Best Small Grills 2022 Best Portable Grills for Small Spaces

While the Grill2Go comes with a special scraper, it was still a chore to get the grate clean. The Davy Crockett is a smart smoker, connecting to an app that allowed us to monitor the meat’s temperature, access pre-programmed cooking profiles, and control the grill temperature from afar. While the app was certainly useful for monitoring cooking, we had to reconnect it to the grill every time the smartphone went to sleep, which made it useless for receiving alerts. At one point, it simply refused to connect at all, forcing us to abandon the app controls.

portable bbq

Along with the base, the starter package ships with a grill grate, legs, two elevation bars, and a seasoned cast iron pan. The Q2000 doubles the cooking area of the 1000 and 1200 with the same folding side tables. In our tests, the Jumbo Joe produced the best seared burgers, barbecued chicken, and grilled bratwurst. The two adjustable vents, in the lid and firebox, allowed the quickest and easiest temperature control of all the grills we tested. Even after loading the Jumbo Joe with a full chimney starter’s worth of red-hot embers , we could still tamp down the temperature to medium heat. We couldn’t do that with the 14-inch Weber Smokey Joe, where the one vent and the lack of airflow caused the coals to extinguish while we were cooking.

All you need to do is add wood to the tray above the burner to start smokin’. The Good-One Open Range is dramatically different from a traditional offset smoker, placing the heat source behind and under the smokebox instead of off to the side. These are not paid placements, they are a curated selection of reviewed products. Also, when you buy with links on our site we may earn a finder’s fee. With summer adventures and weekend getaways getting started, you’re busy finalizing your packing list.

With the lid in place, Jumbo Joe’s bulbous kettle shape created an ideal roasting environment for our kabobs. As with the smaller Joe, the vents on the lid and base do an excellent job of controlling oxygen flow into the cooking chamber, which allowed us to control temperature. Though, weber charcoal grill like the regular Joe, wear a grill mitt to adjust the metal vents to avoid burns. The Jumbo Joe’s wide base gives it a stable, sturdy feel even when cooking on an uneven lawn. Many gas-powered grills feature an electronic push-button ignition to fire up the fuel source quickly.

Get excited for the big game with the Coleman RoadTrip Portable Stand-Up Propane Grill. This model has a number of features that make it ideal for tailgating, such as its quick-fold legs, rugged wheels, and swappable cooktops. It has a large grilling area of 285 square inches, and it delivers up to 20,000 BTUs when connected to a 16.4-ounce propane cylinder . Portable grills cost anywhere from $50 for a simple Weber charcoal grill all the way up to $500 or more for fancier gas and propane grills with bells and whistles galore. My favorite portable grill, the Weber Q-1200, sits at about $259 but you can find it for less on sale. Most sturdy small grills should last you several years to a decade if the unit is cleaned, covered and cared for properly.

This well-built barbeque is an innovative take on the manufacturer’s classic design, incorporating their enameled, cast-iron construction into a convenient, compact package. The rectangular basin can hold a coal bed that is both deep and evenly spread. Over the past 6 years, our experts have bought 22+ portable grills to test side-by-side. This updated review highlights 12 of the best to help you cook up delicious meals, even while on the road. We design objective tests to evaluate important features such as output power, and then back up those assessments with real-world cooking experience. We’ve tested these grills at tailgate parties, backyard BBQs, picnics, and camping trips, making hundreds of meals to date.

Becoming familiar with these aspects will help shoppers make a smart decision. Shop this large selection of outdoor grills at DICK’S Sporting Goods and discover the perfect design for your needs. Are you looking for that premium backyard grill that can get super hot to perfectly sear steaks? Or do you want to go low and slow for your signature 14-hour pulled pork?

The stainless-steel grill weighs two pounds, sets up in 30 seconds or less and is dishwasher safe. Remove the grilling grate to transform the portable grill into a fire pit in a snap and when the flames die down, throw it in the stylish carrying case to keep your backpack weber charcoal grill clean between meals. When shopping for a portable, the same rules apply as when you are shopping for other grills. You need to consider price, temperature control, ease of cleanup, ability to smoke foods, high heat, durability, safety, and, of course, size and weight.

Whether you want to slow cook ribs, fire up some burgers — or both — you can do it on a Traeger with the flip of a switch. Most portable charcoal grills have a very small cooking area, so they are only good for direct grilling of items like steak or burgers. To do any smoking, you’d need a 2-zone fire with the briquettes on one side and food on the other.