For this reason, wood pellet grills are often permitted on patios or balconies — while gas and charcoal grills, which do use open flame for cooking, are prohibited. Cast-aluminum fireboxes are durable, corrosion resistant, and excellent at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat, so you have fewer hotspots. This means you don’t have to obsessively babysit your barbecued chicken to prevent excessive charring.
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.
Also, the grill grates are made of thin stainless steel whereas I would have preferred nonstick ceramic or iron. While the Weber Original Kettle may have taken the top spot in CNET’s list of best charcoal grills, this newcomer is my pick for the best portable charcoal grill. A smart and solid build allows you to take this small grill anywhere, including on a long hike.
This will let you get used to the short space between the charcoal and grates. The corners of rectangular grills have a tendency to collect ash and other residue, so you’ll probably have to spend a little more time than you like thoroughly cleaning this grill after each use. Carrying this grill to various different cookout sites is easier than ever thanks to the Tuck-N-Carry lid lock. With a name like “Jumbo Joe” at first glance this doesn’t exactly scream portable grill. Our team of barbecue experts has put these grills to the test to see how well they perform, and how portable they really are.
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.
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 weber genesis 2 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.
And worth noting you’ll also want two small propane tanks to get the whole grill lit. There’s also an adapter sold separately to rig it up to a full-sized tank if you prefer. Grill yourself silly no matter where summer takes you with a high-performance and highly portable grill. Folds weber genesis 2 down to 17% of it’s volume, unfolds to become a complete grilling system WITH a lid. The GoBQ grill is the best gift you can give a foodie camper who loves all things grilled outdoors. It’s ideal for social distancing when you want to “Grill Away From it All” far from crowds.