When on these excursions, we took into account things like the overall size, weight, construction materials, and availability of wheels, stands, or lid latches. We also evaluated how secure or not secure they were, noisiness during transport, and cleanliness on the ride home. Once the grill is going, the Camp Chef Portable Pellet’s internal thermometer and the computer then take over to regulate the flow of pellets into the burner. This process keeps the grill temperature remarkably close to the chosen setting. If all this tech hasn’t impressed you yet, this model also has two digital meat thermometers so that you can watch temperatures in real time. With this grill, barring some sort of unexpected mishap, you will likely never overcook a tri-tip again.
It’s ultimately a reliable compact grill that does double-duty as an indoor or outdoor workhorse. Some of the very attributes we loved most tie directly to the weaknesses of the Camp Chef Portable Pellet. portable bbq Not only is the ignitor electric but so is the auger that feeds pellets from the hopper into the grill. If you’re at home, in an RV, or have a decent power bank, you won’t find this much of an issue.
With any grill, cleaning them before transporting them will lead to less mess. This could be a good starter grill for someone who wants to try grilling but doesn’t want to make a large commitment to the endeavor. Its biggest drawbacks are wobbly legs, even when ensuring that the attachment hardware is fully tightened, and visible air gaps in the lid that limit the ability to control the temperature. The Dyna-Glo scored highly for performance but was edged out for Best Value by its weight (40 pounds) and a more complicated assembly process that could require a second person to accomplish easily.
There are three dials that control the different zones, but all of those heat zones overlap. The middle dial controls a burner that spans the length of the whole grill, while the other two dials control an additional burner on each side. The Roadtrip 285 produced better results from our white bread heat mapping test than any other grill we’ve tested. Unfortunately, the uncompromising high-heat cooking performance means there are tradeoffs. For instance, the small grill top only has enough space for one or two steaks at a time.
Finally — and the most notable problem — the low-heat performance is practically nonexistent. Although the heat is adjustable, we would describe the settings as “High” to “Extremely High.” Furthermore, the only purpose of the lid is portability; you cannot close it while cooking. While it prepares steaks very, very nicely, other foods are nearly impossible to cook well. For the fans of pit-cooking out there, we offer up the Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill.
The tightly fitting vents are tough to adjust without gloves, and it takes time to skillfully manage these adjustments for perfect airflow. But we can assure you that with practice, this portable grill can allow you to master the art of cooking over an open flame and produce delicious food in the process, even on the go. Those in need of a compact grill to fit in the trunk of a smaller vehicle or take up minimal storage space will want to consider another model. This is a bulky grill compared to many of its rivals in this review, and it relies heavily on wheels for transport. Weighing in at 47 pounds, it’s not very fun to transport it much further than in and out of a truck bed. However, the Coleman Roadtrip 285 makes up for the portability deficiencies with top-tier grilling performance, easily earning our recommendation for a large-sized portable grill.
This is nice for aiding with cleanup, but it’s not very wind-resistant, so it usually ended up on the ground after flying weber q away in windy conditions. This can be remedied by doing away with this disposable part or just by putting a rock in it.