This baby is a gem of a gas grill as it sat in the top spot across nearly every expert list we consulted. These gas grills are designed to cook your outdoor foods to perfection, but perhaps the best part is they’re built to last. While the grill is hot, scrape the debris and stuck-on food from the hot grates with a wire grill brush. We prefer to do this when the grill is preheating and the embers are their hottest. Wipe the grates with a wet rag to remove the soot, and then brush them with vegetable oil. We immediately ruled out collapsible models because they’re made from thin steel and probably not durable enough for regular use.
If you want a more compact propane grill, the Char-Broil Portable Grill2Go X200 Gas Grill is designed for one-handed toting. This portable grill is slightly larger than a briefcase and keeps the lid, grate, and firebox tightly packed for transporting. In our tests, the Grill2Go produced intense heat that was ideal for searing steaks but had us battling some flare-ups when cooking chicken pieces. Although we wouldn’t want the Grill2Go as a primary patio grill, it’s a decent dedicated portable for camping and tailgating.
We grilled bone-in chicken to test for flare-ups and how well both the gas and charcoal grills could sustain a medium-low cooking temperature over 45 minutes. In spring 2017, Tim and Wirecutter writers Lesley Stockton and Michael Sullivan spent over 40 hours testing full-size gas and char broil performance charcoal grills, as well asgrill accessories. With all this knowledge in hand, Lesley and Tim spent 16 hours, over the course of two days, testing nine portable grills. The Char-Broil burner cabinet gas grill comes with porcelain-coated cast-iron grates which are rust-resistant.
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.
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.
We couldn’t do that with the 14-inch Weber Smokey Joe, where the one vent and the lack of airflow caused the coals to extinguish while we were cooking. British thermal units are a measure of maximum heat output over the course of an hour. The output on portable gas grills ranges from 4,000 to over 13,000 Btu. But more heat alone doesn’t equate to better grilling performance, as a grill’s performance is based on a combination of output, design, and quality of materials.
The Performance Burner’s cabinet is one feature you won’t find in many grills. It’s spacious enough for a propane tank Blackstone Adventure and several cooking tools. But the best thing is that it will help to keep your tank safe from the snow or wind.
After testing five propane models, we’re confident that the Weber Q 1200 Gas Grill is the best portable gas grill. In our tests, the Q 1200 outperformed the competition at both high-heat searing and low-and-slow grilling, with the fewest flare-ups. It has a cast-aluminum firebox that evenly distributes heat across its Blackstone Adventure 189-square-inch grilling grate. We like the spacious dome lid with a built-in thermometer that lets you know when it’s hot and ready to grill. The small fold-out side tables are convenient for keeping grill tools within reach. And its roomy handles make this 30-pound grill comfortable for one person to carry, too.
We haven’t tested this new version, but in her experience with the previous Lodge, Lesley found that the hibachi-style grill excelled at high-heat searing, making it ideal for steaks. Since the whole grill was cast iron, it held an intense amount of heat. But the lidless design limited its ability to tackle slow-cooking tasks.