All in all, I’d say all three tests were a resounding success and I might even consider switching over to electric when I’m not using my trusty pellet grill. When it comes to recommending reputable barbecue brands, I usually alight on three main players – Weber, Broil King and Napoleon. In my experience, these three manufacturers consistently produce some of the best performing and most robust barbecues you can buy.
First, it will be difficult to wheel or drag a grill through sand, so opt for a compact model that’s light enough to carry. A grill with telescoping legs is ideal in this situation, but if you have a tabletop grill, consider whether there will be a picnic table or other suitable surface to place it on. Finally, the beach is often windy, so you may want to look for a grill that has a wind guard—otherwise, the grill may struggle to maintain its temperature. Additionally, these grills are all portable, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all fit your transportation needs. If you’ll be tossing the grill in the back of a pickup truck, any of these models will work. But if you’ve got a conventional car, make sure the grill will fit your trunk’s unique size and shape.
It also has a built-in thermometer that’s reasonably accurate, but I still suggest getting a separate instant-read thermometer. While slow-cooking on the Takibi would be challenging, you can at least adjust the grill height to control temperature. My only real complaint is that without a lid you can’t smother your remaining charcoal and reuse it, but in most cases when the food is done I load weber charcoal grill up the Takibi with firewood and enjoy it as a fire pit. Because it’s a pop-up model, there are a few pieces to fit together, but the instructions are pretty simple, and attaching the propane bottle is as easy as it should be. It’s not a large grill, but we fit 10 of the allotted 12 burgers on without significantly overcrowding it, and 12 large onion slices in the test previous to that.
With its rectangular shape and easy-carry handle, the Cuisinart Venture looks a bit like an insulated cooler, but it does the exact opposite. Its base conceals storage for a propane tank, the wooden top becomes a cutting board/serving tray, and the middle section is the grill itself, with a 9,000-BTU burner and a 154-square-inch nonstick grate. 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. The Big Green Egg is a Kamado-style cooker (Kamado is a Japanese word that roughly means “stove”), which makes it much more than a grill. The ceramic construction retains heat and turns it into a portable oven as well. The MiniMax Big Green Egg is identical to its larger cousin in nearly every way, but smaller.
After the initial heat-up stage, the grill registered 555°F at the 30-minute mark, more than hot enough for a good sear. There is some heat variation, with a 10- to 20-degree difference in final temperatures during our burger tests, with the burgers on the front and sides cooking slower than those on the back row. The built-in ignition system is adequate, and the burners are responsive to adjustment.
One of the nice features is the fact that this grill has split grates. In this way, you can replace one of them with a q 300 series griddle and use it for cooking breakfast. Just as cast iron is used for skillets, baking pans, and other kitchen essentials, aluminum can also be used for these items. It’s much thicker than pressed weber bbq aluminum, which makes it more resistant to warping or damage. Welcome to T3’s review of the new Weber Lumin Compact, a portable electric tabletop BBQ that can grill, sear, smoke, steam and keep food warm. Our top pick is the Weber Q 2200 Liquid Propane Grill because of its quick and even heating and easy assembly.
Inside, the 1560-watt heating element is design to cover the entire cooking space, so you’ll experience even heat, and its temperature is adjusted via the infinite heat control settings. There’s so much to love about this lightweight, versatile portable gas grill. The compact design is easy to bring to a sporting event or out camping, yet the porcelain-enameled cooking grate can still fit up to eight burgers at a time. This Cuisinart grill features a 5,500-BTU burner, a twist-start electric ignition, and a temperature gauge. The grate gives you 145 square inches of cooking space, accommodating four to six people at once. Despite its portability, the Traveler has plenty of cooking space, with 320 square inches (enough for about 15 burgers at a time), plus a small prep table attached to the side.