This grill is excellent for camping, picnics, or home use, especially for people with limited space who want a grill that performs well. The only real drawbacks are its weight and size, but the performance for the price makes up for those in our eyes. You’ll need to safely dispose of grease and wipe down the grill grates to avoid any mishaps (yes, dirty grills and grease traps can attract bears). Make sure to have the proper grill brush for your grates, since warm grates are easier to clean. If you’re going to be carrying your grill with you, take into account how easy it is to pack up. With special attention to whether you need to thoroughly clean it on the spot, or can you close it up and contain the mess until you get home.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that heat will be used, but it can be. In general, the hotter a grill burns, the better the results for searing and even cooking. Still, a portable grill with about 8,000 BTUs (the equivalent of a larger stove burner) can get hot enough heat to produce nice grill marks.
The base comes off and features a flip-out propane bottle holder (we discourage you from using those; see why below) as well as serving as a place to cut. The integrated bamboo cutting board fits on top of the base, which gives you somewhere to prep your meal even if there’s no picnic table around. A BTU is the measure of energy necessary to raise 1 pound of water (essentially 1 pint) by 1°F.
When you are close to done, leave the lid closed and shut off the gas. At its highest temperature, this heating element glows red hot and draws 2.2kW of power which is about the same as an average kettle. You can probably find charcoal en route to your destination, but you’ll have to factor in lighting the fire and any tools needed, plus waiting to deal with the cooled ashes after. Propane might take a special trip to the home improvement or camping store to get enough canisters, but it means lighting the grill at the touch of a button and not having to dispose of ashes post-barbecue. Electric grills don’t require you to make space for a heavy bag of charcoal or to have enough fuel on hand, but, depending on your final destination, it might be hard to find a working outlet when it’s time to eat. It’s big enough to roast a chicken, sear a couple of large steaks at a time, or fit about six 12-inch skewers.
Whether it’s the salty sweetness on that lightly charred corn or the rich smoothness of smoked meat, warm weather begs us to get outside and light a fire. This grill is a good starter model for someone, but the construction is pretty shaky, and the heat is very inconsistent, with multiple hot and cold spots across the grill. As with all new grills start it and let it get hot for about 20 minutes to burn off all the oil and grease that is used during the manufacturing process. Most of the lower ratings are in my opinion from people who did not read the specifications of this grill too well.
It weighs 75 pounds, making it by the far the heaviest grill I tested, but the double-handle carrying system makes it easy for two people to carry it. The problem is that the 13-inch grilling surface of the MiniMax can only grill for about four people. Like the Q above, Weber’s Traveler uses a single burner that wraps around the entire bottom of the grill. That’s covered by a two-piece cast iron grill grate that’s solid where it runs over the burner, which acts as a heat diffuser and keeps the burner from getting covered in grease. Speaking of grease, it has a slide-out grease trap that’s easy to empty.
Since the grill is split into two parts and the trays are half the size of the grill, you simply remove one of the grates and replace it with the trays. For steaming, you would fill the lower tray with water and use the top-mounted perforated tray to cook the ingredients on or replace the water for wood chips if smoking. At this juncture I should add that there are actually two Weber Lumin models available – a weber bbq larger 66cm wide model with 1,562 square centimetres of cooking space and the smaller Lumin Compact model I’m reviewing here. No matter how you measure it, the Traveler’s 13,000-BTU burner gets plenty hot and really shines when searing. 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.
After the initial heat-up stage, the grill registered 555°F at the 30-minute mark, more than hot enough for a good sear. There is some heat variation, with a 10- to 20-degree difference in final temperatures during our burger tests, with the burgers on the front and sides cooking slower than those on the back row. The built-in ignition system is adequate, and the burners are responsive to adjustment.
While researching portable grills for this article, she spoke with Jess Pryles, grilling expert and author of “Hardcore Carnivore” for tips on grilling on the go. Finally, we tested the portable grills for portability, including how easily they could collapse for storage and return to their grilling position. I am a big fan of the porcelain-enameled, cast iron grill grates. The cast iron retains the heat very well and the enamel makes it easy to clean. “Cooks fantastic, easy folding shelves, easy assembly is not rocket science. Cooks anything great so far and if you use the drip tray for wood chips, dry, it will smoke fantastic.