A swiveling metal handle tightly holds the grill together for easy transporting. The propane coupling juts out the side, and attaching 1-pound liquid-propane canisters is easy. An adapter for the Char-Broil Grill2Go allows you to use a Type 1 tank connection for 20-pound propane tanks.
It’s since been discontinued, and a company representative informed us that they’re working on a redesign that should be available in 2022. As a hibachi, the Lodge excels in high-heat searing, making it ideal for steaks. Since the whole grill is cast iron, it holds an intense amount of heat. But the lidless design limits its ability to tackle slow-cooking tasks.
Add in the fact that the carrying handles got extremely hot as you used it and it was a touch on the heavy side at 30 pounds, and this one fell to the bottom of our list. The portable cart was easy to lower for transport, letting us wheel the 3-burner grill to and from events. We love the pull-out side tables, and the grill was decently sturdy when it was set up, too. Add in the eight-burger capacity and we felt like we were cooking on a full-sized grill! We had some trouble with the griddle-like design in the middle of the cast-iron grates; the flat portion transferred more heat than the spaced grates, creating an uneven heating pattern.
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!). Although it does indeed produce very little smoke, if using indoors we would still recommend placing it on the cooker hob below the extractor fan for completely smoke-free grilling. We were impressed with the high-heat grilling performance of the Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Grill. But when the firebox got hot, the side vents that regulated airflow stuck in place, rendering us powerless when it came to heat control—critical for slow-cooking things like chicken and sausages.
The charcoal in it lit quickly and imparted a smoky flavor into the food. Unfortunately, because it’s so small, it can’t cook more than four burgers at a time. Its size also made it impossible to arrange the coals into an indirect heat pattern.
Excessive flare-ups are annoying and can make food taste like burnt oil. 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. In spring 2017, Tim and then Wirecutter writers Lesley Stockton and Michael Sullivan spent over 40 hours testing full-size gas and charcoal grills, as well asgrill accessories.
Despite its 12,000 Btu output, it ran the coldest of all the propane portables we tested, yielding pallid burgers and flabby, undercooked chicken. The 240-square-inch grilling grate can accommodate up to seven 6-ounce burger patties at a time. Portable grills aren’t just for camping, picnicking, and tailgating; they’re also great for city and apartment dwellers with limited outdoor space.
For the best grilling results, you can use the Griddle and CobbleStones. You can grill fish, meat, and veggies to perfection portable bbq anywhere, anytime. “Nomad’s charcoal grill suitcase is modern ingenuity combined with classic cooking.”