Most grills performed about as well as advertised, with some topping out at as much as 100 F hotter than others. The better grills also generally ended up reading out a more consistent temperature throughout cooking. Single-use grills exist, and while they may not be the most practical option for everyday use, if you have one long hike planned and want to do some grilling, this is a good option.
It’s just so easy to use and so reliably good at grilling without burning everything to a crisp. This exquisite folding model from Weber is one of the best folding portable barbecues on the market. Yes, it’s large when portable bbq folded and, at 28.141kgs, it’s extremely heavy too – at least for a portable. But on the plus side it can be transported like a shopping trolley on its large wheels with the whole barbecue section locked into place.
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.
There’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, so you can keep tabs on your cook from anywhere. If flavor is your only criterion, I would argue that charcoal is superior to propane gas. Often, we grill after hours on a Friday while we’re also trying to set up a tent, inflate a mattress, and wrangle hungry children.
The damper on top allows for fine management of the heat, and a large, easy-to-read thermometer made monitoring the temperature simple. As far as portability, this table-top grill doesn’t break down to take up less space—what you see is what you get, and it might be difficult to transport in smaller cars. That might seem a tad heavy, but it has cast iron grill grates and is fabricated from thick-gauge steel, instead of cheap stamped sheet metal. It’s built to last, though we wouldn’t suggest hiking into the woods with it. With 189 square inches of cooking surface, this grill was not the biggest on the list, but it’s plenty big enough to cook burgers, chicken, fish, and veggies for a group of six hungry people.
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 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.
It can be used with firewood or charcoal – just slide on the included grill grate to use as a grill. The sides of the fire pit are perforated so you can see the flames, and it comes with an app-controlled fan to control the size of the flames. Timeless design with modern modifications, NOMAD Grills® are portable charcoal barbecue grills crafted from lightweight aircraft alloys.
The fan not only kept smoke from billowing up in our faces while we were burning with wood, but it also stoked the coals. This made it possible to light the Biolite grill in half the time of a traditional charcoal grill. The fan has several settings, so you can turn it on low to preserve the coal bed when cooking chicken over indirect heat or crank it up to high to get a hard sear on burgers and steaks. That high heat was useful for searing vegetables when using the grill with its included cast-iron griddle, too. For tailgating, camping, or a barbecue in the park, the RoadTrip 285 is easy to haul and set up. It runs on 16-ounce propane canisters—bring spares if you’re cooking for a crew or making multiple meals.
In my testing, the Mini Big Green Egg has excellent heat control and, like the larger version, is extremely fuel-efficient. To test this I marinated some chicken in lemon juice and olive oil and laid it on the grills. Every grill flared somewhat, but the Q have heavy enameled cast-iron grates that are closed over the burners, which helps keep the flaring under control.