She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd. Weber has a great reputation for reliability, and when we surveyed Wirecutter readers about their grills, Weber owners were overwhelmingly satisfied with their choice. As long as you clean your grill properly and shield it from the elements, it should last many years.
As a portable gas grill that will likely appeal to novice cooks and experienced chefs alike, the accessibility of the Q 1200 is a major selling point. The battery-powered electronic ignition is the same you will find on a high-end, full-size grill. The integrated thermometer — available from 150°F to 600°F — allows you to accurately monitor internal temperatures without having to lift the lid and lose critical heat. The regulator is integrated into the body and employs an infinite controller that is easily adjusted between clearly marked low, medium, and high settings. The weber genesis 2 1200 is a unique portable grill option, mainly in terms of design.
It can fit up to 10 large burger patties, two cut-up chickens, or 16 large bratwurst links at a time. The Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill is lighter than our gas pick, weighing under 20 pounds, but it’s not smaller. Its cooking surface holds about seven burgers or one whole, cut-up chicken. In our tests, the Grill2Go X200 produced intense portable bbq heat that was ideal for searing steaks but had us battling some flare-ups when cooking chicken pieces. Although we wouldn’t want to use it as a primary patio grill, it’s a decent dedicated portable grill for camping and tailgating. One of the benefits of this gas grill – and others like it – is that size doesn’t matter.
It seems like it was a one-off fluke, and honestly, the resolution was simple enough that it didn’t bother me too much. This means that the burner doesn’t need to crank out heat at nearly the same rate as other, less well-insulated grills. If you are still not sure if either grill is for you, there are other portable grills that might be worth taking a look at. Both grills are built as tabletop models that you can put on a picnic table at the campground or out on your back deck. However, Weber added further functionality and flexibility with a portable cart for the grill to rest on.
This is a grill that was designed to last for years, which really should be no surprise if you have seen any of Weber’s products. For grilling on the go you’ll be amazed by the power and results you can achieve with the Q1000 series. The Q1200 is a powerful cooking machine that’s ready to go in minutes.
In a few cases, this might be an actual problem in which Weber’s customer service will be more than happy to send you out a new one. I don’t think you can damage this thing short of beating it with a hammer, but even that would take a little work. If you have any problems at all with the Q 100, I highly recommend talking with Weber’s customer service. They are friendly and are very quick to resolve problems and send out replacement parts. High-quality materials are used throughout to make sure that it will last for years.
In our tests, the well-placed vents in both the lid and the firebox provided precise temperature control that no other portable charcoal grill we tried—including two other Webers—could match. Portable grills aren’t just great for toting to a campground, park, or tailgate. If you don’t have the space or budget for a full-size grill, they might also be the best option for your backyard. After grilling 65 burgers, 30 pounds of chicken, and 25 pounds of bratwurst on nine portable grills, we have recommendations for both gas and charcoal options. The frame is made of a really tough fiberglass that will resist heat. The burner is made of stainless steel, and the cast iron grill grate has a porcelain coating.
The lower profile lid on the Traveler does mean that you will have to make some minor compromises when it comes to gilling large items. For example, you can fit a couple of whole chickens on the Traveler but you will need to spatchcock them first. BBQGuys does more than test and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too. Our experts provide the recipes and skills you need to be a grill master.