If you have the space for something bigger, check out our guide to full-size charcoal grills. For more backyard-grilling options, check out our guide to full-size gas grills. We rated the grills on ease of cleaning, including dumping any ash and unused charcoal for applicable models. After rating the grills’ overall performances in weber charcoal grill these areas, we looked at those scores and weighed them against their retail prices. Rating each area on a scale of one to five, we averaged the category scores to arrive at the final score for each grill. Setup took less than 20 minutes, but instructions are very detailed and require close attention to succeed on the first try.
Controlling the temperature in a charcoal grill is all about vent placement, since you can’t turn coal heat down. But vents are also important for the airflow required to keep your coals lit. We found that a vent in the top of the lid and another in the belly of the firebox created the best air circulation.
If you want portable charcoal grilling in a truly portable package, this is the best small grill to buy. The Cuisinart gas grill is definitely lighter and a bit more portable than the Weber. It also feels slightly less sturdy while grilling, but is not flimsy by any means. At just over $100, it is the best portable grill on a budget — especially if you don’t plan to use it more than a handful of times per summer.
Both Weber gas grills I tested were effective and easy to cook on, but the nod goes to the Traveler here for its passionate embrace of portability. When folded up, the legs become a handle that you can pull behind you as if you’re walking with a nice roller bag. The legs on one side of the grill become a sort of handle when the grill is folded up; you can walk with weber genesis 2 it, kind of as if you’re pulling a nice roller bag. It has some other nice design touches, like the ability to transition the grill from folded to cook-ready with one hand, and a lid that locks automatically for transport and storage. The Weber Traveler heated up quickly, and I met no resistance when turning food on the porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates.
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!). If you want portable charcoal grilling in a truly portable package, this is the best grill to buy. Give your picnic pals the same experience with Heston’s natty BBQ box. Neat and tidy by design, the bamboo lid doubles up as a prep board, with a storage tray beneath.
Being a single-burner grill, the Venture made it a little tricky to manage heat when cooking thicker meats like bone-in chicken, as it’s hard to get away from the heat for longer, indirect cooking. We set the burner on low for the 100 percent beef burgers we grilled, flipped them once, and then turned up the heat to imprint sear lines from the cast-iron grate. Generally, we found it relatively easy to grill thinner foods and, even better, convenient to turn on and off as needed over the course of an afternoon. Traeger wood pellet grills offer precise temperature control that gas and charcoal simply can’t match.
The output on portable gas grills ranges from 4,000 to over 13,000 Btu. But more heat alone doesn’t equate to better grilling performance, as a grill’s performance is based on a combination of output, design, and quality of materials. A great portable grill offers consistent heat, minimal flare-ups, a generous cooking area, and an easily totable design. We think the ideal capacity on a portable grill is enough to accommodate a full meal for two or a main course for a small crowd.
It’s also worth noting that you’ll be getting more of a broiled result versus a traditional grill since there is no actual flame so don’t expect char marks on your oblong burgers. There are a few sizes, including this mid-size GoSun Go and the larger GoSun Survival if you’re planning on cooking for a group. Carrying weber charcoal grill a dusty, dirty charcoal grill around isn’t usually an attractive proposition, but the creators of the GoBQ have mostly solved the issue through intelligent design. The entire unit folds out and up in about 20 seconds and then wraps up again after you’re done, securing all the nasty cooked charcoal.