The Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill is lighter than our gas pick, weighing under 20 pounds, but it’s not smaller. Its cooking surface holds about seven burgers or one weber kettle bbq whole, cut-up chicken. If you want a lighter, more compact propane grill, the Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 Portable Gas Grill is designed for one-handed toting.
Wirecutter staff who have used the Q 1200 at home have found it easy to clean both the grates and the grease tray under the grill. You don’t need to buy Weber’s specialty tins for the grease tray either—instead, just line the catch pan with aluminum foil and pull it off when you’re done. We started by loading the grates of each with 6-ounce burger patties (without crowding, of course) and assessed the evenness of the heat, the temperature control, the searing performance, and any flare-ups.
The Cuisinart Venture, with its picnic basket appearance, is a good entry-level grill for the uninitiated and a value model for more experienced grillers. It’s a model intended for direct-heat cooking, as there’s no lid to control humidity for “low and slow” cooking. The burner packs 9,000 BTUs under enameled cast iron, providing adequate heat for small-group cooking.
I typically cook easy dishes and only for me, so the single burner is adequate and keeps things simple. The sleek, foldable, gas grill snaps up like one of those urban grocery pushcarts. When collapsed, the Traveler can be rolled around on two wheels but it still features a substantial 320 square inches of grilling capacity. I got my hands on the Traveler to see how Weber’s latest portable grill stacks up against the field. Here’s my hood-to-wheels review of the Weber Traveler portable gas grill. Unlike most of the charcoal models reviewed here, the Masterbuilt features a charcoal hopper and fan to regulate its temperature, similar to a pellet grill.
The Dyna-Glo scored highly for performance but was edged out for Best Value by its weight (40 pounds) and a more complicated assembly process that could require a second person to accomplish easily. After testing models for their portability, ease of use, safety, and (of course) ability to grill great food, we have favorites from Cuisinart, Weber, and more. Through Bread Pay™, we offer easy and affordable financing options so you can pay for your purchase over time.
While it is one of the heavier grills we tested, the wheels make moving the grill around a simple task. Cleanup is easy using a top-down approach of wiping the inside of the lid with soapy water, cleaning the grates with a grill brush, and emptying the grease collector. We weber kettle bbq found the Weber Traveler intuitive and approachable — it’s a dream to assemble, light, and use. With a similar burner and grate design to the Q 1200 but a larger cooking area and an upgrade to 13,000 BTUs, the Traveler is more suited to family-size groups than the former.
This larger version of our pick offers more cooking area and higher heat output. The Weber Q 1200 Gas Grill is our pick because of its no-fuss convenience and stellar performance. For charcoal purists, we recommend the Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill 18″, which is just as capable as a full-size kettle at searing and grilling food to perfection.