And if you’re not content with the basics Char-Broil offers a variety of accessories like nylon cleaning brushes, pizza pans, and beer can chicken roasters. If you have the space for something bigger, check out our guide to full-size charcoal grills. If you have enough space for a full-size grill, you’ll probably be happier with one of our full-size gas or charcoal picks.
The Char-Broil Performance Series 4-Burner Gas Grill is versatile, reliable, and equipped with everything you need to get the good times going. Of total cooking space, you’ll have plenty of room to grill a variety of food. The side shelves integrate with Gear Trax accessories for a more organized workspace.
And 435-square-inches of primary cooking space gives you plenty of room to do it. We included a burner and the Chef’s Delite tray to cook your most delicate foods. It’s easy to assemble and equipped with electronic ignition to ensure reliable starts. The side shelves integrate with Gear Trax™ accessories to organize your workspace. The Grill2Go has a maximum 9,500 Btu output, versus the Weber Q 1200’s 8,500 Btu.
Grills in this category should be light, small, and comfortable enough to carry from a car into a park or campground. While a 5-year warranty backs the stainless-steel burner, a 2-year warranty covers the firebox and lid. All other parts have char broil performance a 1-year warranty from the time you buy the grill. Therefore, it will light when you push and hold the electronic ignitor button while turning the burner knobs. The grill can take a bit of time to heat up, but it’s good to go once it does.
Portable kamado grills are gaining popularity, but we think their 12- to 14-inch grilling surfaces are too small to justify the high price. We didn’t focus heavily on hibachis because they’re lidless, primarily for high-heat grilling, and limited in performance. In general, a charcoal grill and bags of briquets cost less than a gas grill and propane canisters. The Performance burner grill has a set of cast-iron cooking grates. Burgers and steaks cook evenly without having to move them around the grill. The cast iron grates get hot enough for searing and leave beautiful grill marks on pork chops and chicken.
Though cast iron adds an extra 5 to 10 pounds to the total weight of a grill, we think the flavorful dark crust on burgers and steaks makes it worthwhile. We also prefer an open grate design that allows ambient heat from the firebox to brown the areas in between the grill marks. We found that stainless steel solid grates with small perforations don’t let enough ambient heat through to brown the food properly. Summers are meant for grilling, but you may not have the space or budget for a full-size grill.
Flare-ups should rarely happen, if at all, with this grill, especially with the convection cooking system, which reduces flare-ups and ensures even heat distribution. We’ll also look at the pros and cons, ease of assembly, use, and cleanup of this grill, so you can decide if this is the right grill for your next big cookout. Overall, we were impressed by the Spirit’s design and can understand why Webers have a passionate following. It maintained and evenly distributed heat over its entire 475-square-inch cooking area during our tests. Learn to replace the burners on your Char-Broil grill in a matter of minutes.
If you prioritize portability over cooking performance, consider our runner-up pick. When the side tables are tucked inside the grill for transport, the Weber Q 1200 is about the size of a small carry-on suitcase. You need two hands to carry the Q 1200, because it doesn’t have a latch to hold the lid securely to the firebox. 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. A temperature dial lets you control the heat easily and quickly, just as on a kitchen range.
Its primary cooking area and warming rack can’t take more than eight to ten burgers at a time. Although it’s an outdoor unit, the Performance 300 grill doesn’t take up much space. However, we also found that youcan add exciting flavors with wood chipswhen cooking or grilling on it.
Before putting the grill away for the season, give the inside a good scrubbing with lots of hot soapy water and rinse well. Shield your grill from the elements to keep it from rusting or prematurely aging. If you lack an indoor Blackstone Adventure storage option, keeping the grill covered and off the ground is the best line of defense against harsh weather. Weber makes affordable covers for both the Q 1200 and Q 2200 , and we strongly recommend the investment.