Essentially an oversize version of Weber’s classic 14-inch Smokey Joe grill, the Jumbo Joe expands the cooking surface to the size of a standard charcoal grill while remaining quite portable. Despite being bigger, the Jumbo Joe has a lot in common with its smaller sibling. Charcoal briquette disposal is another drawback of portable charcoal grills. You’ll have to budget time to let the charcoals cool before you can safely dispose of them, and find a safe place to put them. The BergHOFF Steel Tabletop BBQ is the perfect portable grill for hosting in your own backyard.
It has two large carrying candles and latches on either side to hold all of the pieces in place. The bamboo lid doubles as a cutting board that rests on top of a plastic container where you can store grilling accessories. To test this I marinated some chicken in lemon juice and olive oil and laid it on the grills.
For the most part, the scoring of the heat output follows manufacturer claims, but we made some exceptions based on our observations. For instance, while the Weber Q 1200 only claims 8,500 BTUs, in practice it operates at hotter temperatures and maintains that heat over a larger cook surface compared to other similar models. The infrared-cooking capability of the Solaire Everywhere puts out 14,000 BTUs, and confidently sears a steak faster than anything else.
A long lighter such as those used to light candles is recommended for those that don’t have that feature. For the daring, a long match or a rolled-up piece of paper can reach the lighting point of the grill. Some folks want to tuck their grill away in the corner of the trunk of their car, weber charcoal grill others see anything that fits in the bed of a truck as portable. Shield your grill from the elements to keep it from rusting or prematurely aging. If you lack an indoor storage option, keeping the grill covered and off the ground is the best line of defense against harsh weather.
Although we wouldn’t want the Grill2Go as a primary patio grill, it’s a decent dedicated portable for camping and tailgating. Char-Broil’s five-year warranty covers the burners, lid, and firebox. While all the grills on this list are portable to some degree, certain models are decidedly more portable than others. The NomadiQ portable propane grill folds up into a case the size of a small bag, with easy-grab handles. It also weighs just 12 pounds, making it the best truly portable gas grill I tested.
We had it together and loaded with hickory hardwood pellets in about 30 minutes. As a standard grill, the Davy Crockett easily reaches the temperatures required for searing a crust on our hamburger patty. That high heat coupled with the flavor the hickory pellets infused into the food resulted in a juicy and very flavorful hamburger patty.
I wanted to love this model because the concept is great but it does have some flaws. For one, it feels a little bit cheap and I read in several reviews that it can rust and peel over time. Also, the grill grates are made of thin stainless steel whereas I would have preferred nonstick ceramic or iron.
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