Do yourself a favor, throw away your lighter fluid and get a charcoal chimney starter ($27). It weighs 22 pounds and has a handle with a bar that fits over the top to keep the kettle and lid together for easy carrying. I tossed mine in the back of the car for trips to the lake and the park and it never tipped over. The ash catcher at the bottom makes cleaning less of a hassle weber portable grill by allowing you to dump the excess without removing the grill grates. After that, we grilled 12 thick onion slices, 12 burgers, and 12 accompanying buns per grill. We cooked each for a prescribed amount of time at a specified temperature setting and observed how the grill behaved, noting any variations of doneness on varying spots of the grill, flare-ups, or sticking.
In addition to our research, we tested a few top models in our own backyards to help you find the best portable grill. In terms of its cooking performance, the HitchFire runs on two small propane canisters, and it has two burners that can be controlled individually. There’s 335 square inches of cooking space, as well as two spacious fold-out prep tables, and the grill arm can be locked at either 90 or 180 degrees, allowing you to access your trunk or tailgate as you’re cooking. Plus, we found the grill easily reached high temperatures with both burners running, delivering plenty of heat for cooking all types of food, such as steaks, fish, and grilled fruit. We sent various portable grills to the homes of our expert reviewers in addition to testing in our Lab. Our Lab testers grilled, seared, baked, and smoked to thoroughly analyze the features and performance.
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.
It’s not as sophisticated as the SmartFire, but it’s more portable, and two probes is generally all I need on small grills. It’s big enough for a family of four and strikes the best balance between ease of use and cooking performance. It has a thermometer and some side tables to hold your plates and tongs. It’s also a champ at keeping a constant, even heat in pretty much any weather conditions. A storm blew in one afternoon, but it just kept on cooking despite the high wind and rain. For overall performance, even considering it’s a portable model, the Weber Q 1200 Gas Grill delivers great value for the dollars spent.
First, it will be difficult to wheel or drag a grill through sand, so opt for a compact model that’s light enough to carry. A grill with telescoping legs is ideal in this situation, but if you have a tabletop grill, consider whether there will be a picnic table or other suitable surface to place it on. Finally, the beach is often windy, so you may want to look for a grill that has a wind guard—otherwise, the grill may struggle to maintain its temperature. Additionally, these grills are all portable, but that doesn’t mean they’ll all fit your transportation needs. If you’ll be tossing the grill in the back of a pickup truck, any of these models will work. But if you’ve got a conventional car, make sure the grill will fit your trunk’s unique size and shape.
One of the nice features is the fact that this grill has split grates. In this way, you can replace one of them with a q 300 series griddle and use it for cooking breakfast. Just as cast iron is used for skillets, baking pans, and other kitchen essentials, aluminum can also be used for these items. It’s much thicker than pressed aluminum, which makes it more resistant to warping or damage. Welcome to T3’s review of the new Weber Lumin Compact, a portable electric tabletop BBQ that can grill, sear, smoke, steam and keep food warm. Our top pick is the Weber Q 2200 Liquid Propane Grill because of its quick and even heating and easy assembly.
Our home reviewers spent weeks assessing how these grills stood up to everyday cooking and cleaning. They were also able to offer additional insights to using these during typical weather conditions. The grills are all rated on heat control and retention, size, features, performance, ease of cleaning, and overall value. This propane grill has a 280-square-inch porcelain-enameled, cast-iron cooking grate and delivers 12,000 BTUs of heat per hour when connected to a 14.1-ounce or 16.4-ounce liquid propane cylinder. It comes with a push-button starter and removable catch pan, and it’s even compatible with the 1000-series Weber griddle.