This basic grill gets top marks all around when it comes to design. It’s rounded in shape and super small (it’s the smallest on our list, actually), it 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 also found it super convenient to store away. It’s pretty perfect for couples or solo gals, especially if you are working with a teeny tiny outdoor space. Or even a shared outdoor space as it needs to be kept indoors anyway and it has a tiny footprint. It brings style and substance to the table (see what we did there?) and I managed to fit five small burgers on its cooking surface at one time.
The charcoal hangs in a mesh wire basket, and the ingenious grilltop rolls and unrolls. GoBQ says the fabric can withstand over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit and should last through 50 or more cooks, making this a good choice for traveling, but not everyday use. Good to know
It’s easy to clean and I put the grates in my dishwasher. It comes with a briquette bowl to measure charcoal with ease.
I gave this grill to my parents to use while I tested other grills, and they’ve left it in their yard for the last year in between uses. It only requires a wipe down before every use and it takes up no space in their huge yard. They say it’s perfect for them because they only use a grill a handful of times a year. Offering ample grilling space, this Coleman grill folds up to the size of a carry-on suitcase for compact storage.
No matter how you measure it, the Traveler’s 13,000-BTU burner gets plenty hot and really shines when searing. The 320-square-inch grilling surface is big enough to grill for a crowd. It’ll still fit in the trunk of most cars, but it definitely takes up a considerable amount of space.
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 portable bbq 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.
I tossed mine in the back of the car for trips to the lake and the park and it never tipped over. The ash catcher at the bottom makes cleaning less of a hassle by allowing you to dump the excess without removing the grill grates. This is time of year when, like a groundhog, the grill starts to poke out of the snow and show its rusty, neglected self. If you’re in need of a new grill this year, here’s our guide to the very best portable grills. We’ve researched and tested dozens of portable grills to see which can brat the best.
Whether it’s the salty sweetness on that lightly charred corn or the rich smoothness of smoked meat, warm weather begs us to get outside and light a fire. The ubiquitous disposable, green propane bottle is convenient, but it’s a huge source of pollution. It’s illegal in many jurisdictions to throw them in the trash, though that doesn’t stop many people, it seems, given how many of these end up in landfills every year. Not everyone has a yard, and it’s increasingly common for apartments to ban open flame grills on balconies. It should be easy to get underneath those burgers and flip them over. If you live in California, you may also be able to bring in 1-pound canisters for free refills or exchange empty canisters for full ones.
Not only is it easy to pack and carry, it excelled at every cooking task I gave it. If you prefer a portable propane grill, Weber’s Traveler combines the quality Weber grills are generally known for with a smart design that is ready weber charcoal grill to take on the road. In terms of cooking, it performed almost identically to the Traveler. But the Q2200 is a tabletop grill and it is so wide, even with the two side tables folded, that I wouldn’t want to carry it too far.
Both Weber gas grills I tested were effective and easy to cook on, but the nod goes to the Traveler here for its passionate embrace of portability. It also folds down flat for easy storage and easy transport. When folded up, the legs become a handle that you can pull behind you as if you’re walking with a nice roller bag.