Portable Grills Grills When shopping for a portable, the same rules apply as when you are shopping for other grills. You need to consider price, temperature control, ease of cleanup, ability to smoke foods, high heat, durability, safety, and, of course, size and weight. This one gets the job done almost entirely through conduction—its single burner provides heat to a porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grid that functions much like a 189-square-inch pan. Let's closely compare the smallest grills in our test regarding control. The Cuisinart Petite Gourmet and Eureka Gonzo are very similar in size and weight. The Petite Gourmet has an elongated burner beneath a rectangular grate, while the Gonzo Grill has a round burner beneath a round grate. Cuisinart's Venture portable gas grill looks like something Apple would make if Apple got into grills. It's really a two-part grill that packs up into a lightweight, easy-to-carry package. The base comes off and features a flip-out propane bottle holder (we discourage you from using those; see why below) as well as serving as a place to cut. The integrated bamboo cutting board fits on top of the base, which gives you somewhere to prep your meal even if there's no picnic table around. The GoBQ also performed well, cultivating a steady and hot fire, and has a robust 185 square inches of grilling space. Each Go-Anywhere grill also features a glossy porcelain-enamel lid and bowl to ensure durability on all your adventures. 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 bought all these products at retail cost to allow us to conduct an extended, objectively honest, and comparative review. Some propane grills even feature infrared heat, which heats very evenly and can be safer for tabletop models. The efficiency of propane is also pricier since grills that use this type of fuel are typically more expensive than their charcoal-burning counterparts. You get a lot of convenient features with this portable grill — there are two side tables to rest your spatula and beverage of choice, and, just like the stand, they fold up for traveling. For an additional cost, you can purchase griddle surfaces or stove-top burners to switch out for the grill grates, meaning you can make pancakes and a pot of coffee on your grill. The Flatback Portable Grill and Fire Pit is aptly named as it collapses completely flat, allowing you to throw it in your backpack before heading out for your next adventure. The thermometer in the dome lid is nice, but it isn't necessary other than for letting you know when the grill is hot and ready. Food grilled over charcoal has that coveted backyard-grill smoky flavor. This larger version of our pick offers more cooking area and higher heat output. A great grill for camping and tailgating, and for apartment dwellers with limited outdoor space. The liquid propane canisters are also disposable, so they create a lot of waste for not much cooking time. Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliance and Culinary Innovation Lab where she oversees all kitchen appliance content and testing. 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. 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. Higher BTUs produce more heat, but it is challenging to determine the heat output from the BTU rating alone. 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. But if you're doing meat and veggies for a family of four, you're going to be cooking in batches. Most meats need to rest when they're done cooking anyway, giving you time to do your veggies. In my testing, the Mini Big Green Egg has excellent heat control and, like the larger version, is extremely fuel-efficient. No matter how you measure it, the Traveler's 13,000-BTU burner gets plenty hot and really shines when searing. The 320-square-inch grilling surface is big enough to grill for a crowd. After testing more than 90 tools from spatulas to tongs to grill gloves and more, we have recommendations for everything you need to have an amazing barbecue. A swiveling metal handle tightly holds the grill together for easy transporting. Foods such as bone-in chicken pieces and thick steaks require surround heat to cook thoroughly.