It’s super easy to set up, and although the stainless steel grate was slightly uneven, it worked well enough for our liking. The frame was surprisingly sturdy and did a great job at high-heat cooking, but because there are no vents portable bbq or lid, it didn’t do well on the chicken tests. There was no way to control the heat, so the chicken either burned over direct heat without cooking through inside or it was still undercooked after an hour over indirect heat.
Find a dealer near you to get the price of the MiniMax (it was available at my local store for $598). Secondly, you need to look out for the grill size with these portable units – as well as how much they weigh if you really are after something you can carry down to the beach. Weber takes the three spot with its simply kettle style Smokey Joe, hotly followed by the excellent Broil King Porta Chef 120 gas BBQ. Everdure ‘by’ Heston Blumenthal has disrupted the barbecue market to highly impressive effect in recent years. For the not inconsiderable feat of making what is essentially a metal box that you put charcoal in stylish, theEverdure Cubeis our #5 pick.
Whether you are grilling in the park, on an expedition, or… We loved the novelty of George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor grill for its ability to cook an entire meal outside, and then move onto the table for a fajita night. The Eureka Gonzo Grill on the right, with close competitor Cuisinart weber genesis 2 Petite Gourmet in red. For cooking, the difference doesn’t seem as profound as it looks. The heat distribution of the Char-Broil 240 grill is not particularly even, likely because the distribution cap does not extend to the farthest reaches at either the front or back.
After assembling each of the grills, my goal was to assess the size of each grill’s cooking surface, as well as its weight and shape, fuel type , ease of transport, and overall performance. If you want to buy a portable grill that will last a lifetime, it’s the Lodge L410 Hibachi Style Charcoal Grill. This cast-iron charcoal grill is heavy, but it holds its heat exceptionally well, using fewer coals than most grills. It did a fantastic job of infusing smoky flavor into our burgers and bone-in chicken, and adding coals was as easy as tossing them in through the fire door built into the grill’s body.
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Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce Eats who’s an expert on all things grilling. She’s personally tested several grills and smokers, including our top pick for a portable grill, the Weber Q2200 Liquid Propane Grill, and the splurge-worthy HitchFire Forge 15. While researching portable grills for this article, she spoke with Jess Pryles, grilling expert and author of “Hardcore Carnivore” for tips on grilling on the go. You can probably find charcoal en route to your destination, while propane might take slightly longer to locate. Electric grills don’t require you to make space for a heavy bag of charcoal, but you’re not likely to find an electric outlet at the beach.
We also took into consideration whether the lid was big enough for closed grilling, how easy the grease trap was to use, remove, and clean, and if the regulator provided a snug or loose fit. If you’re cooking only one type of food that covers the entire grilling surface, then you will want to have consistent heat throughout. If you are cooking a variety of foods all at once, you might prefer different temperature zones. To test the distribution of heat across a grill, we grilled different food types in different corners of the grill. While we couldn’t rely on BTU-ratings for charcoal grills, our reviewers utilized an infrared thermometer to accurately test the temperature of these grill surfaces. Grilling is a quintessential summer activity, saving you from heating up your kitchen with your oven and encouraging you to spend quality time outdoors on a nice night.