The 5 Best Portable Gas Grills of 2023, Tested & Reviewed

Its strong, intense flame combined with cast iron grates produced one the best sears in our test, although it’s heavier than other models we tested and slightly awkward to carry. It packs up tidily into a large lunchbox shape and comes with a sturdy carrying strap. The detachable cutting board (which doubles as a lid during transport) is especially helpful for campers looking to streamline their packing list. 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.

We then back up those assessments with real-world cooking experience. We’ve tested these grills at tailgate parties, backyard BBQs, picnics, and on camping trips, cooking hundreds of meals to date. An experience-based, comprehensive review of the best portable grills on the market. Curious about which portable grills were worth buying, we tested seven popular models from trusted brands.

The compact Traveler grill cart is designed for easy, one-handed setup and fold down, and has an automatic lid lock and all-weather wheels for navigating rough terrain. The Weber Traveler operates on a portable-sized 14.1 or 16.4 ounce propane cylinder (sold separately). This Stealth Edition Weber Traveler features a sleek, blacked-out finish.

Sign up to receive new product news, exclusive offers, grilling tips & recipes, and more from Weber and its affiliates / subsidiaries! Perfect for tailgating, camping, or bringing BBQ to your city balcony. The design of the Camp Chef Portable Pellet is practically unaffected by weber charcoal grill wind. The burner is deep within the tub of the grill body so it’s protected by the walls of the grill, the heat distributor, and the lid. We smoked a rack of ribs on a pretty nasty fall day at an elevation of 7,000 feet in central Utah and had absolutely no issues with wind.

For those with carts, this included how easy or difficult they 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. That aside, foods cooked fairly evenly and sported aesthetically weber portable grill pleasing grill marks in our tests. And with generally good cooking results, it’s an easy model for someone to get started with gas grilling. 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.