Add in the fact that the carrying handles got extremely hot as you used it and it was a touch on the heavy side at 30 pounds, and this one fell to the bottom of our list. The portable cart was easy to lower for transport, letting us wheel the 3-burner grill to and from events. We love the pull-out side tables, and the grill was decently sturdy when it was set up, too. Add in the eight-burger capacity and we felt like we were cooking on a full-sized grill! We had some trouble with the griddle-like design in the middle of the cast-iron grates; the flat portion transferred more heat than the spaced grates, creating an uneven heating pattern.
Its heavy-duty cast-aluminum firebox was the best at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat, providing the most consistent grilling of all the portables we tested. The Q 1200’s design caused the fewest flare-ups of any model we tried, thanks to porcelain-coated cast-iron grates with built-in channels that helped keep grease and drippings away from the flames. An electric push-button ignition and easy-to-read heat-control dial make the Q 1200 simple to start and adjust. Though the grill weighs a hefty 30 pounds, the comfortable side handles make it easy to carry. We’ve been testing grills for decades in the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliance and Culinary Innovation Lab. We’ve tested more than 60 grills, including gas grills, charcoal grills, pellet grills and smokers and more.
But whether the wheels make it tough going on beach sand is open for debate. Based in Dallas, Texas, Coyote Outdoor Living specializes in the design, development, and production of high quality outdoor kitchen equipment. After testing more than 90 tools from spatulas to tongs to grill gloves and more, we have recommendations for everything you need to have an amazing barbecue. Lesley Stockton is a senior staff writer reporting on all things cooking and entertaining for Wirecutter. Her expertise builds on a lifelong career in the culinary world—from a restaurant cook and caterer to a food editor at Martha Stewart. She is perfectly happy to leave all that behind to be a full-time kitchen-gear nerd.
The side and top handles are made from custom molded heat resistant glass reinforced nylon. The ergonomic design provides easy handling, and special holes added to hang GoBQ portable grilling tools (which are in development!). Although it does indeed produce very little smoke, if using indoors we would still recommend placing it on the cooker hob below the extractor fan for completely smoke-free grilling. We were impressed with the high-heat grilling performance of the Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Grill. But when the firebox got hot, the side vents that regulated airflow stuck in place, rendering us powerless when it came to heat control—critical for slow-cooking things like chicken and sausages.
Having a Char-Broil account allows you to track orders, register your products, provide reviews, and receive updates on products. BBQGuys does more than test and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too. Our experts provide the recipes and skills you need to be a grill master. Our outdoor kitchen design experts have helped thousands of customers transform their backyards at no extra cost.
All text, recipes, photos, and computer code are owned by Meathead’s AmazingRibs.com and protected by US copyright law unless otherwise noted. It is a US federal crime to publish or distribute anything on this website without permission. Try to get one with a cover for the best temperature control and to prevent burning thicker meats. Try to get enough surface area so you can set up for 2-zone cooking.
These kamado-style grills use charcoal but have thick, ceramic sides that store a ton of heat, radiating that energy very efficiently as you cook. It had the best temperature control of any charcoal grill we tested. That being said, this is not a portable grill; I had to ask for weber q help to move the 76-pound grill! It’s also much smaller than the other grills, fitting about four burgers, and it’s significantly more expensive, too. The PK Grills PKTX is a great option for anyone looking for a fully-functional charcoal grill with a smaller outdoor area.
The Cuisinart portable grill also runs on any small propane tank you can find at camping or hardware stores. Cuisinart’s Venture portable gas grill looks like something Apple would make if Apple got into grills. It’s really a two-part grill that packs up into a lightweight, easy-to-carry package. The base comes off and features a flip-out propane bottle holder (we discourage you from using those; see why below) as well as serving as a place to cut. The integrated bamboo cutting board fits on top of the base, which gives you somewhere to prep your meal even if there’s no picnic table around.
These point you in the direction of a small, sheet-metal kettle or 16.4-ounce propane model. If durability is your sole criteria and not weight, look at the grill’s build and features that contribute to longevity. Perhaps weber q a cast-iron hibachi is your best choice or maybe it’s a simple charcoal grill built from sheet metal. The GoBQ also performed well, cultivating a steady and hot fire, and has a robust 185 square inches of grilling space.