Weber Lumin Compact review: a top portable electric grill that sears, smokes & steams

In testing, we found this unit especially stable and tough to knock over with light jostles and bumps. Unless you’re looking for a portable grill, you’ll want a grill with the most cooking area available in your weber charcoal grill price range. Indeed, the best standalone grills we tested have large surface areas and multiple burners for indirect heat cooking. A larger cooking area gives you more flexibility in your cooking style.

weber portable grill

This Weber Q3200 review shows that it is the newer model of the Q320. In this Weber Q3200 review, I will give you all the pros and cons of this Weber gas grill and updated customer reviews. The Spruce Eats commerce writer Jason Horn updated this roundup. He’s been grilling since being put in charge of the hot dogs at a family party when he was probably 7 years old, and he’s been writing professionally about food and drinks for nearly two decades. He lives in Los Angeles, where it’s feasible to grill just about every day of the year. That said, most of the time when I hit the road I grab Weber’s Connect Smart Hub ($100).

This grill is excellent for camping, picnics, or home use, especially for people with limited space who want a grill that performs well. The only real drawbacks are its weight and size, but the performance for the price makes up for those in our eyes. You’ll need to safely dispose of grease and wipe down the grill grates to avoid any mishaps (yes, dirty grills and grease traps can attract bears). Make sure to have the proper grill brush for your grates, since warm grates are easier to clean. If you’re going to be carrying your grill with you, take into account how easy it is to pack up. With special attention to whether you need to thoroughly clean it on the spot, or can you close it up and contain the mess until you get home.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that heat will be used, but it can be. In general, the hotter a grill burns, the better the results for searing and even cooking. Still, a portable grill with about 8,000 BTUs (the equivalent of a larger stove burner) can get hot enough heat to produce nice grill marks.

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.

The grill was responsive to changing the temperature between tests and left good browning on the onions, grill marks, and caramelization on the burgers. There weren’t any particular hot spots, but one area at the top-right ran cool, and while the burger in that spot cooked, it lacked caramelization. During our tests, we discovered the Q 1400 performed better on zucchini strips and flank steak, leaving both with intense sear marks. This is because it’s able to achieve reach over 600 degrees when left on high for a few minutes. When it was time to clean up, the drip pan was incredibly easy to remove and wipe down. One downside was it was difficult to read the temperature controller in bright daytime light.