Even after loading the Jumbo Joe grill with a full chimney starter’s worth of red-hot embers (about 90 briquettes), we could still tamp down the temperature to medium heat. We couldn’t do that with the 14-inch Weber Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill, where the single vent and the lack of airflow caused the coals to extinguish while we were cooking. Unlike Weber’s gas grills, the Grill2Go X200 latches tightly shut with two clips on the front. This allows you to effortlessly carry the whole thing with one hand (convenient if you need to lug it a few hundred yards). The weber q series grills are the most expensive portables we’ve tested.
I have to say, overall, I was impressed with what a good cooking performance the Weber Q 2200 offers up. Although it has a few limitations that you wouldn’t necessarily find with a whole grill, I did enjoy grilling on it. Weber grills are known as being some of the best but how does the Q 2200 hold up? Well, with great temperature regulation, grilling capabilities, heat retention, and ease of use, it readily measures up. She’s an expert on all things home, including kitchen appliances, grills, and other cooking gadgets.
Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. If you like the idea of the portable cart add-on, the Traveler comes with its own cart. It has one shelf instead of two, but it does come with built-in tool hooks. Even though these are smaller grills, Weber still made sure that there was some shelf space with two fold-out shelves on both grills. You can have a plate for burgers when they are done sitting on one shelf.
This is not a comprehensive list of all the models we’ve considered. Be sure to clean your grill thoroughly to keep it working as long as possible. If you use the grill only occasionally, you may need to wipe down the burner tubes to make sure they light effectively. The Traveler is big enough to cook for a crowd, looks great and doesn’t take up much space when not in use. The biggest differences between these grills are price, styling, construction and portability. In my testing the Traveler is great at searing steaks and has a relatively even heating profile.
As a result, we had to manage moderate flare-ups while cooking burgers, chicken, and brats. Grilling with charcoal does have some downsides that make it less convenient, especially with a portable grill. Briquettes are bulky and messy, staining anything they touch with soot and ash. Plus you have the added chore of snuffing out hot coals and emptying ashes after grilling. By the way, I realize that everyone has different needs for their grills and that styling preferences are purely subjective.
And it’s well-built, with a push-button ignition and temperature control dial that are easy to use. But behind that weight, you have a glass-reinforced nylon frame, supporting a cast aluminum body and lid, that cover a porcelain-enameled cast iron cook surface. All of these are heavy-duty, making the Q 1200 sturdy, durable, and likely to last a very long time.
If you want a lighter, more compact propane grill, the Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 Portable Gas Grill is designed for one-handed toting. It’s slightly larger than a briefcase and weighs 10 pounds less than our weber charcoal grill top pick, but it holds the same amount of food—about six burgers. The cast-aluminum firebox evenly distributes heat across a grilling grate big enough to fit six large burgers or a whole cut-up chicken.
Weber’s propane coupling fits 1-pound canisters (best for using this grill on the go) but also accepts an adapter for 20-pound propane tanks. However, this 40-pound grill isn’t lightweight by any stretch of the imagination. And heating the larger grill surface will burn through propane faster.