David lives in Brooklyn where he’s logged more than a decade writing about all things edible, including meal kits and meal delivery subscriptions, cooking, kitchen tech and commerce. These days, he’s likely somewhere trying the latest this or tasting the latest that – and reporting back, of course. Nicole Papantoniou is the director of weber q the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliance and Culinary Innovation Lab where she oversees all kitchen appliance content and testing. This is her third season testing grills for Good Housekeeping and has had her hands on at least 35 grills and counting. She’s a professional, trained cook, recipe developer and grill aficionado.
Its 240-square-inch round cooking surface offers ample space for grilling, and we liked how we could access the grill from any side. The two grilling plates are removable and nonstick, making them easy to clean in the kitchen sink. The Jumbo Joe boasts some 240 square inches of cooking space, and it feels that large. We could easily have loaded a dozen patties onto its cooking surface and still had enough buffer between them to allow for flipping.
Grilling doesn’t necessarily require a backyard; portable grills make it easy to take the cookout with you to the pre-game tailgate, beach, lake, local park, or campground. The Cuisinart CCG-100 GrateLifter Charcoal Grill has a convertible cooking grate that lifts when you open the lid for easier access to the coal bed. Levers on the sides of the grill adjust to keep the grate in the up or down position. During our tests, one side of the grate would get stuck in a different position than the other about a third of the time, forcing us to wrestle with hot metal. The porcelain-coated cast-iron grates reduce flare-ups by shielding the flames and channeling grease and drippings around them while still allowing ambient heat to brown between grill marks. In our tests, burgers from the Q 1200 had the most seared surface area of all the burgers we grilled, and more browning means better flavor.
We could easily get our arms around it, and at 31 pounds, it was easy enough to carry a short distance to our small SUV, where it fit easily inside the trunk. The two nonstick grill grates and the grease tray can be removed for cleaning in the kitchen sink, and the interior was fairly easy to wipe out. Some of the best portable grills also come in carrying cases or bags, making it simpler to transport them from a vehicle and store them neatly. Portable grills come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including barrel-shaped and flat and rectangular. Load up the car and hit the road with a Weber portable charcoal grill to throw a BBQ, host a tailgate, or grill lunch wherever the day takes you.
Or you might want something you can tote to a campground, park, or tailgate. After grilling 65 burgers, 30 pounds of chicken, and 25 pounds of bratwurst on nine portable grills, we found the best ones for both small backyards and outdoor adventures. The Weber Q 1200 Gas Grill weber q is our pick for the best portable gas grill because of its no-fuss convenience and stellar grilling performance. For charcoal purists, we recommend the Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18″. It’s just as capable as a full-size kettle at searing and grilling food to perfection.