The only part about using the Nomad that I didn’t love was emptying it. Because it needs to be emptied while completely open, it was hard to lift when attempting to dump the ash into a bin. On its website Nomad suggests using a shop vac to get all the spent charcoal out. I have no doubt that that would do the trick, but if you’re off on an adventure an hour from an electrical outlet, a shop vac might not be practical. That said, I’m hard pressed to imagine a better camping grill than this. The Nomad does cost more than anything else I tested, but it was unparalleled both in how it cooked and how easy it was to move.
There are a few sizes, including this mid-size GoSun Goand the larger GoSun Survival if you’re planning on cooking for a group. Well, it is and these GoSun solar-powered grills actually work pretty well. When I tested it, it got scorching hot and cooked chicken thighs, sausage, fish and veggies all in under 25 minutes or less.
If all you want is a rugged, well-built grill to sear some dogs and frozen burgers at tailgates and picnics, though, this one is an all-star. The dual-burner Cuisinart is our favorite small gas grill, delivering nearly perfect heat distribution across its surface, which is quite large for a portable appliance. Portable grills come in a variety of styles, using different fuel to keep the flames going.
There’s a good reason why most Weber barbecues are kettle shaped – the curved interior helps circulate the hot air within for perfect indirect convection grilling. And that means less likelihood of food scorching to a cinder – as long as weber charcoal grill the lid is left on without too much peeking. However, for RV, caravan and tailgate use, it’s the perfect take-away model – but only if you have access to an electricity supply or you’re able to use Traeger’s specialised power inverter.
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. It also has a built-in thermometer that’s reasonably accurate, but I still suggest getting a separate instant-read thermometer.
I tried to cover both the “portable” part and the “grill” part in my testing. After unboxing, I carried each one a block down from my house and a block back, noting how easy the handles were to hold, and if a grill’s size and weight distribution made it challenging to walk with. For those grills with wheels, I walked them around a large, uneven lawn with plenty of divots to see how they rolled. For the charcoal options, I also smoked ribs, pork, and brisket, If you’re planning to smoke, I highly recommend investing in some kind of thermometer system. It has adapters based on your grill and offers one temp probe and three food probes.
Among the charcoal models, the Weber Go-Anywhere scores top marks for control. Thanks to a relatively deep basin, we were able to build and stoke a substantial volume of coals to achieve the exact heat we desired. Since the area of the basin exactly matches the surface area of the grill, we were then able to spread out those coals to create targeted heat zones. The George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor 15+ may offer a huge grilling surface, but can only be operated on a single heat-setting.
The Petite Gourmet has an elongated burner beneath a rectangular grate, while the Gonzo Grill has a round burner beneath a round grate. For a given temperature setting on each, the Gonzo grill top presents a more uniform temperature than the Petite Gourmet. You have more options to move your food around to different temperature zones on the rectangular grates, but you have greater uniformity of cooking conditions across the top of the Gonzo. Our thorough testing process began with scouring the internet for the latest and greatest products across the portable grill market. Next, we narrowed our selection to create a manageable, yet comprehensive list of the best products available. We bought all these products at retail cost to allow us to conduct an extended, objectively honest, and comparative review.