Or you might want something you can tote to a campground, park, or tailgate. After grilling 65 burgers, 30 pounds of chicken, and 25 pounds of bratwurst on nine portable grills, we found the best ones for both small backyards and outdoor adventures. The Weber Q 1200 Gas Grill portable bbq is our pick for the best portable gas grill because of its no-fuss convenience and stellar grilling performance. For charcoal purists, we recommend the Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18″. It’s just as capable as a full-size kettle at searing and grilling food to perfection.
Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. The performance of the George Foreman’s electric grill plate is basically impervious to wind, and all of the food is protected beneath a gigantic lid. The Char-Broil Grill2Go’s best features are its compactness and its easy-to-carry design.
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 weber q 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.
Since you’ve come here looking for a portable grill, we thought it made sense to recommend one for those of you who prize portability above all other features. Everything but the grill grate on the GoBQ is made of flame-retardant fabric, and the whole thing weighs nine pounds and packs easily into something about the size of a knife roll. There are a few choices when it comes to the best portable propane grill. Our top pick, the Weber Q1200 portable grill, is great for anyone looking for an all-around capable grill with plenty of built-in features. After evaluating each grill’s cooking ability, we determined how easy it was to clean the grill. We also looked at what additional features the grill offered, such as smart controls, integrated thermometers, and side tables.
This convenient feature can send a near-constant spark until the grill lights, unlike striker-style ignitions that take repeated pressing. Use these shopping tips and recommendations to pick the best portable grill for your next on-the-go barbecue. No matter how gorgeous or secluded your camping spot, a terrific meal will make the experience that much more memorable. You want the wood-fired flavor of food hot off the grill — not a bag of trail mix or freeze-dried eggs.
I tried to cover both the “portable” part and the “grill” part in my testing. For those grills with wheels, I walked them around a large, uneven lawn with plenty of divots to see how they rolled. It has two magnetic vents which, when set to half open, allow the grill to stay at 250°F for an hour. I checked the grill every 20 minutes and was able to keep it at that temperature on less than a full chimney of charcoal. Even with ample background on the best portable grills, you might still have some additional questions.
Its 240-square-inch round cooking surface offers ample space for grilling, and we liked how we could access the grill from any side. The two grilling plates are removable and nonstick, making them easy to clean in the kitchen sink. The Jumbo Joe boasts some 240 square inches of cooking space, and it feels that large. We could easily have loaded a dozen patties onto its cooking surface and still had enough buffer between them to allow for flipping.
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 portable BBQ 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.
That’s because the RoadTrip folds flat and has wheels on one end, allowing it to roll behind the user like a piece of airline luggage. However, we should note that lifting it into the car trunk and converting it from cart form to grill form can be awkward without two people. Portable grills pack the basic weber genesis 2 functionalities of their standard counterparts into a more compact design, but reduced size and price tag don’t necessarily indicate reduced quality. Whether you’re craving juicy burgers, hot dogs, seasoned vegetables, or some other barbecue favorite, there’s a portable grill to meet your needs.
Since the Grill2Go comes almost completely assembled, setup was easy. Its box shape, large handles, and manageable weight make it easy to move into position on a tabletop, and it fit easily into the trunk of our vehicle. We also liked the clips that hold the lid securely closed for transport. While the Davy Crockett is a very capable grill, it really shines as a smoker. Over eight hours, it never deviated from the set temp more than a few degrees, even when smoking at temperatures as low as 225 degrees Fahrenheit.