Since the Grill2Go comes almost completely assembled, setup was easy. Its box shape, large handles, and manageable weight make it easy to move into position on a tabletop, and it fit easily into the trunk of our vehicle. We also liked the clips that hold the lid securely closed for transport.
When it came to the gas grill’s performance, it gets hot quickly, cooks food evenly, and is easy to clean when you’re done. The unit has a cast aluminum body and ergonomic side handles to make it easy to move from one place to another. It’s a little bit heavy for a portable option, weighing in at over 43 pounds, but most of the weight is actually its cast-iron grates, which can be carried separately for easy transport. Plus, our tester appreciated how solid and sturdy it felt for a portable grill. When closed, this portable grill is easy to carry one-handed thanks to a soft, grippable handle.
This design allowed us to create three possible heat zones, which is impossible to do on most other portable grills. This capability allowed us to grill a burger at sear temperatures on one side while cooking our chicken and vegetable kabobs at a lower temperature on the other side. The Coleman roasted well with the lid closed, although we found the lid’s latch a bit weber charcoal grill hard to operate. If you prefer that smoky charcoal flavor, the lightweight Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18″ matches the searing and grilling abilities of a full-size kettle. In our tests, the well-placed vents in both the lid and the firebox provided precise temperature control that no other portable charcoal grill we tried—including two other Webers—could match.
Unlike a standard grill that’s open on at least three sides, the Davy Crockett has a single panel that grants access to the cooking surface, which is hard to access with a spatula or tongs. It was especially awkward to flip a burger patty or adjust our kabobs while crouching down. Green Mountain Grills does suggest removing the legs and using the Davy Crockett as a tabletop grill. While we didn’t have a chance to test it as a tabletop, raising it to table height would certainly make using it for grilling much easier. With our burgers just inches away from the burning coals, we were able to achieve the Maillard reaction that produces that sought-after tasty brown crust much more easily than on any gas grill.
There’s no need for piezo buttons, a lighter, or starter fluid with this grill because the ignitor is electric. Summers are meant for grilling, but you may not have the space or budget for a full-size grill. Or you might want something you can tote to a campground, park, or tailgate.
Our tester was truly impressed at how secure the HitchFire felt when mounted to her truck, and she said it never budged on a 350-mile drive. The Camp Chef Portable Pellet is about as transportable as this genre gets, and offers top-tier cooking performance if you’re able to power it. We’ve tested hundreds of products in our camping kitchen reviewsincluding the best camping tables and top camping coffee makers for your outdoor forays. We also have reviews highlighting the best camping stoves and much more. This model was engineered with boaters in mind so if you’re setting sail this summer, you might give the pricey Magma a closer look.
This solar oven requires no charcoal, propane or any fuel source (hooray for the environment!) and is super light and transportable. It’s a perfect camping cooker except you do need sunlight for this to function so I wouldn’t rely solely on this for eating if you’re heading into the woods for an extended period. That’s a lot of hype, and I was prepared to be underwhelmed, but the Takibi lives up to the hype and then some.
Similarly, the least expensive grills don’t offer the maximum heat output nor the control to cook more complicated foods. For the size and price, it may be tough to find a compact grill more powerful than the Cuisinart Grillster. Not only is it incredibly fuel-efficient, but this portable powerhouse reaches peak temperature within a matter of minutes after clicking the piezo lighter. A lightweight steel lid and three insulating walls give it the ability to both block wind and retain heat, allowing you to cook in less-than-ideal weather.
Often, we grill after hours on a Friday while we’re also trying to set up a tent, inflate a mattress, and wrangle hungry children. The Coleman Roadtrip 285 just felt flimsier than the Weber Traveler. And though it was on wheels, folding and unfolding the legs of the grill weren’t intuitive. The grates were also mostly closed, making it more like a grill pan than a grill. I tried to cover both the “portable” part and the “grill” part in my testing. For those grills with wheels, I walked them around a large, uneven lawn with plenty of divots to see how they rolled.
Finally — and this is the most significant issue — the low-heat performance is virtually nonexistent. The heat options are adjustable, but they would best be described as “High” to “Extremely High.” Further, the lid is only for portability; you cannot close it while cooking. Steaks are prepared very, very nicely, but other foods are nearly impossible to cook well. Most grills performed about as well as advertised, with some topping out at as much as 100 F hotter than others.