It’s just so easy to use and so reliably good at grilling without burning everything to a crisp. The performance of the George Foreman’s electric grill plate is basically impervious to wind, and all of the food is protected beneath a gigantic lid. The 31-pound Weber Q 1200 is still surprisingly portable due to useful handles. Special mention should be given to the fact that it can be purchased as a tabletop model , or can easily be integrated into a separate wheelable, folding stand for enhanced parking lot convenience. The compact design is easy to bring to a sporting event or out camping, as it converts into a tabletop model in seconds.
This bright red kettle-style portable grill has a 150-square inch chrome-plated grate. It boasts a dual venting system, which allows you to control the charcoal temperature. It also measures just 14.5 inches by 14.5 inches by 15 inches, making it handy for hauling in any vehicle. The Cuisinart CCG190RB Portable Charcoal Grill is ideal for tailgating parties, campgrounds and for other outdoor events. Timeless design with modern modifications, NOMAD Grills® are portable charcoal barbecue grills crafted from lightweight aircraft alloys.
Crafted out of solid and sturdy stainless steel, the Takibi grill is an investment you’ll end up owning for years. The burly mesh grill grate—with 290 square inches of cooking area—has adjustable legs to maximum heat levels weber charcoal grill for ultimate grilling goodness. Weber has a reputation for building grills that gracefully blend cooking performance and reliability, and that tradition is rolled into a portable package with the impressive Weber Q 1200.
Stainless steel grates tend to be easier to clean, but they don’t transfer heat as well as cast-iron grates, which create more pronounced grill marks. For the gas grills, we also placed slices of white bread over the entire surface to map out the heating pattern. Grills with even heating really shined here, creating predictable patterns without noticeable hot or cold spots. Pellet grills tend to cost more than gas or charcoal grills because they use onboard computers with expensive components to fuel the fire.
You’ll want to decide on a fuel type and think about where exactly you will be toting the grill before making your purchase. The Big Green Egg is a Kamado-style cooker (Kamado is a Japanese word that roughly means “stove”), which makes it much more than a grill. The ceramic construction retains heat and turns it into a portable oven as well. The MiniMax Big Green Egg is identical to its larger cousin in nearly every way, but smaller.
It also weighs just 12 pounds, making it the best truly portable gas grill I tested. Measuring 14.5 x 27.1 x 15.1 inches, this powerful grill cooks with 12,000 BTUs over its 201 square inches of cooking space. The heavy-duty hexagon cooking rods ensure great sears on your meat, while the push-and-turn flame-thrower ignition ensures that this grill will always light, as long as it has gas.
It weighs 75 pounds, making it by the far the heaviest grill I tested, but the double-handle carrying system makes it easy for two people to carry it. The problem is that the 13-inch grilling surface of the MiniMax can only grill for about four people. It is made of stainless steel construction and has a stainless burner and grate with a cast iron smoker plate, as well as an electronic ignition and a removable grease tray. The porcelain enamel coated grills mean fast cleanup, and they are very durable. The heavy duty cast aluminum body means no rusting and no flexing, but yet it remains lightweight for easy transport.
If you’re not keen on using lighter fluid, which can impact the taste slightly, you can buy a chimney starter to get your charcoal hot and ready. Grill size isn’t necessarily tied to value — in fact, the smallest grills weber charcoal grill in our review are among some of the most expensive. When considering carrying dimensions, grilling surface, and overall performance, the more average-sized grills tend to fall into a more reasonable price bracket.
“Portable grills should be set up on a flat, non-flammable surface,” says Chef Tim Hastings. “Always have a bucket of water and/or a fire extinguisher on standby.” It might be best for use on a backyard tabletop one weekend and transferred to the back of your truck for the next.
Smoke is also managed thanks to the FirePit+’s fan, which blows it away at a consistent rate. The fan runs on a rechargeable battery pack, which Biolite says runs for up to 30 hours per charge. In our tests, the All-Season’s Portable Grill worked flawlessly.