The top-rated producer of grills and grill gear added a larger, collapsible and semi-portable grill called the Traveler to its portable grill lineup in 2021. I researched numerous grills and determined this Weber Traveler is the versatile grill that can be used in numerous settings and travels easily. Weber is highly regarded for well thought out engineering, quality materials, finish, dependability and ease of use.
While UPS and FedEx are our carriers for smaller items, be aware that larger items and orders are shipped via freight. The freight process is a bit more complicated than what we’ve all come to expect for small parcels, so it’s important that you’re prepared and understand what’s required of you well before delivery day. If you enjoy doing anything in the great outdoors and have always wanted to bring delicious food to the weber charcoal grill table (pun intended) then the Weber Traveler is a no-brainer. Whether it’s at the lake, the park, the game or even at home, this is an enjoyable and functional gas grill that anyone can use. Judging by the char, the surfaces were the hottest just outside of the solid ring on the grates that is meant to protect grease from spilling onto the burners. The very inner and outer parts of the surface were the cooler zones.
And heating the larger grill surface will burn through propane faster. Our highly trained team is always prepared to help you with any questions you may have about grills and accessories. The freedom to go anywhere, curiosity to explore, weber portable grill and ambition to bring big taste to any adventure. With your Go-Anywhere gas grill in the trunk and map in hand, there are no limits to the open road. At 1,300 BTUs, the Weber has a good punch of power for a portable grill.
In our tests, the well-placed vents in both the lid and the firebox provided precise temperature control that no other portable charcoal grill we tried—including two other Webers—could match. Weber’s portable charcoal and gas grills offer the same grilling standard you get from your home models at a fraction of the size. This makes them easy to load into the car on game day, take backcountry camping or just change up your grilling spot at home. 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. While it’s 52 pounds, it’s easy to move for such a heavy grill, thanks to its stand and wheels. Our tests showed it to be relatively consistent in its temperature, and while it didn’t give the best caramelization, the foods we cooked did have a satisfying crunch to their texture and good grill marks.
The Weber Q series grills are the most expensive portables we’ve tested. But the price is justified by the grill’s build-quality and Weber’s warranty and overall reputation for longevity. While the high heat setting perfectly seared burgers without burning, the Q 1200 also outperformed the competition at steady medium-low heat for items such as bone-in chicken and sausage links. The Weber Q 1200 is flare-up resistant and excellent at maintaining consistent heat. It’s constructed from quality materials, has some nice extra features, and is reasonably comfortable to carry (although heavy). This larger version of our pick offers more cooking area and higher heat output.
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. The grill comes to temperature quickly, but there is some variation in hot spots, especially towards the outside edges of the grill, which charred more than the center, where foods cooked slower. Senior staff writers Tim Heffernan and Lesley Stockton spent 16 hours testing portable grills for this guide.