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.
In our tests, the Jumbo Joe produced the best seared burgers, barbecued chicken, and grilled bratwurst. The two adjustable vents, in the lid and firebox, allowed the quickest and easiest temperature control of all the grills we tested. Even after loading the Jumbo Joe with a full chimney starter’s worth of red-hot embers , we could still tamp down the temperature to medium heat. We couldn’t do that with the 14-inch Weber Smokey Joe, where the one vent and the lack of airflow caused the coals to extinguish while we were cooking. Of all the portable propane grills we tested, the Weber Q 1200 grilled foods the most consistently, with a cast-aluminum firebox that evenly held and reflected heat throughout. It had the fewest hotspots of all the grills we tried, due in large part to the U-shaped burner, which evenly heated the grate.
Let the grill grate preheat for about 5 minutes before cooking. Do not lean over the charcoal grill when lighting, or while the coals are hot. The electric heating element is not designed to be used in contact with charcoal or as a charcoal starter, as it may cause weber genesis 2 permanent damage to the electric heating element. When the red light is off, the heating element may still be hot. To prevent burns make sure that the control is turned to off and the grill is unplugged and completely cool before touching the heating element.
Here are our selections of best ideas, all Platinum or Gold Medalists, listed by price. It is absolutely positively without a doubt the best bargain on a smoker in the world. This baby will cook circles around the cheap offset sideways barrel smokers because temperature control is so much easier. Heavy and not very portable, the Davy Crockett’s lack of wheels and handles made it difficult to move around. But our biggest complaint was that the grill was extremely noisy during use. The auger made a high-pitched screeching noise when in use, and it kicked on every two to three minutes when used at high-heat searing temperatures.
Scrape the hot grates with a grill brush, wipe them with a wet rag to remove the soot, and brush them with vegetable oil. The Grill2Go’s cooking grate can grill up to six large burger patties at a time. Weighing over 40 pounds , the Weber Q 2200 stretches the meaning of “portable” to its limits. However, the Q 2200 is still an excellent grill for small backyard spaces.
The large surface of the Cuisinart All Foods Roll-Away gives the cook multiple heat zones to work with while grilling. The infrared burner of the Solaire Everywhere heats the entire grill surface to about the same temperature. This is good for cooking lots of one type of food, but not so good if you’re hoping to cook different foods at different rates.
The charcoal in it lit quickly and imparted a smoky flavor into the food. Unfortunately, because it’s so small, it can’t cook more than four burgers at a time. Its size also made it impossible to arrange the coals into an indirect heat pattern. If you’re cooking your food on the grill instead of inside the house, it will capture that beautiful charred essence and weber genesis 2 smoky flavor from cooking over open flames. You likely already have strong opinions on the topic of gas versus charcoal, or you may already be a pellet grill proponent, and we’re not here to change your mind. If you’re still on the fence on the subject, however, here are the pros and cons of using each type of grill to help you choose the right one for you.
Our talented team of paid moderators will be with you shortly. If you have business or tecnical issues, please contact us with this email form. These weber genesis 2 are products we have tested, won our top awards, and are highly recommend. Click here to read how we test, about our medals, and what they mean.
Weber offers powerful portable propane gas grills and charcoal grills, so you can pick your favorite or go with both. I still love the Weber above, but the Kamoto has the edge when it comes to portability. It collapses down to store flat; the large version that I tested measures about 15 inches by 20 inches. Once extended, it’s big enough to handle 16-inch-long logs with 255 square inches of cooking surface.
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.