Most importantly, the high-powered ceramic “flameless” burner that sits below a carefully designed grate of v-shaped bars cooks steaks better than anything else in our review. For those excellent cuts of red meat that require nothing more than a touch of flame, this is the best portable grill on weber charcoal grill the market. 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.
The output on portable gas grills ranges from 4,000 to over 13,000 Btu. But more heat alone doesn’t equate to better grilling performance, as a grill’s performance is based on a combination of output, design, and quality of materials. A great portable grill offers consistent heat, minimal flare-ups, a generous cooking area, and an easily totable design. We think the ideal capacity on a portable grill is enough to accommodate a full meal for two or a main course for a small crowd.
The beauty of this pick is it functions as a portable fire pit and charcoal grill, which makes it great for camping. It has two oversized handles for carrying and its legs fold up to make moving it even easier. It can be used with firewood or charcoal – just slide on the included grill grate to use as a grill. The sides of the fire pit are perforated so you can see the flames, and it comes with an app-controlled fan to control the size of the flames. A 16.4-ounce propane tank attaches to the back of the grill with a sturdy, easy-to-secure attachment. It has two plastic temperature knobs on the front of the grill; one knob controls in the inner flame ring and the other controls the outer.
The fan is electric, of course, but that doesn’t mean you have to be tied to an outlet—it can also be powered by four AA batteries. LotusGrill stands out from the pack by serving up a charcoal BBQ with a built-in battery-powered fan system. Thanks to this bit of technical wizardry, your charcoal will be ready to cook in record time, while producing far less smoke than a regular fanless charcoal grill. You can even dial in the fan speed to change the heat intensity as you see fit. Weber’s pared-back barbie combines form and function in a portable porcelain package. Good to go and for roasting at home, the compact cooker’s enamel coating keeps temperatures consistent while resisting rust.
But the position of the side handles helps to evenly distribute its 30-pound heft and lessens the burden of hoisting and moving the grill. Portable grills aren’t just for camping, picnicking, and tailgating; they’re also great for city and apartment dwellers with limited outdoor space. Grills in this category should be light, small, and comfortable enough to carry from a car into a park or campground. If you’re planning a beach BBQ, there are a few factors you’ll want to consider when choosing a grill.
There are more types of small grills now using every fuel source imaginable, including the sun. Portable grills are perfect for campers, city folks living in apartments and anyone without a big backyard or who finds themselves often on the move. This multifunctional charcoal grill doubles as a wood-burning fire pit, and it even features a small fan attachment to blow smoke out of your face for weber charcoal grill comfort. You can also use the lower fan setting to help get charcoal going or kindling lit and save yourself some excessive fanning and blowing. This is the best option on this list for transitioning from a barbecue dinner to a post-meal fire pit session. And if your home or apartment features a small outdoor space, there are small grills made for city dwellers and small balcony havers.
The Roadtrip 285 produced better results from our white bread heat mapping test than any other grill we’ve tested. Our ranking of heat output also considered each manufacturer’s BTU reporting, grill surface area, and lid sealing and construction. For the most part, the scoring of the heat output follows manufacturer claims, but we made some exceptions based on our observations.
The Weber Jumbo Joe is our pick for best portable charcoal grill for most people thanks to its affordable price, capable size, and lid locking feature. If you can stretch your budget the PKTX is larger, has greater temperature control, and comes with an excellent foldable cart. We grilled bone-in chicken to test for flare-ups and how well both the gas and charcoal grills could sustain a medium-low cooking temperature over 45 minutes. With its rectangular shape and easy-carry handle, the Cuisinart Venture looks a bit like an insulated cooler, but it does the exact opposite. It’s a small grill and doesn’t have a heck of a lot of power, but it’s also extremely compact and easy to carry down to the beach or toss into your backpack. There’s a wooden cutting board/serving tray that sits on top of the grate when the grill’s not in use, but it’s completely open to the elements while cooking.
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. Petite and sure-footed, the Grillster is the perfect companion for a picnic for two, no matter the location.