The Cuisinart Petite Gourmet is one of the smallest grills in our tests, and the size does affect control. If you’re cooking only one type of food that covers the entire grilling surface, then you will want to have consistent heat throughout. If you are cooking a variety of foods all at once, you might prefer different temperature zones. To test the distribution of heat across a grill, we grilled different food types in different corners of the grill. You don’t get this uncompromising high-heat cooking performance without some drawbacks. First, the grill top is small, with space for only one or two steaks on it at a time.
These grills are simple to use, but they require an electrical connection as well as hardwood pellets. Hence, while choosing the right one, there are a few points that we need to take note of. To start with, the number of BTUs or British Thermal Units that measure the amount of heat that a grill generates is an important factor.
Discover delicious recipes and new grilling techniques to take your grill game to the next level. After testing more than 90 tools from spatulas to tongs to grill gloves and more, we have recommendations for everything you need to have an amazing barbecue. Before putting the grill away for the season, give the inside a good scrubbing with lots of hot soapy water and rinse well. Weber’s segmented warranty covers the bowl and lid for 10 years, the “one-touch cleaning system” and plastic components for five years, and all other parts for two years. We give the Jumbo Joe points for having an ash catcher, even though it’s just a flimsy aluminum pan.
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. Choosing a portable grill can often come down to ease of use and the amount of heat produced. Many of the best portable gas grills make adjusting the temperature incredibly easy with dials that clearly indicate low, medium, and high temperatures. For pellet-fueled grills, temperature adjustment is related to the speed at which pellets are fed into the grill.
In addition, we promptly dismissed gas grills equipped with a coupling for a 20-pound propane cylinder. We prefer 1-pound liquid-propane tanks because they’re small and lightweight enough to stash in a backpack or tote bag. Portable gas grills come equipped with a coupling that fits 1-pound liquid-propane canisters . These mini propane cylinders weber genesis 2 are lightweight and packable, and they’re available at most hardware stores. While setting them up, make sure that there are no structures or even tree branches around the area. 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.
The GoBQ also performed well, cultivating a steady and hot fire, and has a robust 185 square inches of grilling space. It’s a little more expensive than some on the market, but it’s built to last. If you want portable charcoal grilling in a truly portable package, this is the best small grill to buy.