers and comes with standing legs for flexible mounting options. The charcoal grate is made from heavy gauge steel, which is strong enough to withstand considerable weight and leave tasty looking sear marks on your meat. Expert Grill Combo Grills It’s easy to clean and you can fit plenty of food on its 18″ grill rack. Our premiere grill, the Timberline redefines what’s possible in the world of outdoor cooking. It boasts next-gen features and premium construction to deliver the ultimate grilling experience.
For those grills with wheels, I walked them around a large, uneven lawn with plenty of divots to see how they rolled. The only part about using the Nomad that I didn’t love was emptying it. Because it needs to be emptied while completely open, it was hard to lift when attempting to dump the ash into a bin. On its website Nomad suggests using a shop vac to get all the spent charcoal out. I have no doubt that that would do the trick, but if you’re off on an adventure an hour from an electrical outlet, a shop vac might not be practical.
It comes with a cork lid that doubles as a base on which the grill rotates to allow for airflow adjustment. Inside the heat-resistant cylinder you’ll find an enameled fire basket and grill and charcoal grates, plus a small tool to lift the grill grate. The GoBQ grill is a great option for traveling, tailgating, or even for folks with small apartments, given its ease of packing, stowing, and carrying. The 25- by 12-inch cooking surface will hold a lot of burgers, dogs, or whatever your preference.
The Masterbuilt Portable Charcoal Grill and Smoker has an interesting design that makes it well-suited for both grilling and smoking meat. Instead of placing charcoal underneath the cooking grates, you place it in the side hopper, and the grill automatically regulates its own heat based on the temperature you select. It can be used for high-heat grilling or low-and-slow smoking, and as an added bonus, it’s mounted on a collapsible rolling cart for easy portability.
This portable electric grill is lauded as an indoor wonder, with everyday reviews praising its easy cleaning, removable grease tray, and quick-heating capabilities. It’s not a light set up at 32 lbs—so don’t plan to schlep this one in a few miles up the trail. However, it’s perfect for a basecamp setup, car camping, RV camping, BBQ by the lake, or right in your backyard. All portable grills should still have excellent features that allow them to cook effectively in comparison to traditional grills. Other than those relatively minor complaints we have no issue naming the Weber Jumbo Joe our best all-around portable charcoal grill. It has two large carrying candles and latches on either side to hold all of the pieces in place.
This grill is the holy grail of versatile camping firepits-turned-grills. Solo Stove’s portable Bonfire fire pit design boasts rave reviews about its lightweight, dynamic airflow design that keeps your fire burning in an easily-contained and maintained fashion. The Solo Stove Bonfire Cast Iron Grill takes this design and adds a classic cast iron grill reminiscent of cowboying out West. The modification of the grill hub adds enough height to keep your food from burning in the intense heat of the fire pit (as our testers found out very quickly, don’t forget that hub!).
The cast aluminum body, top, and cast iron grates are built to last, and the included Flipkit turns the two-piece top and bottom into two hibachi grills that double your cooking area. It’s also large and bulky (24 in. Height x 32 in. Width x 16in. Depth), even more so than the Solostove Bonfire, which would be the next biggest in size. With the pellet adapter option on the Solo Stove, we felt more confident in its versatility as a portable pellet grill option than we did the Green Mountain Trek Prime. As expected for something this light, t’s more challenging than other campfire-designed grills we tested to get the heat to the outer edges of the grill. The rectangular dimensions of this grill add to its portability—at under two feet long, just over a foot high, and a foot across, this is one of the most easily packable grills for car camping and barbecues.