To get the most out of the Grill2Go, be sure to clean it properly and store it somewhere out of the elements (or at least covered). The carrying case (sold separately) isn’t weatherproof, but you can use a heavy-duty contractor-style garbage bag or a tarp for protection. If you plan to keep the grill outside, it’s worth investing in a bonnet cover to protect it from the elements. You can also get a collapsible cart for it if you don’t have a table that will work. Be sure to clean your grill thoroughly to keep it working as long as possible.
Weber doesn’t make a grill cover for the Jumbo Joe, but a contractor garbage bag or a woven poly tarp should do the trick if you want an extra barrier from the elements. And since the spacious firebox fits a full chimney starter’s worth of coals, you can get two or three rounds of grilling per load. And in general Weber’s grills have a great reputation for performance and longevity.
The grill has no lid for cooking, as the top consists of a storage compartment and cutting board. As such, you’re grilling with direct heat and should keep that in mind when meal planning. The Cuisinart Venture, with its picnic basket appearance, is a good entry-level grill for the uninitiated and a value model for more experienced grillers. It’s a model intended for direct-heat cooking, as there’s no lid to control humidity for “low and slow” cooking. The burner packs 9,000 BTUs under enameled cast iron, providing adequate heat for small-group cooking. The grill comes to temperature quickly, but there is some variation in hot spots, especially towards the outside edges of the grill, which charred more than the center, where foods cooked slower.
Grills with side table attachments, stands, and other prep areas ended up ranking higher in our tests, as we rated grills for their overall design. When cooking outside, a clean, workable surface makes prepping convenient and efficient. The tiny Cuisinart CGG-180T Petite Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill suffered major flare-ups when cooking burgers and turned into a raging grease fire when cooking chicken pieces. Everything we cooked on this grill had a dark, sooty film and tasted like torched fat. Though some things are inherently inconvenient about a charcoal-fueled portable grill, the Jumbo Joe has some design features that make it easier to travel with. The push-button ignition and clearly marked heat-control dial make the Q 1200 easy to start and regulate.
There’s a red release lever that you have to pull to be able to unfold the legs. Also, a red plastic safety latch that has to be undone, otherwise pulling the release lever weber gas grill is useless. We had to travel about 50 yards in the unkempt grass to reach where we wanted to settle in and the huge plastic wheels made pulling the grill effortless.