Weber Q1200 Review: Portable Beauty or a Overweight Beast?

An easy-to-read, integrated thermometer helps you accurately track temperature, and fold-out side tables offer plenty of space for your BBQ tools. While its weight and lack of latching lid make it less than ideal for carrying into remote picnic sites, the Weber Q 1200 is the ideal companion for road tripping and car-camping. Many portable grills function to cook food but lack the finesse needed for grilling more than hot dogs and burgers. This one brings power and control to this category better than the competition. We purchased the Q1200 to carry along on camping trips. It’s compact, rugged design stores easily when traveling.

The weber charcoal grill2200 gets amazing reviews and, thanks to its aluminum and rigid plastic construction, does not rust. The resistance to rust is really important if you plan on keeping the grill uncovered outside or near a swimming pool. Love that you don’t have to haul around bags of charcoal.

I’m not even sure that I would have, except that I still own a grill. I feel like I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t give you the most accurate review possible. Very little has changed since I reviewed two Weber Q grills over seven years ago. A slight model name change and some cosmetic updates are the only differences between the old and new grills. The Q line of grills still have all of the same features, the same specifications and most importantly, they all operate the same and produce the same results.

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The internal temp quickly rose to just about 500 degrees F with the lid closed but didn’t exceed that temp. Worth noting that 500 is a good mark to hit for high-heat grilling — things like steaks, burgers and in my case, tuna. The tuna steaks and sausages I plunked down on the grill grates got a nice sear with pretty grill marks in about 10 minutes . The Weber Q 300 gas grill pairs a high performance cooking system and easy-grip handles to form a powerful gas grill.

By that, I mean, don’t leave it outside in the elements and expect it to look pretty in five years. The Q1200 tends to run hot, even on its lowest setting, which is perfect for direct grilling. For those of you who live to grill with indirect heat, it isn’t done well on a unit with a single burner.

Last, but certainly not least, we wish this model came with a latch to secure the lid. Though it doesn’t solve the issue, the cast aluminum lid is at least heavier than most, so it doesn’t bounce around much during normal travel. But if you’re planning on four-wheeling into your BBQ site, consider using a bungee cord to help secure it. While reading reviews of the grill, I noticed that several people mentioned it can take a while to pre-heat, so I shut the lid and went inside to prep my burger. When I checked on the grill five minutes later, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the lid thermometer already read 400 degrees.

This grill doesn’t have the much in the way of bells and whistles. That being said, the folding tables and the hood thermometer are more than enough additions to this grill. I also like that there is a built in thermometer – a hood mounted thermometer, in fact. As with most of these, you do have to be wary of them – they tend to be off by a few degrees in either direction. ALL products/items on the website may not be in stock. If you are looking for a specific model/item, please call to inquire.

Remove the grease tray and dispose of the liner and its contents appropriately. Remove grill grates, them, and using warm, soapy water, weber q wipe out the grill body and lid, inside and out. The grill grates are cast iron and are more plate-like where they cover the burner.