It’s a little more expensive than some on the market, but it’s built to last. If you want portable charcoal grilling in a truly portable package, this is the best small grill to buy. While slow-cooking on the Takibi would be challenging, you can at least adjust the grill height to control temperature. My only real complaint is that without a lid you can’t smother your weber charcoal grill remaining charcoal and reuse it, but in most cases when the food is done I load up the Takibi with firewood and enjoy it as a fire pit. You should clean your portable grill the same way you would clean a full-size gas grill. Once you’re finished cooking, allow the grill to cool down slightly, then brush grease and food pieces off the grates with a damp grill brush.
They did so on the heels of testing full-size gas and charcoal grills, as well as grill accessories. Lesley built on her decade of experience in professional kitchens (much of it spent on the grill station) to design and run all of these tests. Portable grills aren’t just great for toting to a campground, park, or tailgate. If you don’t have the space or budget for a full-size grill, they might also be the best option for your backyard. After grilling 65 burgers, 30 pounds of chicken, and 25 pounds of bratwurst on nine portable grills, we have recommendations for both gas and charcoal options.
Across all tests, we paid attention to ease of use, performance, and design. USA-made Weber grills cost more than many of their competitors (although they’re by no means the priciest girls on the market). This is in part due to the relatively high labor costs for onshore manufacturing. They’re also made from premium materials, guaranteed to last a long time.
Plus, with its fast heat-up time and even heat distribution, you’ll get perfect cooking results on everything from standard burgers and dogs to grilled chicken and more. In general, gas or propane grills make for the best portable grills since they’re clean, easy and fast to get fired up. Charcoal is a fine alternative but the charcoal is heavier and messier than a small propane tank and charcoal generally takes longer to light. Small electric grills are also an option and while they sound great, remember you might not always have access to power, especially if you’re camping or spending a day in the park.
Sturdiness is a big factor for safety and sanity when considering a tabletop or pop-up model. A grill that rocks and wobbles will provide significant challenges when you attempt to cook on it. As a rule of thumb, a grill with thicker construction will retain and spread heat better than one with thin walls and bottoms, with some exceptions. The Everdure CUBE, weber bbq for example, has a thinner construction but is specifically designed to distribute heat evenly. One of the only problems we encountered was correctly positioning the grates. Still, we found it heated quickly and was ready to cook in 10 minutes after adding lit charcoal from a chimney, while side vents gave us greater control over lower-temperature cooking.