The 6 Best Portable Grills of 2023 Tested by GearLab

The Traveler’s design is much smarter for someone who needs to take their grill on the go. This would be a good grill for someone who had a smaller outdoor space and needed something stationary, but smaller than a typical home gas grill. Like the Traveler, the Weber Q2200 can also accommodate weber charcoal grill a full-size propane cylinder with an adapter. The push-button ignition is battery powered, which I actually found slightly easier to use. The Lodge Cast Iron Sportsman’s Grill L410 was a longtime favorite of Wirecutter senior staff writer Lesley Stockton for its intense heat.

The special grate disperses the burner’s 9,500 BTUs of heat evenly while creating a barrier between the food and the flames. The single-rack model with the largest grilling area is the Coleman Roadtrip 285. As the name describes, it has an impressive 285 square inches of cooking space.

It performed just as well in the indirect cooking test as the Nomad. But the things that made the Rambler a great grill are also the things that made it harder to move. Carrying it two blocks was not impossible but it required more exertion than any of the other charcoal grills. It also required more assembly of the wrench and screwdriver type, though it still only took about 30 minutes.

The Akorn Jr. charcoal grill got hotter than any other grill I tested, which is not surprising since charcoal grills often do. The shape and style of this grill make it very good for heat retention, heat distribution and evenness of grilling. With 189 square inches of cooking surface, this grill was not the biggest on the list, but it’s plenty big enough to cook burgers, chicken, fish, and veggies for a group of six hungry people. It’s also nice-looking with flare-out trays to hold your plates and grilling tools, plus an ergonomic design.

portable bbq

The wheels are helpful, but it’s not very fun to drag this grill very far from your vehicle. Despite that, we loved cooking with this portable pellet grill – it is the perfect addition to an RV setup. With its all-stainless steel body and cooking grates, the Pit Boss Grills Stainless Steel Portable Grill is certainly one of the most handsome portable grills on the market. While it doesn’t heat as well as other gas grills, it differentiates itself with a vast cooking surface and the ability to create multiple cooking zones. If you want a more compact propane grill, the Char-Broil Portable Grill2Go X200 Gas Grill is designed for one-handed toting. This portable grill is slightly larger than a briefcase and keeps the lid, grate, and firebox tightly packed for transporting.