It’s not as good as our Weber picks at searing food, but it heats evenly and is easy to use. The cast-aluminum firebox evenly distributes heat across a grilling grate big enough to fit six large burgers or a whole cut-up chicken. The spacious dome lid has a built-in thermometer that lets you know when the grill is hot.
The Weber Q 1200 is flare-up resistant and excellent at maintaining consistent heat. It’s constructed from quality materials, has some nice extra features, and is reasonably comfortable to carry (although heavy). Grilling with charcoal does have some weber gas grill 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.
Cooking tests showed good caramelization and even cooking of meats and vegetables, with the heat concentrated at the center of the grill. In our tests, the Jumbo Joe charcoal grill made the best seared burgers, barbecued chicken, and grilled bratwurst. Plus, cooking with charcoal gives your food that smoky flavor that you can’t get from a gas flame. The Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18″ is the only charcoal portable we tried that can sear and cook foods about as well as a full-size backyard grill. It’s a good choice if you like cooking with charcoal or don’t want to spend a lot, but it’s less convenient than gas, especially when you’re on the go. The Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 Portable Gas Grill is a solid compact grill for remote cookouts because it’s rugged, lightweight, and easy to carry.
For the purpose of this review, we’ll be discussing gas grills exclusively, although we did review portable charcoal grills here. The grill runs a little hotter with the lid down than the temperature indicated weber bbq on the built-in thermometer, and there were minimal flare-ups in cooking. Cleanup is easy; using a grill brush on the grates and wiping down the inside of the lid to prevent grease buildup did the job.
Finally, the grill grates are made of heavy-duty, cast iron which I personally prefer cooking on over others made of porcelain-coated or stainless steel. In my opinion, cast iron holds its seasoning longer and sears meat the best. Ultimately, it’s the RoadTrip X-Cursion’s versatility (it can transform into a steamer with an additional attachment) and high-heat capabilities that earned it top marks. But if you’re looking for an ultra-portable grill you can pack on your back during a hike or long trek to the beach, we recommend one of the smaller tabletop options, instead. Cleanup was simple, and as the grill comes with no specific cleaning instructions, dumping the spent ash was a simple task. We followed this with a quick wipe-down with soapy water to remove remnants.
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. Smaller grills in the 100- to 150-square-inch range are suitable for one or two people, maybe three in a stretch. One of the only problems encountered was correctly positioning the grates. Still, we found it heated quickly and was ready to cook in 10 minutes after adding lit charcoal from a chimney, while side vents gave us greater control over lower-temperature cooking.