Gas (propane) grills are better for people who want to grill more than once a week and can sacrifice a little heat and the classic taste of charcoal for convenience. The NOMAD has few frills, but a design that keeps heat in and dissipates what heat does transfer to the exterior justifies much of the cost while making it a safer grill all around. It has side dampers to adjust airflow and regulate the temperature when it’s closed. The built-in thermometer skewed about 30 degrees lower than our test probes, but the heat retention was very good overall. He’s been grilling since being put in charge of the hot dogs at a family party when he was probably 7 years old, and he’s been writing professionally about food and drinks for nearly two decades. He lives in Los Angeles, where it’s feasible to grill just about every day of the year.
We’ve also tested a slew of portable grills as part of our typical grill testing over the years. Each time we test, we use the same testing methodology and ingredients to make sure our results are comparable. We also update our tests as needed to ensure they’re still relevant and we’re keeping up with the trends and latest innovations. We tested popular models side-by-side, assessing weber q each one on everything from how easy it was to set up to cooking performance to the final cleanup. Some of the things we love the most about the Camp Chef Portable Pellet tie directly to its weaknesses. Not only is the ignitor electric, but so is the auger that feels pellets from the hopper into the grill, which means that this grill needs to be plugged into an AC outlet.
If it’s hard to move, it isn’t actually a portable grill; it’s just a grill that’s smaller than you’d like it to be. The design of the Camp Chef Portable Pellet is practically unaffected by wind. The burner is deep within the tub of the grill body so it’s protected by the walls of the grill, the heat distributor, and the lid. We smoked a rack of ribs on a pretty nasty fall day at an elevation of 7,000 feet in central Utah and had absolutely no issues with wind.
Of all the grills I tested, the Traveler was the easiest to set up and use. Like most portable gas grills, it uses small propane canisters, but it can also use a full-size propane tank with an adapter, so it’s backyard ready if you want to use it as your primary grill. When closed, this portable grill is easy to carry one-handed (as easy as something that weighs almost 30 pounds can possibly be) thanks to a soft, grippable handle. When opened it has 212 square inches of cooking space—that’s enough for a whole chicken with room to spare, a rack of ribs, or close to a dozen turkey burgers. And the design of the grill surface—made of small hexagons instead of slim bars—is incredibly effective at keeping food from sliding down into the coals.
Temperatures range from smoking levels (225 degrees Fahrenheit) up to direct grilling temps (450 degrees). 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. The fuel source for a portable gas grill is usually a small liquid propane canister that attaches to the grill. These canisters are light and inexpensive, but they portable bbq also only last for about 90 minutes of cooking. If you do a lot of cooking with your portable gas grill on a camping trip or day-long tailgate, it’s likely the canister will run out of fuel while you’re in the middle of making something. This is a larger portable charcoal grill that has 333 in.² of cooking space, pushing the absolute limit for what most portable charcoal grills get away with.
51 air jets fan the flames for a smoke-free burn, while mesh sides radiate heat and reveal the cosy glow inside. Use the partner app to control intensity via Bluetooth, then attach the top grate to create a hibachi grill – sure to have some curtains twitching. Weber don’t just do barbecues – they do epic, Tony-Soprano-friendly contraptions the size of small sheds. For those of us without acres of lawn, they also make this neat, dinky dome. The porcelain-enameled material is deceptively lightweight and extremely durable, with a handy lid that clips onto the side for protection against the wind, plus it’s a doddle to clean. We left ours outside, uncovered, for an entire winter and it barely diminished, despite considerable pummelling from the British weather.
For pellet grills, we studied the user interface and considered the details of the startup and shutdown process. We also considered if the grilling surface presents a consistent temperature throughout, whether it includes a thermometer or push-button ignition, and how well both perform. There are advantages and disadvantages to a grill surface that naturally presents different temperature zones.
A basic, more affordable grill might get you through a backyard bash, but a more expensive product will tend to last longer, even under more rigorous or extensive use. Simple grilling, like burgers and dogs, can be done on any portable grill. But if you would like the option to sear a steak and slow-cook chicken on the same grate, you’ll likely only find such features on higher-quality models. Similarly, the least expensive grills don’t offer the maximum heat output nor the control to cook more complicated foods. While slow-cooking on the Takibi would be challenging, you can at least adjust the grill height to control temperature.