Next, we judged the grills’ portability, such as how easy they were to move and if lids or grates fell off easily. For those with carts, this included how easy or difficult they weber portable grill were to move, pop up, and collapse. Then, we rated them on how easy they were to light, add charcoal (if applicable), and how long they took to reach a cooking temperature.
We also prefer an open grate design that allows ambient heat from the firebox to brown the areas in between the grill marks. But portable grills are generally not as versatile as a full-size grill. Our picks fit about half as much food as their full-size counterparts (six burgers versus 12) and aren’t ideal for large cuts of meat that require slow or indirect cooking, such as roasts or pork shoulder.
There are advantages and disadvantages to a grill surface that naturally presents different temperature zones. A portable grill could be just mobile enough to load it in and out of your truck bed with a friend, or it might be compact enough to fit inside a large backpack. We then put ourselves in your shoes and put each model through an array of creative real-life cooking scenarios. Our thorough testing process began with scouring the internet for the latest and greatest products across the portable grill market. Next, we narrowed our selection to create a manageable yet comprehensive list of the top models.
Whether it’s charcoal or gas, you can take it wherever you go with a compact and durable . Compact in size to easily fit in a car, carry to the park, or grill a quick meal on your patio. While the Traveler does fold up easily and can be dragged around without too much effort, it is still rather heavy pounds to be exact — especially with the grill grates inside. I personally wouldn’t want to drag or carry this grill on a hike or even a long walk. Finally, the grill grates are made of heavy-duty, cast iron which I personally prefer cooking on over others made of porcelain-coated or stainless steel.
If you’re looking for a bigger portable grill, the Weber Q 2200 Gas Grill has the same features, performance, and build as our pick, but with almost 50% more grilling capacity. It can fit up to 10 large burger patties, two cut-up chickens, or 16 large bratwurst links at a time. In our tests, the Q 1200’s heavy-duty cast-aluminum firebox was the best weber kettle bbq at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat. That, along with the U-shaped burner, provided the most consistent grilling of all the portables we tested, with the fewest hot spots. The Weber Traveler grill is specially designed for an easy, one-handed setup and fold down. The grill is also attached to the cart so that you’re up and grilling in no time.