We learned that the coal bed can be adjusted for better temperature control — a useful feature that we find highly important in charcoal grill tests. The grill grate is narrow, especially compared to other portable grills we tested, but can still fit about four to five chicken thighs side-by-side, or two large steaks. We tried this grill out along with the brand’s grilling kit (available for purchase separately), and found the accessories to be good quality and useful. I often start these lists with some variation 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.
The stand is easy to operate, with clear indicators for raising and lowering it. Since the base is included, you won’t need to hunt for a safe cooking surface or crouch down to flip burgers, but it requires a little more storage space and room in your trunk. Most grills performed about as well as advertised, with some topping out at as much as 100 F hotter than others.
It’s also nice-looking with flare-out trays to hold your plates and grilling tools, plus an ergonomic design. Despite its sturdy build, the Q-1200 is still light and limber enough for a camping grill to take on a camping trip or for one person to carry with relative ease. This grill, like all on the list, can use any small propane tank sold at most camping or hardware stores. In the end, Weber still weber charcoal grill makes our favorite portable grill overall, but there are other models that may be a better fit depending on your grilling wants and needs. For the size and price, it may be tough to find a compact grill more powerful than the Cuisinart Grillster. Not only is it incredibly fuel-efficient, but this portable powerhouse reaches peak temperature within a matter of minutes after clicking the piezo lighter.
It’s ultimately a reliable compact grill that does double-duty as an indoor or outdoor workhorse. Some of the very attributes we loved most tie directly to the weaknesses of the Camp Chef Portable Pellet. weber charcoal grill Not only is the ignitor electric but so is the auger that feeds pellets from the hopper into the grill. If you’re at home, in an RV, or have a decent power bank, you won’t find this much of an issue.
A lightweight steel lid and three insulating walls give it the ability to both block wind and retain heat, allowing you to cook in less-than-ideal weather. This model cools down almost as quickly as it heats up for a quick get-away, with a locking lid and enough space to store one-pound gas canisters. This Weber grill is a mini version of the brand’s well-loved charcoal kettle. Testers appreciated the solid but portable build and how quickly they were able to set it up. The fact that the carrying handle doubles as a lid holder is also useful for keeping an eye on the food when cooking. That aside, foods cooked fairly evenly and sported aesthetically pleasing grill marks in our tests.
Although it is not the most powerful when measured in output power alone, the design of this grill allows it to efficiently and effectively reach ideal searing temperatures within just minutes of preheating. 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. Unlike most of the charcoal models reviewed here, the Masterbuilt features a charcoal hopper and fan to regulate its temperature, similar to a pellet grill. While it’s 52 pounds, it’s easy to move for such a heavy grill, thanks to its stand and wheels. Our tests showed it to be relatively consistent in its temperature, and while it didn’t give the best caramelization, the foods we cooked did have a satisfying crunch to their texture and good grill marks.
Cooking tests showed good caramelization and even cooking of meats and vegetables, with the heat concentrated at the center of the grill. The stainless steel grates take a little more work to clean than cast iron, but not a herculean effort by any means. The firebox pops out for easy emptying, but the handle bolts make removing it without tipping a little difficult. The grill has no lid for cooking, as the top consists of a storage compartment and cutting board.
This is nice for aiding with cleanup, but it’s not very wind-resistant, so it usually ended up on the ground after flying away in windy conditions. This can be remedied by doing away with this disposable part or just by putting a rock in it.
This portable gas grill has been a Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab favorite for years. It’s small and compact, which makes it quite portable, yet sturdy and powerful for good, fast cooks. We’ve tested both this model and the larger stand-up model with shelves, and were weber genesis 2 impressed with the sear marks we got on chicken, steak, burgers and hot dogs. Like most of Weber’s grills, the Q1200 has a disposable drip tray below the grill, which makes clean-up much easier than some portable grills with drip trays that need to be washed out periodically.