Best Portable Grill of 2020

Best Overall Portable Grill

Napoleon TravelQ 285

$249.00

at Amazon

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The TravelQ 285 from Napoleon is a sophisticated high-end propane grill that's been downsized into a portable format and is easily transported regardless of your usage. The size and design make it ideal for serving up expertly grilled meals for four to six people. The maximum heat is hot enough to sear beef, while the surface can be configured to cook indirectly at much lower temperatures. One can even cook simultaneously in different zones on the grill at different heat levels. The Napoleon's auto-igniter is also more reliable than most others we have tested.

As you might expect, all this performance comes with a high price tag. We also wish that you could purchase this grill in a configuration that allowed for tabletop and rolling cart use. It comes in either one or the other configuration, and it is essentially fixed in whatever style was purchased. Some of our testers use a portable grill at their apartment or small house to optimize storage space, but they would also like the option to take it on the road for mobile cooking. A modular or convertible cart system for the Napoleon 285 would certainly make it the ultimate product for this purpose. We purchased and committed to the tabletop version. The rolling version uses the same grill head on a folding stand/cart. It's reasonable to assume that everything we have to say about the cooking performance of the Napoleon can be extrapolated to the stand-up version. In the tested configuration, this is our favorite model of all that we tested.

Read review: Napoleon TravelQ 285

Best Bang for Your Buck

Char-Broil Grill2Go X200

$129.00

(19% off)
at Amazon

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The Char-Broil Grill2Go x200 is an excellent product, especially for the price. Its aluminum case is tight and solid, reminiscent of the one on the Napoleon TravelQ. Its burner is very hot, roaring to life with a click of the piezo igniter. Its carry size and weight are average, considering the grill surface area. For searing red meats, cooking burgers and dogs, and blackening most vegetables, the Grill2Go excels, and it's difficult to distinguish it from the very top performers in this type of cooking.

This model suffers, however, when it comes to "low and slow" cooking. You just can't turn the heat down enough to effectively slow cook ribs or to gently cook a thick, boneless/skinless chicken breast. If you know you won't be cooking these types of foods, the Char-Broil is an incredible value. For those with more well-rounded grilling preferences, upgrading to the Napoleon is the way to go.

Read review: Char-Broil Grill2Go x200

Best for a Tight Budget

Cuisinart Grillster

$89.99

at Amazon

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For the size and price, it may be tough to find a compact grill more powerful than the Cuisinart Grillster. Not only is it incredibly fuel-efficient, but this portable powerhouse reaches peak temperature within a matter of minutes after clicking the piezo lighter. A lightweight steel lid and three insulating walls give it the ability to both block wind and retain heat, allowing you to cook in less-than-ideal weather. This model cools down almost as quickly as it heats up for a quick get-away, with a locking lid and enough space to store one-pound gas canisters. It also sports an easy-to-carry handle.

The Grillster is great at searing steaks and other high-temperature cooking, but it is tough to control the overall range on this rip-roaring grill. Unless we were aiming for blackened chicken or blistered peppers, we rarely found ourselves using anything more than the lowest gas setting. Although it is compact and portable, there is a tradeoff with its smaller grilling space. Petite and sure-footed, the Grillster is the perfect companion for a picnic-for-two, no matter the location.

Read review: Cuisinart Grillster

Best Portable Charcoal Grill

Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal

$54.99

at Amazon

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For the fans of pit-cooking out there, we offer up the Weber Go-Anywhere. This well-built barbeque is an innovative take on the manufacturer's classic design, incorporating their enameled, cast-iron construction into a convenient, compact package. The rectangular basin can hold a coal bed that is both deep and evenly spread. A plated-steel top grate settles securely into place thanks to deep-seated insets cast into the grill frame, so you can easily adjust heat zones without fear of dropping your whole meal into the coals.

We cannot guarantee that the Go-Anywhere will boast the same heat output as its gas-powered competitors — that's up to you and your coal-stoking abilities. There is certainly a learning curve to mastering different heat zones, but cooking over charcoal potentially offers an accuracy that cannot be matched when cooking with gas. The tightly fitting vents are tough to adjust without gloves, and it takes time to skillfully manage these adjustments for perfect airflow. But we can assure you that with practice, this portable grill can allow you to master the art of cooking over an open-flame and produce delicious food in the process, even on-the-go.

Read review: Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill

Best Portability

Primus Kuchoma

$155.99

(18% off)
at Amazon

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See all prices (2 found)

The Primus Kuchoma is super compact and very easy to carry. It only weighs 10 pounds, and the stowed format is a simple three-dimensional rectangle that's about the size of an old fashioned hard-sided briefcase. The propane regulator is located on a flexible hose that can be stowed inside the grill, an advantage over other small grills that often leave the regulator sticking out. Grilling performance of the Kuchoma is at least as good as the other compact products we have used.

Larger grills will inherently provide more space, more power, and more control than the Kuchoma. Due to its smaller cooking surface, you likely won't be able to indirectly grill ribs on it. Similarly, with only one burner, slow-cooking a chicken breast next to a searing steak isn't a reasonable option on this grill either. Finally, the Kuchoma is a bit messy during transport if you forget to clean out the grease trap, although due diligence will keep these messes from being any issue. Especially if paired with a carrying case (Primus does sell them separately), the Kuchoma is a fantastic go-anywhere grill.

Read review: Primus Kuchoma

Best for Searing Red Meat

Solaire Everywhere

$329.00

at Amazon

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The Solaire Everywhere infrared grill is the most unique product in our roster and performs very well in a few categories. First, it is very small and compact, and its construction is tight and carries quietly. Most importantly, the high-powered ceramic "flameless" burner that sits below a carefully designed grate of v-shaped bars cooks steaks better than anything else in our review. Heat can be very high and is delivered rapidly. For those excellent cuts of red meat that require nothing more than a touch of flame, this is the best portable grill on the market.

You don't get this uncompromising high-heat cooking performance without some drawbacks. The Solaire Everywhere is quite specialized. First, the grill top is small, with space for only one or two steaks on it at a time. Next, it is very expensive. Finally — and this is the most significant issue — the low-heat performance is virtually nonexistent. The heat options are adjustable, but they would best be described as "High" to "Extremely High." Further, the lid is only for portability; you cannot close it while cooking. Steaks are prepared very, very nicely, but other foods are nearly impossible to cook well.

Read review: Solaire Everywhere

We got a wide variety of testers to help assess each model at campgrounds across the West.

Photo: Jediah Porter

Why You Should Trust Us

We tasked long-time OGL review editor Jed Porter with heading up our analysis of portable grills. When you ask Jed's friends what his favorite food is, they'll likely answer either "chips and salsa" or "meat." Jed regularly cooks 1-2 meals a day outside over an open flame, near and far, rain or shine. At various times throughout his career as a mountain guide, he has catered for groups of up to 20 hungry, adventurous clients. Adding more expertise in this category is Aaron Rice. Aaron has worked in-and-around kitchens for the better portion of a decade — he now runs an on-site culinary garden for a high-end restaurant. As a wilderness instructor, he has also taught many a hungry teenager the art of creating delicious meals with small stoves. Both reviewers tapped into a network of friends and family who also happen to be culinary experts: from culinary arts professors to professional chefs to BBQ-business owners.

Our thorough testing process began with scouring the internet for the latest and greatest products across the portable grill market. Next, we narrowed our selection to create a manageable, yet comprehensive list of the best products available. We bout all these products at retail cost to allow us to conduct an extended, objectively honest, and comparative review. These review editors rigorously assessed these grills, distributing them to friends to offer a fresh perspective. Throughout the intensive testing phase — which lasted months — we grilled piles of food, measured temperatures, configured fans to simulate wind, and burned through gallons of propane and piles of coal, all in the pursuit of an authoritative review of the best portable grills on the market.

Related: How We Tested Portable Grills

Analysis and Test Results

A portable grill could be just mobile enough to load it in and out of your truck bed with a friend, or it might be compact enough to fit inside a large backpack. Such a wide range of sizes and shapes of "portable grills" presents a real challenge to our testers, but that's why we take time to analyze the entire marketplace and select the best options available today. We then put ourselves in your shoes and put each model through an array of creative real-life cooking scenarios. This helped us evaluate each product's overall performance and function, as well as the finer details and relative strengths and weaknesses, to help you pick out the best possible portable grill to meet your needs.

Related: Buying Advice for Portable Grills

Value

The value of your portable grill depends on your cooking needs and how long you hope to use it for. A basic, more affordable grill might get you through a backyard-bash, but a more expensive product will tend to last longer, even under more rigorous or extensive use. Simple grilling, like burgers and dogs, can be done on any portable grill. But if you would like the option to sear a steak and slow-cook chicken on the same grate, you'll likely only find such features on higher-quality models. Similarly, the least expensive grills don't offer the maximum heat output nor the control to cook more complicated foods.

Grill size isn't necessarily tied to value — in fact, the smallest grills in our review are among some of the most expensive. When considering carrying dimensions, grilling surface, and overall performance, the more average-sized grills tend to fall into a more reasonable price bracket. There is a broad range of prices in this category, but two of the lower-priced models stand out. The Cuisinart Grillster has the power you need to sear steaks, but due to its lower-end price point, it lacks the overall control of better grills. The Char-Broil Grill2Go is slightly more expensive, but cooks with the quality of an infrared burner, and includes additional features like a thermometer built into the lid.

Lining up grills side-by-side to test the backyard ultra-classics, hamburgers and portabella-burgers.

Photo: Aaron Rice

Output Power

For this metric, we had to consider how different methods of heat production compared among different grills across the board. For gas, we looked at the number of BTUs (British thermal units) each product generates. For charcoal and electric options that cannot be measured the same way, we drew upon evidence from testing and an infrared thermometer to measure internal grill temperatures. We also factored in the number of burners of each product, how well the grill body insulated heat, and the volume of the coal bed.

For gas-powered grills, the Napoleon TravelQ puts out a moderate 12,000 BTUs — not the most in our review, but with two burners and an insulating lid, this grill cooked the best overall. The least powerful model is the Cuisinart Petit Gourmet that manages only 5,500 BTUs, but keep in mind that it only weighs 15 lbs and has half the cooking area of the bigger units. Even with its lower output, the Petit Gourmet didn't have a problem grilling anything we wanted, it didn't take any longer to cook than the other contenders, and it uses the least amount of fuel. This points to an issue in assessing just the raw BTU score: a certain amount of heat over a smaller surface area will be hotter than the same amount of heat spread across a larger surface area. The Primus Kuchoma is quite small, but puts out 8,000 BTUs, similar to Cuisinart Grillster.

After noting the manufacturers' BTU output ratings we did head-to-head, subjective testing of the max heat output of each grill. Here, the Primus Kuchoma up against the Solaire Everywhere.

Photo: Rosie De Lise

On the charcoal side, insulation plays a much more important role for output power and efficiency. The Cuisinart Portable and Weber Go-Anywhere are very similar in terms of coal bed volume, but the Go-Anywhere scores much higher thanks to its cast iron construction.

While we couldn't rely on BTU-ratings for charcoal grills, our reviewers utilized an infrared thermometer to accurately test the temperature of these grill surfaces.

Photo: Aaron Rice

Our ranking of heat output also considered each manufacturer's BTU reporting, grill surface area, and lid sealing and construction. For the most part, the scoring of the heat output follows manufacturer claims, but we made some exceptions based on our own observations. For instance, both the Primus Kuchoma and Weber Q1200 claim 8,500 BTUs. In practice, the Weber is a little hotter and maintains that heat over a larger cooking surface, and therefore scores better on our list. The Solaire Everywhere makes 14,000 BTUs, but sears a steak faster than anything else, even those that feature more BTUs.

We enlisted professional BBQ caterers Liz Bazzano and Ryan Weidenbach from Dubbs BBQ to help assess these compact wonders. Their input was illuminating and helpful.

Photo: Rosie De Lise

Control

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 coal bed to create heat zones. We also considered if the grilling surface presents a consistent temperature throughout, whether it includes a thermometer or push-button ignition, and how well both perform. There are advantages and disadvantages to a grill surface that naturally presents different temperature zones.

The George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor 15+ may offer a huge grilling surface, but can only be operated on a single heat-setting. Notice that while the onions were just beginning to nicely char, our burgers were over-browning to a crisp.

Photo: Aaron Rice

If you're cooking only one type of food that covers the entire grilling surface, then you will want to have consistent heat throughout. If you are cooking a variety of foods all at once, you might prefer different temperature zones. To test the distribution of heat across a grill, we grilled different food types in different corners of the grill. To illustrate this, for a select set of our tested grills, we cooked plain white bread on the grill top and photographed the result to help visualize the distribution of heat on these grill tops.

One round of the toast test, illustrating the heat distribution on the Primus Kuchoma.

Photo: Jediah Porter

We also took into consideration whether the lid was big enough for closed grilling, how easy the grease trap was to use, remove, and clean, and if the regulator provided a snug or loose fit.

The Napoleon TravelQ 285 scores highest in this category due to its two burners with distinct high, medium, and low settings, and a flawless ignition system. We appreciate that its grilling surface is non-stick and can achieve a consistent temperature throughout the entire cooking area. The Napoleon's lid has plenty of clearance for closed grilling, the grease trap is easy to remove and clean, and the regulator didn't give us any trouble. You can also use the two-burner system to create different heat zones.

Single-burner options, like the Cuisinart Grillster, often don't afford the same amount of control over temperature zones as other multi-burner grills.

Photo: Aaron Rice

Of the one-burner grills, the mid-sized models offer a wide range of control options. On all that we currently include in the review, the knob and regulators allow a clearer and wider range of burner output. Control, then, is mostly a function of burner shape, grill shape, and the relative interaction of these two features. Large burners, relative to the grill size, distribute heat more evenly to the grill top. We found the u-shaped burner of the Camp Chef Portable Grill to be the best single burner in our review. The large surface of the Cuisinart All Foods Roll-Away gives the cook multiple heat zones to work with while grilling. The infrared burner of the Solaire Everywhere heats the entire grill surface to about the same temperature. This is good for cooking lots of one type of food, but not so good if you're hoping to cook different foods at different rates.

Building an intensely hot coal bed, that can later be spread out to create individual heat zones, is a critical skill in mastering the art of charcoal grilling.

Photo: Aaron Rice

It is important to mention here that cooking with charcoal is very different from cooking over a gas burner. Charcoal is an active heat source, meaning that it can be adjusted — stoked to increase heat, or smothered to decrease it — but requires constant care to regulate temperature. The upside is that the potential for control is very high because charcoal gives you virtually unlimited ability to manage various heat zones across the grilling surface. The downside is that this control is not guaranteed: there is a significant learning curve to master this technique, and it's more difficult than adjusting the dial of a gas grill.

Notice the three different heat zones possible with the Weber Go-Anywhere charcoal grill. From the left: medium heat to evenly brown the steak; high heat to blister peppers; low heat on to caramelize the onion.

Photo: Aaron Rice

Among the charcoal models, the Weber Go-Anywhere scores top marks for control. Thanks to a relatively deep basin, we were able to build and stoke a substantial volume of coals to achieve the exact heat we desired. Since the area of the basin exactly matches the surface area of the grill, we were then able to spread out those coals to create targeted heat zones.

The Eureka Gonzo Grill on the right, with close competitor Cuisinart Petite Gourmet in red. Clearly, the Eureka is smaller. For packing, this is an advantage. For cooking, the difference doesn't seem as profound as it looks.

Photo: Jediah Porter

Let's closely compare the smallest grills in our test regarding control. The Cuisinart Petite Gourmet and Eureka Gonzo Grill are very similar in size and weight. The Primus Kuchoma is roughly similar in grate size but weighs much less than the other two. The Petite Gourmet and Kuchoma both have an elongated burner beneath a rectangular grate, while the Gonzo Grill has a round burner beneath a round grate. For a given temperature setting on each, the Gonzo grill top presents a more uniform temperature than the Petite Gourmet or the Kuchoma. You have more options to move your food around to different temperature zones on the rectangular grates, but you have greater uniformity of cooking conditions across the top of the Gonzo.

The Camp Chef Portable BBQ grill in action.

Photo: Rosie De Lise

Portability

To determine scores in this metric, we loaded each product into vehicles, took them to picnics and campsites, and grilled gratifying culinary concoctions. When on these excursions, we took into account things like overall size, weight, construction materials, and availability of wheels, stands, or lid latches. We also evaluated how secure or not secure they were, noisiness during transport, and cleanliness on the ride home.

The Petit Gourmet has telescoping legs that fold up neatly, and it's easy to carry in one hand. The Gonzo Grill, contained by its included nylon bag, requires two hands to carry but is a little less fiddly otherwise. The Kuchoma and Solaire both carry cleanly and easily like a small suitcase. The Kuchoma is our favorite to carry around because it packs up so small and only weighs 10 pounds. It's easy to carry this model into the park to find your ideal picnic spot. With any grill, cleaning them before transporting them will lead to less mess.

A common portability pitfall is the grill parts coming dislodged in transit. The Camp Chef, pictured here, isn't alone in having its heat disperser come free.

Photo: Rosie De Lise

The 26-pound Napoleon TravelQ 285 is remarkably portable given its large surface area and excellent cooking performance. Special mention should be given to the portability of this grill; it can be purchased as a tabletop model (like we did) for maximum compactness or with integrated wheels and folding stand for patio and stadium parking lot convenience.

During a long-distance drive that included mountain passes and washboard dirt roads, most grills stayed in place, but the Cuisinart Portable ended up upside-down.

Photo: Aaron Rice

The most notable portability attribute of the Char-Broil Grill2Go is you one can fit three propane canisters inside its closed lid during transport. None of the other top-rated grills have space beneath their lids for even one canister. This is nice when space is tight. And who would be using a portable grill if space weren't limited?

The Char Broil Grill2Go is unique in that, for transport, you can carry fuel cans inside the lid. We like this. Surprisingly few others allow this.

Photo: Jediah Porter

Cooking Area

Scores in this metric were determined by the size of the cooking surface, the surface material and any coatings, whether the grill has any side tables or any other added features. Additional features and functions include a grill grate that can be turned over and made into a skillet, or bonus features like a warming rack or smoker tray. We also took into account how simple or challenging each contender was to clean.

A standout in this category is the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor 15+, which has one of the largest cooking areas included in this review and can uniquely transition from cooking on the back porch to the kitchen table. The Gonzo Grill is another stand out for its unique cooking area. It boasts a dual cooking surface that consists of a grill on one side and a griddle on the other. The Gonzo Grill can also be converted into a stove-top by removing the griddle.

We loved the novelty of George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor grill for its ability to cook an entire meal outside, and then move onto the table for a fajita night.

Photo: Aaron Rice

The Primus Kuchoma is the lightest and smallest grill we tested but has more cooking surface area than three other products. Good design choices are on display here.

A couple large chicken breasts basically fill the hot portion of the Cuisinart Petite Gourmet.

Photo: Jediah Porter

Wind Resistance

Does the burner blow out in the wind? Does the lid get easily slammed shut? Does the grease trap fly away? Is the whole system sturdy? These are all things that were taken into consideration when scoring all the contenders for this metric.

The high score in this category goes to the Camp Chef Portable. The Camp Chef has a stable cooking surface that prevents any wind from getting through to the grilling grate. Wind resistance was another particularly strong aspect of the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor, whose electrically heated cooking surface seemed completely unfazed by convective heat loss, as far as we can tell.

The performance of the George Foreman's electric grill plate is basically impervious to wind, and all of the food is protected beneath a gigantic lid.

Photo: Aaron Rice

Wind resistance is the one chink in the armor of the Napoleon model. During one particularly windy picnic in Grand Teton National Park, both burners of the Napoleon TravelQ 285 blew out repeatedly. Interestingly, this did not occur on other occasions, nor could we replicate it during our more controlled fan test. When it did stay lit, the tight lid and high overall output of the TravelQ ensured that it worked just fine in the wind.

In cold and windy weather, (note our bundled tester this unseasonably cool early summer testing day) convective cooling can really strip the heat from your food. A tight lid, minimal and strategic vent holes, and a robust burner guard against that wind.

Photo: Jediah Porter

The Cuisinart All Foods Roll-Away scored the lowest in wind resistance. We grew frustrated at the number of times we had to re-light this model in high winds. The Weber Q 1200 comes with a disposable aluminum drip tray insert that you can place in the more permanent drip tray. This is nice for aiding with cleanup, but it's not very wind-resistant, so it usually ended up on the ground after flying away in windy conditions. This can be remedied by doing away with this disposable part or just by putting a rock in it.

Our fan test largely verifies our findings from "real world use".

Photo: Jediah Porter

Conclusion

All that now stands between you and mobile grilling is your final choice and a big pile of grillable grub. Crack that first tailgate can, ponder our comparative assessments, and pull the trigger on an excellent portable delicious-making machine. None of our choices are poor ones, and all can facilitate the most memorable of dining experiences. We are proud of the work we've done to hash out all the options and honored to be a small part of your transient culinary journey.

What better occasion to "force" a spring picnic than grill testing. A family event, comparing grills and eating good food in March in Drictor, Wydaho.

Photo: Rosie De Lise