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. The 31-pound Weber Q 1200 weber charcoal grill is still surprisingly portable due to its useful handles. The George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor 15+ may offer a huge grilling surface, but can only be operated on a single heat-setting. Notice that while the onions were just beginning to nicely char, our burgers were over-browning to a crisp.
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 you’re at home, in an RV, or have a decent power bank, this isn’t much of an issue. But for folks that like to go completely off-grid, this model isn’t going to work for you. Much like charcoal grills, pellet grills take some time before they’re ready for cooking and the Camp Chef Portable Pellet takes a while to warm up. Lastly, this model is really heavy compared to most of the portable grills in our review. The wheels are helpful, but it’s not very fun to drag this grill very far from your vehicle.
This grill can be set from “low smoke” to “high smoke”, and for temperatures ranging up to 550 degrees. If you’re cooking only one type of food that covers the entire grilling surface, then you will want to have consistent heat throughout. If you are cooking a variety of foods all at once, you might prefer different temperature zones.
Over the past seven years, our experts have bought more than 25 of the best portable grills to test side-by-side. This updated review highlights 15 of the top options to help you cook up delicious meals, even while on the road. We design objective tests to evaluate important features like 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 on camping trips, cooking hundreds of meals to date.
Barbeques Galore stocks up on portable grills from a barrage of trusted brands such as Weber, Turbo, Green Mountain, American Muscle, Broil King, Blaze, and Twin Eagle. If you’re looking to cook a whole lot of food at once, you can’t top the Camp Chef Portable Pellet. Between the main grill and the upper shelf, this model offers 500 square inches of cooking space. If you like the idea of grilling large hunks of meat on one shelf while roasting veggies on the other, this is the grill for you.
Learn how we create the world’s most carefully tested and objective gear reviews on our About page. A family event, comparing grills and eating good food in March in Drictor, Wydaho. The Cuisinart All Foods Roll-Away scored the lowest in wind resistance. We grew frustrated at the number of times we had to re-light this model in high winds. The Weber Q 1200 comes with a disposable aluminum drip tray insert that you can place in the more permanent drip tray. This is nice for aiding with cleanup, but it’s not very wind-resistant, so it usually ended up on the ground after flying away in windy conditions.
We stand behind our products and ensure every NOMAD interaction is a great experience. Burns way hotter, lasts much longer, and produces less ash than just about every other charcoal I’ve tried. Sign up for savings and product announcements from the best BBQ experts in town. The shallow body of the Cuisinart All Food Roll-Away results in a frustrating lack of wind resistance.
To test the distribution of heat across a grill, we grilled different food types in different corners of the grill. You don’t get this uncompromising high-heat cooking performance without some drawbacks. First, the grill top is small, with space for only one or two steaks on it at a time. Finally — and this is the most significant issue — the low-heat performance is virtually nonexistent.
It would be very difficult to beat the white bread heat distribution test results produced by the Coleman Roadtrip 285. The heat distribution of the Char-Broil 240 grill is not particularly even, likely because the distribution cap does weber q not extend to the farthest reaches at either the front or back. Beneath those head-sized ribeyes you can see the glowing orange Solaire heating element. BBQGuys does more than test and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too.
Petite and sure-footed, the Grillster is the perfect companion for a picnic for two, no matter the location. Smaller charcoal grills like the Weber Smokey Joe 14 can run out of heat if you don’t time your cooking just right. 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 weber q 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. Building an intensely hot coal bed, that can later be spread out to create individual heat zones, is a critical skill in mastering the art of charcoal grilling.