Make sure you have a stable tabletop to put this on, and don’t try to move it until it’s fully cooled. There’s a wooden cutting board/serving tray that sits on top of the grate when the grill’s not in use, but it’s completely open to the elements while cooking. It might interfere with perfect-looking grill marks, but we’d recommend rotating and moving larger items around during cooking to achieve even doneness. Whether it’s hiking, Flat Top Grills Gas Grills Pellet 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. During high-temperature cooking, neither delicate fish nor strip steak stuck to the grate, and we also didn’t get any flare-ups despite the grate sitting quite close to the burner.
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 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.
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.
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.
These helped keep grease and drippings away from the flames while still allowing ambient heat to brown between grill marks. In our tests, burgers from the Q 1200 had the most seared surface area of all the burgers we grilled, and more browning means better flavor. They’re commonly constructed from thin porcelainized steel with thin wire-rod grilling grates. This simple construction is what makes them budget friendly and lighter weight. And with proper care, a charcoal grill should still last for many years. First, assembly is a non-issue, as it consists of lining up the grates after taking the grill out of the box, and it took longer to unpack than to make it ready to cook.
It’s made for use with a small propane tank (and does not come with an adapter for larger tanks), which can be stored underneath the firebox when packed up. One tester noted that the cast iron grates produced enviably golden-brown sear on a steak, although the surface of the grill did not produce consistent heat, which resulted in burning in some places. This may be one of the most expensive portable grills available, but you’re paying for quality, both in terms of performance and design. We even found the built-in thermometer to be pretty accurate, something that’s rare in grills of all kinds. Of the one-burner grills, the mid-sized models offer a wide range of control options.
The highlight of this top-quality construction is the porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates, which comfortably retain the heat evenly distributed by the U-shaped stainless steel burner underneath. Simply put, this model let us grill with more precision, predictability, and control than most of the other models we bought and tested. I often start these lists with some variation Expert Grill Combo Grills of “when I was young,” and I don’t mean to — it makes me seem like a curmudgeon. It’s just that, as an elder of Gen X, it’s hard to believe the grilling technologies on the market have replaced the often life-threatening pieces of equipment that were commonplace in my youth. They also happen to be easy to move, light, cool, clean, and repack on top of that performance.
If you can’t face the prospect of going without your Big Green Egg for a weekend, the MiniMax Big Green Egg is much smaller, but it still isn’t terribly portable. However, if you want to smoke, grill, and bake outdoors, this ceramic cooker is a strong choice. If flavor is your only criterion, I would argue that charcoal is superior to propane gas.
Talk about versatility — this grill gives you a traditional propane grill grate, a cast iron flat top griddle, and a pizza oven wrapped into one. Our tester loved how easy it was to switch between the pizza oven feature and the cast iron grill with one flip of the grate, and appreciated its self-storage rack (for the grill top not in use) even moreso. You can open the pizza oven door to slide in your pie, or use the handle to lift the entire lid like a traditional grill. Some of the best portable grills come with carrying bags as part of the cost, too.