I’ve got to say, the results were really impressive – the fish was perfectly cooked and it definitely had a light texture and very pleasant smokey flavour. Despite its diminutive size, the Lumin Compact is a versatile piece of kit that can grill, sear, smoke, steam and warm. For its heat source, it uses a simple old-fashioned oven-style heating element that weaves a path directly beneath the two-part high-quality cast-iron grilling grates. 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.
Whether you’re an avid tailgater or off-roading enthusiast, the HitchFire Forge 15 is a worthwhile splurge for those who are always grilling on the go. This heavy-duty propane grill can be used on a table, but what makes it special is its included mount, which attaches to a 2-inch vehicle hitch. Once installed, you can drive, off-road, and cook with the grill mounted to the rear of your car. We were truly impressed at how secure the HitchFire felt when mounted to a truck, and it never budged on a 350-mile drive. Ever wish you could get your grill on outside of your backyard?
The porcelain-coated cast-iron grill grate is quite non-stick, with even delicate fish filets releasing pretty easily. What makes this grill special is that the telescoping VersaStand holds the grill at ideal cooking height, yet shrinks down for easy transport and storage. Our tester did find the grill was a bit wobbly at its full height, but it put great sear marks on a variety of food, from tofu to Brazilian-style steak skewers, with minimal sticking.
There was one person who asked if he could hook the propane version to his large propane tank for his house. I personally see no problem because the grill comes with its own regulator, but I advise you to call Weber or a local installer to make sure this is possible. Cast aluminum is also better at retaining heat than pressed aluminum because it is thicker. This lid is not welded but made out of one piece of aluminum.The light on the grill handle was mentioned as very handy. As I mentioned I am not a big fan of a battery-operated ignition, but the one on this Q3200 seems to work pretty well. 1 or 2 of the almost 150 reviews I read mention the grill not getting hot enough.
My next experiment involved smoking a salmon fillet so I followed the instructions and replaced the left-hand grill top with the smoking tray and filled it with wood chips. Why Weber suggest the left side and not the right I don’t know – I mean it’s not weber charcoal grill as if the left side of the heating element is a different temperature to the right. But anyway, Weber recommend starting on full heat for about 5 minutes to get the chips smoking and then reducing the temperature by turning the dial to the smoke icon.
You also have the choice between the colors white and red for the lid. This Weber grill model has been and still is a very popular model. The 2 stainless steel burners make it very easy to use for many temperature settings. They had genuine barbecue flavour – and without the extra faff that charcoal and gas brings to the table.
There were some minor sticking issues with the grates and flare-ups towards the hotter back of the grates. The grill performed well, considering its price, and is a good starter model or one for folks not expecting longevity out of the grill, based on its construction. Yes, it’s possible to find a larger-sized grill at a $300-or-less price point, and it’s possible to find one with cooking power. The Nexgrill boasts 40,000 BTUs for the relatively large primary cooking area. Assembly was challenging, taking a little over an hour to complete, mainly due to the quality of the pictogram-heavy instructions. Getting the proper placement for the propane tank took time, too.
Maybe you want to enjoy grilled meats or vegetables on your next camping trip or picnic, or you’re looking for that smoky flavor on your burgers at the next tailgate party. Or maybe you need something handy for an emergency grilling situation. For the charcoal options, I also smoked ribs, pork, and brisket, If you’re planning to smoke, I highly recommend investing in some kind of thermometer system. It has adapters based on your grill and offers one temp probe and three food probes. There’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, so you can keep tabs on your cook from anywhere.
There were a few sticking issues with this grill, and the legs are wobbly, shaking our confidence in its safety. Of course, you can have a look at our grilling accessories and find more items to improve your grilling experience. We hope you enjoyed this Weber Q3200 review and have found it useful. After being on the market for many years now it is still one of the best-selling Weber grills and that does not surprise me. When we read customer reviews and publish some quotes here we always look for the reviews that actual buyers have written.
Do yourself a favor, throw away your lighter fluid and get a charcoal chimney starter ($27). It weighs 22 pounds and has a handle with a bar that fits over the top to keep the kettle and lid together for easy carrying. I tossed mine in the back of the car for trips to the lake and the park and it never tipped over. The ash catcher at the bottom makes cleaning less of a hassle by allowing you to dump the excess without removing the grill grates. After that, we grilled 12 thick onion slices, 12 burgers, and 12 accompanying buns per grill. We cooked each for a prescribed amount of time at a specified temperature setting and observed how the grill behaved, noting any variations of doneness on varying spots of the grill, flare-ups, or sticking.