The two-piece grates are made of cast iron and coated with porcelain, covering three burners that yield 20,000 BTUs. The burners all sit under the solid center sections of the grates, which our bread test revealed to be the hottest area on the grill. You will need to carefully manage indirect heat when cooking thicker things like chicken on the bone—we kept it over the open grates around the edges of the grill.
It’s shaped like a traditional grill’s rectangular design, and its lid can be easily lifted back and rested on its hinges for easy access to the cooking space. This portable charcoal grill is much lighter and easier to carry than the previous model. The Cuisinart CCG-100 GrateLifter Charcoal Grill (discontinued) has a convertible cooking grate that lifts when you open the lid for easier access to the coal bed.
Suitable for cityscapes and campsites alike, you can use the Solo Stove Ranger Fire Pit to grill directly over the nearly-smokeless open flame. Otherwise, you can grab the cast iron grill top accessory to add some grill marks to your grub. All those other so-called “portable” grills sacrifice functionality or portability. Either they’re too heavy and bulky, or they’re too small and rickety, or they’re missing a lid. This somewhat simple, unassuming grill turned out to be the sleeper in our test. We were really impressed by how easy it was to cook with either direct or indirect heat.
The entire thing is made of durable steel, so it should last for quite some time against the heat and wear and tear many cookouts will bring upon it. However, this material isn’t very rust resistance on its own, so be sure to store the charcoal grill properly to extend its lifespan. Kamado style grills promote even heating across their cooking surfaces, and this model is no exception. While the PKTX is advertised as a portable grill, it’s so good you’ll want to use it as your primary charcoal grill at home.
The Char-Broil Grill2Go’s best features are its compactness and its easy-to-carry design. Two clips in the front hold the whole unit tightly together, and you can effortlessly carry the whole thing with one hand (super convenient if you need to lug it a few hundred yards). The Q 1200’s small fold-out weber genesis 2 side tables are handy for keeping grill tools within reach, though we wouldn’t feel confident resting a large tray brimming with meat or other heavy things on them. The thermometer in the dome lid is nice, but it isn’t necessary other than for letting you know when the grill is hot and ready.
It’s great for cooking multiple burgers the same way, for this reason. We were impressed with the high-heat grilling performance of the Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Grill. But when the firebox got hot, the side vents that regulated airflow stuck in place, rendering us powerless when it came to heat control—critical for slow-cooking things like chicken and sausages. With 189 square inches of grilling area (17 by 12½ inches), the Weber Q 1200 has enough space to grill a full dinner for two or the main course for a small gathering. We found that this Weber model is capable of grilling six large burger patties, a whole cut-up chicken, or 10 bratwurst links at a time.
Other than those relatively minor complaints we have no issue naming the Weber Jumbo Joe our best all-around portable charcoal grill. You get the same amount of cooking space as the 18″ Kettle classic, but this grill only weighs 22 pounds and can easily be carried by one person. The Cuisinart CGG-200 All Foods Gas Grill (discontinued) failed every test.
The 320-square-inch grilling surface is big enough to grill for a crowd. It’ll still fit in the trunk of most cars, but it definitely takes up a considerable amount of space. I haven’t used the fancier models, but this basic four-serving one served me well for years. You can pull the grills out for easy cleaning, there’s a drip pan to catch all the grease, and if you’re not in the grilling mood, it doubles as a Panini press.