Savor the journey with backyard quality food, no matter where the adventure takes you. No grilling experience is complete without the necessary Weber grilling tools and accessories to get the job done. If you do not already have tools and accessories from your Weber charcoal grill or gas grill, load up to tackle any BBQ job. The NOMAD portable grill sports a modern design, folding together like a briefcase for carrying, with heat dissipation in mind to keep the exterior cool while cooking. Like the PKGO, the NOMAD can function as a closed grill, or you can use each side independently as a hibachi-style cooker, doubling the cooking space. The magnetic grates stay in place when transported, are slightly domed for strength, and can invert for use as a vegetable cooker basket.
Cuisinart is better known for kitchen appliances than grills, so it makes sense this petite model is designed with an eye toward food prep, not just grilling. It packs up neatly, with a wooden lid that doubles as a cutting board. It’s made for use with a small propane tank (and does not come with an adapter for larger tanks), which can be stored underneath the firebox when packed up. One tester noted that the cast iron grates produced enviably golden-brown sear on a steak, although the surface of the grill did not produce consistent heat, which resulted in burning in some places. 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.
The Traveler has a single control knob that’s very responsive to any adjustments, and because its lid is quite shallow, we found that the built-in thermometer is more accurate than other grills. Food did stick slightly to the grill’s cast iron grates, so it takes a bit of finesse to use this grill, and we did find that heat tends to dissipate very quickly when the lid is open. Still, this Weber grill will be an unbeatable companion on your next camping trip, especially if you’re cooking for a crowd. Our tester would absolutely recommend this portable grill for its quick setup, fast heating and distribution, and ease of transport. The fact that the grill can fold up makes storage a non-issue, but the side table is a little flimsy as a result (it bent a little under the weight of two steaks). The wheels aid its maneuverability and it’s easy to carry up and down stairs, from our tester’s experience.
However, the Coleman Roadtrip 285 makes up for the portability deficiencies with top-tier grilling performance, easily earning our recommendation for a large-sized portable grill. Two separate burners allow for multiple types of cooking (like searing and indirect heat), as with a standard-size grill. It gets hot and has, as one tester noted, “highly responsible” temperature control. In our tests, it produced “nice golden-brown” steak with “defined grill marks” and a “good crust.” During one test, even a delicate fish filet did not stick to the grates. The Weber Q 1200 remains at the top of our list of tabletop gas grills because it packs the performance of larger grills into a small form.
She’s personally tested several grills and smokers, including our top pick for a portable grill, the Weber Q2200 Liquid Propane Grill, and the splurge-worthy HitchFire Forge 15. While researching portable grills for this article, she spoke with Jess Pryles, grilling expert and author of “Hardcore Carnivore” for tips on grilling on the go. We were skeptical, but tests found it stayed within 10 degrees of the set temperature all the way from 250 to 500 degrees, where we were able to get nice char on both burgers and ears of corn.
Control is the criteria that most distinctly separates the highest performers from the rest of the contenders. For gas and electric, this metric was scored based on how many burners each product has and whether they can be adjusted to high, medium, and low temperatures. For charcoal, we assessed how easy it was to maneuver the weber kettle bbq coal bed to create heat zones. For pellet grills, we studied the user interface and considered the details of the startup and shutdown process. We also considered whether the grilling surface presents a consistent temperature throughout, whether it includes a thermometer or push-button ignition, and how well both perform.
The lid’s handle is also stainless steel as is the burner inside the grill. Weighing in at 47 lbs, Weber designed the grill to be light for portability. The frame which consists of the legs, tool hooks, shelf, and igniter are all plastic, but the material is thick and meant to be durable to withstand the rigors of weber portable grill traveling. Those items included the main body of the grill, 2 cooking racks, 2 wheels with installation hardware, and a grease pan with an aluminum liner. All products available on our website
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I can well imagine other grill fans stopping by my campsite to check it out and ask a bunch of questions. BBQGuys does more than test weber portable gas grill and sell grills — we show you how to use them, too. Our experts provide the recipes and skills you need to be a grill master.
But like any gas grill, you can add a smoke tube or foil packet of wood chips to add a hint of smoke to anything you are grilling. Firstly, because it only has a single burner, you cannot create an indirect heat zone. So you can only really grill things with direct heat, you cannot slow roast on it. I did find the outer edges on the left and right were slightly cooler than the middle section of the grill, but it’s not a big issue as the grill is so spacious. You could even say this is handy so you can move things around a bit to speed up or slow cooking.