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

The enamel-coated grates helped eliminate any sticking worth speaking of, and there was very little flare-up outside of first wiping the grill with oil. When upright, it stands about waist-high on an average-height person and is sturdy, with minimal rocking or grate movement. Overall this Weber Q3200 weber bbq gas grill deserves an average of 4.7 stars and in our opinion, we can recommend it as a good buy and enough bang for your buck. It was even mentioned as one of the best high-end gas grills on a page I found. Both versions, propane, and natural gas, come with their own hose and connections.

You also have the choice between the colors white and red for the lid. This Weber grill model has been and still is a very popular model. The 2 stainless steel burners make it very easy to use for many temperature settings. They had genuine barbecue flavour – and without the extra faff that charcoal and gas brings to the table.

There is an add-on cast iron coal bed ($26) that holds charcoal, but I don’t see it as necessary (nice to have perhaps, but not necessary). Of all the charcoal grills I tested, the Weber Jumbo Joe strikes the best balance of affordability, features, and ease of use. Warm weather is still a ways off for many of us, but this is time of year when, like a groundhog, the grill starts to poke out of the snow and show its rusty, neglected self. If you’re in need of a new grill this year, here’s our guide to the very best portable grills. We’ve researched and tested dozens of portable grills to see which can brat the best. We put 23 gas grills through tests that replicate what the average consumer would do after purchasing a grill.

weber portable grill

I’ve got to say, the results were really impressive – the fish was perfectly cooked and it definitely had a light texture and very pleasant smokey flavour. Despite its diminutive size, the Lumin Compact is a versatile piece of kit that can grill, sear, smoke, steam and warm. For its heat source, it uses a simple old-fashioned oven-style heating element that weaves a path directly beneath the two-part high-quality cast-iron grilling grates. Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce Eats who’s an expert on all things grilling. She’s personally tested several grills and smokers, including our top pick for a portable grill, the Weber Q2200 Liquid Propane Grill, and the splurge-worthy HitchFire Forge 15.

Keep in mind that this is a little different than normal grilling, since it cooks from the top and bottom, which means your food cooks faster. This will ensure that your food doesn’t stick to the grill plates. Thanks to its dual-vent system (one at the bottom, one at the top), you get the same fine-grained level of temperature control you’ll find in Weber’s full-size kettles. The RoadTrip is another portable grill that suffers from significant temperature inconsistencies on the grill, which, unfortunately, knock it out of the running. Since the burners are in the middle and not on the side I think indirect grilling is not easy on this grill.

The ubiquitous disposable, green propane bottle is convenient, but it’s a huge source of pollution. It’s illegal in many jurisdictions to throw them in the trash, though that doesn’t stop many people, it seems, given how many of these end up in landfills every year. This brings me to, what I think, is an advantage of the propane version. The option to move it around your yard, patio, or deck and not be stuck to one spot because of the natural gas lines. The side tables are made more study and in combination with the ergonomic new handles, this is a nice improvement.

My next experiment involved smoking a salmon fillet so I followed the instructions and replaced the left-hand grill top with the smoking tray and filled it with wood chips. Why Weber suggest the left side and not the right I don’t know – I mean it’s not as if the left side of the heating element is a different temperature to the right. But anyway, Weber recommend starting on full heat for about 5 minutes to get the chips smoking and then reducing the temperature by turning the dial to the smoke icon.