But when the firebox got hot, the side vents that regulated airflow stuck in place, rendering us unable to control the temperature—critical for slow-cooking things like chicken and sausages. In our tests, the Jumbo Joe charcoal grill made the best seared burgers, barbecued chicken, and grilled bratwurst. Plus, cooking with charcoal gives your food that smoky flavor that you can’t get from a gas flame. Portable gas grills work with 1-pound liquid-propane canisters that are small, packable, and available at most hardware stores. When you’re done cooking, the grill cools quickly, and you don’t have to worry about dumping out ashes. The durable, easy-to-clean, plated steel cooking grate retains heat for even and consistent 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. These helped keep grease and drippings away from the flames while still allowing ambient heat to brown between grill weber charcoal 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. In our tests, the Q 1200’s heavy-duty cast-aluminum firebox was the best at evenly absorbing and reflecting heat.
It also has a very generously-sized usable cooking area, making it ideal for grilling for a crowd (we’re thinking it will be popular with tailgators). It earned points for usability, with testers commenting on the ease of setup, propane tank attachment, and lighting. It’s also pleasantly easy to clean, thanks to foil inserts that can be used to line the removable drip tray. One of the only problems 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.
I’ll run through some of the main features of this grill, before listing what I liked and what I didn’t like, and then get into the nitty-gritty of what it was like cooking on this grill. It’s also big enough that you can enjoy cooking with it at home. In this review, I’ll run through my experience cooking on the Weber Traveller, both at home and on the road. And if you want to check out a video review we did I’ve included that below. Since then they have continued to expand their indoor showroom and outdoor patio.
Weber covers more parts on its gas grills for five years and nothing for less than two years, but those grills also cost significantly more. In our tests, the Grill2Go X200 produced intense heat that was ideal for searing steaks but had us battling some flare-ups when cooking chicken pieces. Although we wouldn’t want to use it as a primary patio grill, it’s a decent dedicated portable grill for camping and tailgating.
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.
This smaller Weber kettle comes equipped with only one vent, located in the lid. The lack of airflow meant we couldn’t keep the coal bed lit throughout a single cook, leaving us with pale burgers and undercooked chicken. We appreciate the stable tripod base, which keeps the grill steady on uneven ground. And we give the Jumbo Joe points for having an ash catcher, even though it’s just a flimsy aluminum pan. But at least there’s a barrier to keep hot embers from falling on the grass or your deck. At 20 pounds, the Grill2Go X200 is also 10 pounds lighter than the Weber Q 1200, even though it fits the same amount of food (six burgers, or a whole cut-up chicken).
Cleanup was simple, and as the grill comes with no specific cleaning instructions, dumping the spent ash was a simple task. We followed this with a quick wipe-down with soapy water to remove remnants. Finally, we should note that, at 40 pounds, this grill is more suited to car camping or picnicking, where it’s only a short walk to where weber charcoal grill you’ll be cooking. It would also fare well as a supplemental grill when cooking for a crowd in your backyard. Unlike Weber’s gas grills, the Grill2Go X200 latches tightly shut with two clips on the front. This allows you to effortlessly carry the whole thing with one hand (convenient if you need to lug it a few hundred yards).