I think this is best illustrated by these two skirt steaks that were seared for three minutes per side. I have been cooking on both a Traveler and a couple of weber genesis 2’s for months now and wanted to share my thoughts on a Head to Head comparison. We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Get BBQ guides, recipes, and our free digital cookbook sent straight to your inbox.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. We purchased the Weber Q 2200 so our review could put it to the test in her kitchen. If you like the idea of the portable cart add-on, the Traveler comes with its own cart.
A cart is also available, converting the Weber Q from a portable grill to your permanent backyard or balcony grill. The Q series grills are designed for grilling, although there are cases of people roasting on them, grilling is by far the strength of this series. The cooking grate is made of porcelain enameled cast iron the burners are not inhibited by flavorizer bars so the grate gets direct heat from the flame. Weber creatively created the grates to ensure that any grease or drippings bypass the direct flame. This model, like the Q1000 grill, has a cast-aluminum lid and body while the burner is made of stainless steel. Apart from this, the porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates and glass nylon frame made it durable.
This is the same material that is known as the signature of top-quality cookware like Le Creuset. The 1200 is a unique portable grill option, mainly in terms of design. A single, U-shaped burner puts out 8,500 BTU to efficiently heat the porcelain-enameled, cast-iron grill surface.
To begin with, the main structure is made from heat resistant reinforced nylon. Then, you have the cast aluminum lid that holds up just as well. Despite its large frame, the Q 1200 only sports 189 square inches of grill space. While this measurement objectively lands in the middle of the grills we tested, it tends to be plenty of room for most travel-cooking needs.
The grill has a red rubber latch to keep the legs closed and a retractable lid latch that holds the lid in place during transport. To get the same portability for the Q2200 that you get with the Traveler then you will need to buy the portable cart separately for portable bbq about $100. The biggest differences between these grills are price, styling, construction and portability. 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.