The 7 Best Portable Grills of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

It’s slightly larger than a briefcase and weighs 10 pounds less than our top pick, but it holds the same amount of food—about six burgers. The durable, easy-to-clean, plated steel cooking grate retains heat for even and consistent grilling. I personally wouldn’t use the grill for low and slow barbecue like ribs or brisket, since its single weber kettle bbq knob for controlling fuel output doesn’t allow for precise temperature control. It’s also worth mentioning that the Traveler has just 5 inches of headroom under its lid, so you likely couldn’t cook large roasts, shoulders, or turkeys in it. Weber thought of everything — even the smallest of details — while designing the Weber Traveler.

You can do this same test with bread, but I’m not much for carbs. Even if you clean the grill thoroughly afar each use I would still recommend the Cargo Protector cover. Once I put two weber kettle bbq and two together, it lifted up with little effort. In other words, you don’t have to be The Rock to unfold the grill and get it upright (but reading the directions wouldn’t hurt).

Some of the grills we tested featured just one knob, used for both igniting the grill and controlling the strength of the flame. (Of course, to properly ignite any gas grill, you must ensure the propane tank is open). As convenient and portable as propane camping grills are, it’s no secret that they don’t hold their own against their full-sized counterparts.

If you’re home at the time of the drop-off, you can request the driver place your delivery in the garage; if you’re out of the house, the driver will leave it near the garage or doorstep. Next, I wanted to see how well I could control the temperature for lower-slower grilling candidates. There’s just one knob to control the fuel output and while the temp did drop when I lowered it, it was difficult to precisely control the temp one way or the other. That’s not uncommon with grills but if you’re looking for pinpoint low-and-slow cooking, this might not be the product for you. Grills with side table attachments, stands, and other prep areas ended up ranking higher in our tests, as we rated grills for their overall design. When cooking outside, a clean, workable surface makes prepping convenient and efficient.

The Q 1200’s design caused the fewest flare-ups of any model we tried, thanks to built-in channels in the porcelain-coated cast-iron grill grates. These helped keep grease and drippings away from the flames while still allowing ambient heat to brown between grill marks. In our tests, burgers from the Q 1200 had the most seared surface area of all the burgers we grilled, and more browning means better flavor. Then we grilled bone-in chicken to test for flare-ups and how well the gas and charcoal grills could sustain a medium-low cooking temperature over 45 minutes.

Most items shipped via standard parcel

service may be expedited for an additional

cost to decrease shipping time or guarantee

delivery by a certain date. This does not

include processing time, which may or may

not be altered subject to manufacturer

resources and discretion. Items shipped via

freight are shipped at the fastest available

speed (Priority Freight) and are, therefore,

unable to be expedited further. On the flip side, the Traveler is less portable than the brand would have you believe in its flashy promotional videos. It’s heavier than any other portable grill I’ve tested and I would categorize the Traveler as a semi-portable grill and not a truly portable grill.

We’ve tested an older version of the Lodge Sportsman’s Pro Cast Iron Grill, a hibachi-style grill that generates an intense amount of heat and excels at searing, making it ideal for steaks. But the lidless design limits its ability to tackle slow-cooking tasks. At 30 pounds and with a long cool-down time (again, cast iron), it’s also not going to be very portable.

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. It is easy to assemble, heats up quickly, cooks up to 4 burgers or steaks just like the Genesis. Love how it takes up little room on the patio and is so easy to clean.

As a classic car enthusiast, finish and quality are important to me. This looks like a ground up custom grill construction and is reflected in the numerous compliments received. I have owned this Bar B Q about a month, and it works perfectly. Easy to light, heats up quickly, and folds down to a ver small foot print.

The design and material make the burners strong and resistant, helping to prevent rust and burn-throughs.