The Char Broil Grill2Go is unique in that, for transport, you can carry fuel cans inside the lid. This grill proved its portable capability, performing nearly anywhere on any surface. Though slightly lacking portable bbq on space, this grill has ample power to cook up any meal you can dream up. Push-button ignition is either by a manual or battery-operated ignition button, which causes a spark that then ignites the gas.
The simple design on this Weber charcoal portable grill features a Tuck-N-Carry lid that double locks in place and duals as a lid holder. While we couldn’t rely on BTU-ratings for charcoal grills, our reviewers utilized an infrared thermometer to accurately test the temperature of these grill surfaces. The Grillster is great at searing steaks and other high-temperature cooking, but it is tough to control the overall range on this rip-roaring grill. Unless we were aiming for blackened chicken or blistered peppers, we rarely found ourselves using anything more than the lowest gas setting. Although it is compact and portable, there is a tradeoff with its smaller grilling space.
They’re small enough for a balcony or patch of grass outside your back door, plus you can pack them up for car camping and tailgating. And there are models are from major grill and home appliance brands, like Weber, Cuisinart, and Camp Chef, plus options across price points, from under $50 to upwards of $250 or more. The Weber Q 1200 is one of the highest-scoring in this category due to the adjustability of its control knob and a sound electronic ignition system.
The large surface of the Cuisinart All Foods Roll-Away gives the cook multiple heat zones to work with while grilling. The infrared burner of the Solaire Everywhere heats the entire grill surface to about the same temperature. This is good for cooking lots of one type of food, but not so good if you’re hoping to cook different foods at different rates. Even though the weber q Jumbo Joe isn’t the smallest or most compact charcoal grill we tested, it is lightweight and easy to carry. The lid-locking metal handle tightly holds the grill together for transport and pulls double duty as a convenient lid holder. And since the spacious firebox fits a full chimney starter’s worth of coals, you can get two or three rounds of grilling per load.
Porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates are best at searing foods. Though cast iron adds an extra 5 to 10 pounds to the total weight of a grill, we think the flavorful dark crust on burgers and steaks makes it worthwhile. We also prefer an open grate design that allows ambient heat from the firebox to brown the areas in between the grill marks.
Next, we fired up the grills and did a quick, but thorough, evaluation of cooking-surface temperature. For gas grills, we used slices of white bread to cover the grilling surfaces to identify uneven heating. For charcoal grills, we used a glowing bed of charcoal directly underneath food, and then placed bricks to one side to see how well the grill body distributed heat. We weber genesis 2 also noted if it was easy to load up and move charcoal around inside the grill, and whether vents provided sufficient airflow. Cast-aluminum fireboxes are durable, corrosion resistant, and excellent at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat, so you have fewer hotspots. This means you don’t have to obsessively babysit your barbecued chicken to prevent excessive charring.
Everything about a portable grill is designed with travel in mind. Portable grills come outfitted with wheels to make them easier to transport or are light and compact enough for one person to carry. Being a single-burner grill, the Venture made it a little tricky to manage heat when cooking thicker meats like bone-in chicken, as it’s hard to get away from the heat for longer, indirect cooking.
It’s a perfect camping cooker except you do need sunlight for this to function so I wouldn’t rely solely on this for eating if you’re heading into the woods for an extended period. You can read more about how we evaluate portable grills in our Lab and consumer tests — plus everything you need to know to shop for your perfect grill — at the end of this guide. Check out our guide to best grilling accessories and how to clean your grill to get it ready for grilling. Like the Q above, Weber’s Traveler uses a single burner that wraps around the entire bottom of the grill. That’s covered by a two-piece cast iron grill grate that’s solid where it runs over the burner, which acts as a heat diffuser and keeps the burner from getting covered in grease. Speaking of grease, it has a slide-out grease trap that’s easy to empty.
If you can’t face the prospect of going without your Big Green Egg for a weekend, the MiniMax Big Green Egg is much smaller, but it still isn’t terribly portable. However, if you want to smoke, grill, and bake outdoors, this ceramic cooker is a strong choice. Whether it’s the salty sweetness on that lightly charred corn or the rich smoothness of smoked meat, warm weather begs us to get outside and light a fire.