Since Coleman seems to have addressed many of the complaints consumers previously had with this grill, I’m willing to recommend it. They have, through trial and error, come through with a product that is both very portable and very capable of cooking in a variety of ways. Coleman suggests that a disposable LP bottle will allow you to cook for up to 1.1 hours with both burners set on high or 4.5 hours on the lowest setting. Because you probably won’t need the grill running on high all the time, expect it to last for around 2 to 3 hours of use.
Fortunately, Coleman outdoor grills are everything that you need for a hassle-free setup, takedown, and transport everywhere you go. The Coleman Roadtrip 285 offers one of the largest cooking areas of any model that we’ve tested to date. As the name suggests, there are 285 square inches – nearly two square feet – of cooking space for you to sear up anything from zucchini chips to tri-tips. To verify the manufacturers’ BTU rating, we conducted our own temperature tests to chart the output power of each grill. We cranked this grill to its highest setting and used an infrared thermometer to take temperature readings every five minutes for a period of twenty minutes. After five minutes, the Roadtrip 285 was already at 450°F.
Also, it seems that quality control over at Coleman is a bit off. While I didn’t have any problems, I’ve seen a few reports of incorrect assembly. Unfortunately, many of these reports quite new and apparently haven’t been dealt with by the manufacturer.
What really makes this RoadTrip grill a tremendous portable grill is just how easy it is to take with you. Yes, it might have a large cooking surface, but it folds down in a snap. The stand cleverly becomes an extendable handle on one side and wheels on the other, making the LXE very easy to wheel down to your favorite beach spot. Instead of the burners being in a side-by-side configuration, the Roadtrip 285’s overlap.
Another point against it is that because it is so hot, there is a bit of a learning curve to getting the right temperature for cooking. I think it was designed to cook hamburgers and hotdogs at lightning-fast speeds, which it does well. For grilling anything else, you will probably want to have the temperature down quite low until you are familiar with how fast it can cook. As I mentioned previously, it can go from compact to completely set up and ready to light in less than a couple of minutes.
The Coleman Roadtrip 285 is one of our favorite portable models, especially when it comes to wheeled options. If you’re considering this model, the main factor to take into account is its size and weight. If you have a smaller vehicle, limited storage, or are unable to lift 50 pounds, you should consider a smaller grill. The Roadtrip 285 is a top-tier option for people who don’t mind hauling around a bulkier grill if it means that they can efficiently cook for a party. The Coleman Roadtrip 285 is one of the best propane models we’ve cooked with in the wind.
Initially, there were many complaints regarding several aspects of the grill. However, it seems that Coleman has addressed coleman lantern many of these issues. Since 2008 or 2009, the majority of customers report being very happy with their purchase.
When it comes to propane models, the Coleman Roadtrip 285 is on par with the best of the best. The knobs are conveniently located on the front of the grill, much like the type you’d expect to see on a backyard propane BBQ. The piezoelectric ignitor fires the burners right up without any issue. The LPG regulator, also included, screws easily into the back of the Coleman grill. It allows you to use the disposable one pound propane canisters. You can also use an adapter hose, not included, to connect to a larger propane source such as a 20lb.
The stand completely folds to a flat and easily stored item and fits in the Coleman RoadTrip Storage Bag, purchased separately. The Coleman storage bag is made of strong material and even has wheels. The legs on the base stand even have adjustable feet at the bottom to fine tune the stand to rock solid and level. The other benefit of this stand is that it allows the user to remove the grill from the included stand and use the grill on a tabletop or picnic table. After all this is a portable grill and placing the grill where you want is a big deal.
It takes less than a minute to erect the stand from a folded unit to its cooking position. It takes one minute more to connect the regulator to the LP bottle and attach it to the back of the grill. Greeting messages are not a standard option on this item but are possible when sending from your Virtual Swag Closet.