Whether you’re headed camping or to a tailgate, or grilling out in your backyard, our portable grills have you covered. At under 10,000 BTUs, it didn’t get quite as screaming hot as my top pick — the Weber Q — but it is decidedly more compact and easier to transport. A few of the portable grills we tested to find the best in 2022. Before a game or concert, you’ll want a smaller, portable grill to keep the gang fed. Some, like the $549 Hitchfire Forge 15, are even designed to fasten to the back of your car, making your next pregame buffet as seamless as if you were home. There are also great small grills under $125 if you’re tailgating on a budget and other extremely portable grills that you could probably sneak into the stadium — although we don’t recommend it.
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.
On the charcoal side, insulation plays a much more important role in output power and efficiency. The Cuisinart Portable Charcoal and Weber Go-Anywhere are very similar in terms of coal bed volume, but the Go-Anywhere scores much higher thanks to its cast iron construction. U-shaped burners, as found on the Weber Q 1200, are the design of choice to efficiently deliver heat across the extent of a grill surface.
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.
Charcoal grills are more affordable and vary in size, but they can be troublesome to clean. Pallet grills are hard to find and pricier, ranging from $350 and $1,300. It burns wood pallets and monitors the temperature of food using weber genesis 2 an onboard computer. With a longer grilling time, barbecue-lovers get to enjoy the smoky flavor of their favorite grilled dishes. Summers are meant for grilling, but you may not have the space or budget for a full-size grill.