This model cools down almost as quickly as it heats up for a quick get-away, with a locking lid and enough space to store one-pound gas canisters. If you’re looking for a compact model to fit in the trunk of a smaller car or one that’ll take up minimal space while it’s not in use, the Coleman Roadtrip 285 is not the grill for you. This grill is bulky weber genesis 2 compared to many other portable grills we’ve tested, and relies heavily on its wheels for transport. At 47 pounds, it’s not very fun to lift much further than in and out of a truck bed. But this grill makes up for deficiencies in portability with top-tier grilling performance and easily earns our recommendation for a large-sized portable grill.
That might seem a tad heavy, but it has cast iron grill grates and is fabricated from thick-gauge steel, instead of cheap stamped sheet metal. It’s built to last, though we wouldn’t suggest hiking into the woods with it. The single 9,000-BTU burner is fueled by a 16-ounce propane canister that conveniently stores in the base.
One downside during assembly was the drip pan didn’t fit properly, which necessitated a small trim to get it to slide in. Out of the box, this can be powered by 1-pound gas canisters, but Weber does sell an attachment if you want to use 20-pound tanks. We also tested and recommend the Q 1200, which has 189 square inches of cooking space and a 8,500-BTU burner. If you’re in the market for a propane grill and you don’t want to worry about your flame getting blown out, our top recommendation is the Coleman Roadtrip 285. We found that between the multi-hole design of the burners and the way that they are recessed into the tub of the grill body that this model’s flames are very hard to extinguish.
A grill that rocks and wobbles will provide significant challenges when you attempt to cook on it. As a rule of thumb, a grill with thicker construction will retain and spread heat better than one with thin walls and bottoms, with some exceptions. The Everdure CUBE, for example, has thinner construction but is specifically designed to distribute heat evenly. In our tests, steak and chicken cooked quickly and weber charcoal grill got nice char marks without any flare-ups. Ash falls through the coal holder holes onto the bottom of the grill for a neat grilling experience, and the stainless grill grate is small and easy to wash in your sink once you get home. This roundup was put together by The Spruce Eats commerce writer Jason Horn, who’s been writing about food and drinks for almost 20 years, and grilling for a lot longer than that.
Grills equipped with an accessible coupling for 1-pound liquid-propane canisters are a must. One-pound canisters are lightweight, inexpensive, and available at most hardware stores. Lugging around a 20-pound propane cylinder (which actually weighs 35 pounds when full) isn’t our idea of portability. If you wind up wanting to use a larger tank, you can purchase an adapter with a Type 1 connector for a 20-pound refillable propane tank. We immediately ruled out collapsible models because they’re made from thin steel and probably not durable enough for regular use. Portable kamado grills are gaining popularity, but we think their 12- to 14-inch grilling surfaces are too small to justify the high price.
They said the two-part grate was a little more annoying to deal with than the one-part grate on older Weber Q models, but it made up for it in ease of cleaning. They also noted that the burner tubes needed to be wiped down occasionally to make sure the grill would light effectively, especially if it’s only used occasionally. But, they said, investing in the bonnet cover and the collapsable cart were both well worth it. And they liked that the propane canisters can be bought at any hardware store for about $6.