The Weber Smokey Joe is a staple at park cookouts and on camping trips and that’s for good reason. Youwillneed a proper hitch to attach it, however, and I’d suggest taking a short test drive to ensure it’s properly installed. And worth noting you’ll also want two small propane tanks to get the whole grill lit. There’s also an adapter sold separately to rig it up to a full-sized tank if you prefer.
When on these excursions, we took into account things like overall size, weight, construction materials, and availability of wheels, stands, or lid latches. We also evaluated how secure or not secure they were, noisiness during transport, and cleanliness on the ride home. The George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor 15+ may offer a huge grilling surface, but can only be operated on a single heat-setting. Notice that while the onions were just beginning to nicely char, our burgers were over-browning to a crisp.
In addition to performance, we test ease of use and score each grills on the types of features they have like shelves, storage space, amount of wheels, etc. We also ensured our winning portable grills could be transported easily by one person. Like most of Weber’s grills, the Q1200 has a disposable drip tray below the grill, which makes clean-up much easier than some portable grills with drip trays that need to be washed out periodically.
The Gonzo Grill can also be converted into a stove-top by removing the griddle. Among the charcoal models, the Weber Go-Anywhere scores top marks for control. Thanks to a relatively deep basin, we were able to build and stoke a substantial volume of coals to achieve the exact heat we desired.
But as a rule of thumb, you want to clean the grill grates of any food or grease buildup to prevent fires or avoid foodborne illness and clean the top, sides, and bottom for the same reason. Keep burner tubes clean to avoid buildup, which might cause fires or clog the gas jets. One can typically unclog jets by poking them with a pin or thin piece of wire. Finally, for charcoal grills, you want to ensure that the fire is completely out, then dump the ashes and either wipe or hose down the grill.
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Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial, and help keep this site alive. Millions come to AmazingRibs.com every month for high quality tested recipes, tips on technique, science, mythbusting, product reviews, and inspiration. But it is expensive to run a website with more than 2,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner to subsidize us. The COBB Frying Pan is not just restricted to eggs and pancakes but makes the perfect pizza and scones every time.
And unlike a full-size grill, it folds down small enough to stash in a garden shed or on a utility shelf. The Q 1200’s small fold-out side tables are handy for keeping grill tools within reach, though we wouldn’t feel confident resting a large tray brimming with meat or other heavy things on them. The thermometer in the dome lid is nice, but it isn’t necessary other than for letting you know when the grill is hot and ready. Food grilled over charcoal has that coveted backyard-grill smoky flavor. Gas grills are better for people who want to grill more than once a week and can sacrifice a little heat and the classic taste of charcoal for convenience. A great grill for camping and tailgating, and for apartment dwellers with limited outdoor space.
In fact, in our tests the grill surface got so hot that we needed to keep close tabs on our burger and kabobs to avoid overcooking the outside. This intense heat allowed us to achieve a thick char on the surface of our burger, which turned out juicy and flavor packed. weber genesis 2 At less than 10 pounds and under 15 inches in diameter, the Smokey Joe was easy to carry and took up little space in the trunk of our car. However, it lacks any sort of mechanism to lock the lid to the base, which forced us to carry it in our arms, which gets messy.
A basic, more affordable grill might get you through a backyard bash, but a more expensive product will tend to last longer, even under more rigorous or extensive use. Simple grilling, like burgers and dogs, can be done on any portable grill. But if you would like the option to sear a steak and slow-cook chicken on the same grate, you’ll likely only find such features on higher-quality models.