For pellet grills, we studied the user interface and considered the details of the startup and shutdown process. We also considered if the grilling surface presents a consistent temperature throughout, whether it includes a thermometer or push-button ignition, and how well both perform. There are advantages and disadvantages to a grill surface that naturally presents different temperature zones.
A great grill for camping and tailgating, and for apartment dwellers with limited outdoor space. Our R&D department develops high-quality, fairly priced grilling equipment. Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliance and Culinary Innovation Lab where she oversees all kitchen appliance content and testing. This is her third season testing grills for Good Housekeeping and has had her hands on at least 35 grills and counting.
Steaks are prepared very, very nicely, but other foods are nearly impossible to cook well. It’s big enough to roast a chicken, sear a couple of large steaks at a time, or fit about six 12-inch skewers. But if you’re doing meat and veggies for a family of four, you’re going to be cooking in batches. Most meats need to rest when they’re done cooking anyway, giving you time to do your veggies.
Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial, and help keep this site alive. We tested pint-sized barbecues and scored them on weber genesis 2 ease of assembly, portability, heat retention and durability. Portable barbecues make life easier for the space-constrained and gardenless.
The grill comes to temperature quickly, but there is some variation in hot spots, especially towards the outside edges of the grill, which charred more than the center, where foods cooked slower. This Weber grill is a mini version of the brand’s well-loved charcoal kettle. Testers appreciated the solid but portable build and how quickly they were able to set it up. The fact that the carrying portable bbq handle doubles as a lid holder is also useful for keeping an eye on the food when cooking. Like most of Weber’s grills, the Q1200 has a disposable drip tray below the grill, which makes clean-up much easier than some portable grills with drip trays that need to be washed out periodically. We especially liked that the shelves that were big enough to hold tools, plates and cutting boards.
That’s why you’re probably on the hunt for one of the best portable BBQs. If you have questions related to barbecue or grilling, please post them to the comments section at the bottom of any page. If you have business or tecnical issues, please contact us with this email form. The FireBoard Spark is a hybrid combining instant-read capability, a cabled temperature probe, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Couple that with high standards of design and workmanship and it’s a “must own.” Click here to read our comprehensive Platinum Medal review.