This control helps to mitigate flare-ups, excessive charring, or undercooking. Gas grills are better for people who want to grill more than once a week and can sacrifice a little heat and the classic char broil performance taste of charcoal for convenience. So, you can use it to indirectly cook or grill, but it won’t char your food. The Performance 2-Burner gas grill scores averagely in terms of evenness.
In addition, you don’t want a grill with bottom vents that sit above the coal bed; this design reduces airflow and can extinguish the fire prematurely. In addition, we promptly dismissed gas grills equipped with a coupling for a 20-pound propane cylinder. We prefer 1-pound liquid-propane tanks because they’re small and lightweight enough to stash in a backpack Blackstone Adventure or tote bag. Portable gas grills come equipped with a coupling that fits 1-pound liquid-propane canisters . These mini propane cylinders are lightweight and packable, and they’re available at most hardware stores. From our review of the Char-Broil Performance 300 gas grill, you can tell that this model is for a family of four or less and couples.
The Q 1200’s small fold-out side tables are handy for keeping grill tools within reach, though we wouldn’t feel confident resting a large tray brimming with meat or other heavy things on them. The thermometer in the dome lid is nice, but it isn’t necessary other than for letting you know when the grill is hot and ready. The Char-Broil Grill2Go can handle up to six large burger patties at a time without crowding. Foods such as bone-in chicken pieces and thick steaks require surround heat to cook thoroughly. You have the added chore of snuffing out hot coals and emptying ashes after grilling.
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.
Preventing grease and fire contact is especially important since the cooking grates on portable gas grills sit very close to the heating element (usually a 1- to 1½-inch clearance). Steel inserts that sit over the flame ports can help, as can a cleverly designed grilling grate that channels grease away from the fire. “Performance” is one of the series of Char-boil, but What does “300” mean? Having 300 square inches of primary cooking space, which is why it’s called “Performance 300”.
Charcoal is smokier than gas, a possible issue for smaller, fenced-in spaces. Food grilled over charcoal has that coveted backyard-grill smoky flavor. This larger version of our pick offers more cooking area and higher heat output. Maintaining any grill is a good way to make it last for many years. Thankfully, if you follow the right steps, cleaning the Char-Broil Performance 300 shouldn’t take much time.
Here’s a video on how to assemble the Char-Broil 2-Burner gas grill. As we stated earlier, you’ll need to assemble this grill when you get it out of its box. However, several users report that they needed a hand to put everything together. The grill’s top holds the swing-away warming rack in place and has a heat shield. This way, you won’t get third-degree burns from touching the grill.
The Q 1200’s warranty covers most parts on the grill for five years. Cast-aluminum fireboxes are durable, corrosion resistant, and excellent at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat, so you have fewer hotspots. This means you don’t have to obsessively babysit your barbecued chicken to prevent excessive charring. Porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grates are best at searing foods.
Last up on the list of the best gas grills is the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Stainless 5 Burner Grill. This grill simply appeared on too many expert lists to deny that it’s one of the top options out there, and it’s affordable, too. Three burners are nice and all, but the appeal of this gas grill is in the technology that Weber delivers.