This model was engineered with boaters in mind so if you’re setting sail this summer, you might give the pricey Magma a closer look. If you like the portable bbq look of this and need a fire pit on top of a charcoal grill, I say go for it. But be aware that it might not last for as long as you want it to.
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. 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 Weber Q series may be the best of the portable grills we’ve tested, but they also cost the most. But Weber’s warranty covers most of the unit for five years, so we think the price is justified. Cook juicy and delicious food every time with the convenience of our gas grills.
Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with decades of experience in the food industry. For this piece, he interviewed chef Cory Bahr and pitmasters Jake Wood and Tank Jackson to find out what the pros look for in a portable grill. He then used their insights and his own expertise combined with market research to curate this list.
It had the same solid construction, the same easy-to-work-with grates, and it even had a chimney vent on top that provided excellent temperature control. The charcoal basket was on adjustable hooks, so I could bring it closer or further from the grates depending on how hot I wanted them. It performed just as well in the indirect cooking test portable bbq as the Nomad. But the things that made the Rambler a great grill are also the things that made it harder to move. Carrying it two blocks was not impossible but it required more exertion than any of the other charcoal grills. It also required more assembly of the wrench and screwdriver type, though it still only took about 30 minutes.
The liquid propane canisters are also disposable, so they create a lot of waste for not much cooking time. The top and base combine to form an attractive prep surface that clips alongside the grill. The single 9,000-BTU burner is fueled by a 16-ounce propane canister that conveniently stores in the base.
We set the burner on low for the 100 percent beef burgers we grilled, flipped them once, and then turned up the heat to imprint sear lines from the cast-iron grate. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a portable grill that’s easier to tote around town than the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill. The top-rated design weighs 13.5 pounds and features push-start ignition as well as porcelain-enameled grates specifically designed to combat flare-ups while grilling. Each Go-Anywhere grill also features a glossy porcelain-enamel lid and bowl to ensure durability on all your adventures. Time Magazine called the COBB weber q grill one of the best inventions of the year. Our ranking of heat output also considered each manufacturer’s BTU reporting, grill surface area, and lid sealing and construction.
The summer is favorite season, mostly because she can put one of her many grills to the test nightly. That said, most of the time when I hit the road I grab Weber’s Connect Smart Hub ($100). It’s not as sophisticated portable bbq as the SmartFire, but it’s more portable, and two probes is generally all I need on small grills. Not everyone has a yard, and it’s increasingly common for apartments to ban open flame grills on balconies.
The grill is bigger than it seems, with 196 square inches of grilling area. It was actually bigger than several other grills I tested that didn’t fold up nearly as compactly. It puts out a tremendous amount of heat, doesn’t require a huge amount of charcoal to load (given its 18-inch cooking surface), and remains lightweight. At just 18 pounds, the Jumbo Joe is easy to carry from garage to car to campsite. The bar clip creates a handy holder for the lid when it’s not in use.