Sturdy, Smokeless Portable BBQ Grill for Outdoor Party This is her third season testing grills for Good Housekeeping and has had her hands on at least 35 grills and counting. She's a professional, trained cook, recipe developer and grill aficionado. The summer is favorite season, mostly because she can put one of her many grills to the test nightly. Easy, convenient and efficient grilling without the hassle of gas or charcoal. This is the best option on this list for transitioning from a barbecue dinner to a post-meal fire pit session. A few of the portable grills we tested to find the best in 2022. Before a game or concert, you'll want a smaller, portable grill to keep the gang fed. Some, like the $549 Hitchfire Forge 15, are even designed to fasten to the back of your car, making your next pregame buffet as seamless as if you were home. There are also great small grills under $125 if you're tailgating on a budget and other extremely portable grills that you could probably sneak into the stadium -- although we don't recommend it. This is a small grill with a big heart; it had no problem when covered with hamburger patties and buns. The dual-burner Cuisinart is our favorite small gas grill, delivering nearly perfect heat distribution across its surface, which is quite large for a portable appliance. A bottom vent and an aluminum top damper allowed us to dial in the airflow. To illustrate this, we cooked plain white bread and photographed the result to help visualize the distribution of heat across these grill tops. 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. While the all-natural allure of charcoal might be viewed as a more sustainable option than propane, these grills tend to burn through coals pretty quickly. When converting from outdoor charcoal grill to indoor electric grill, be sure to thoroughly clean the grill and wipe out all charcoal remnants and residue. If charcoal remnants or residue remain when using the electric heating element it may produce carbon monoxide which may cause serious injury or death. These extra-small gas and charcoal grills are ideal for on-the-go grilling. We were impressed with the high-heat grilling performance of the Weber Go Anywhere Charcoal Grill. But when the firebox got hot, the side vents that regulated airflow stuck in place, rendering us powerless when it came to heat control—critical for slow-cooking things like chicken and sausages. The Weber Q series may be the best of the portable grills we’ve tested, but they also cost the most. But Weber’s warranty covers most of the unit for five years, so we think the price is justified. If you have the space for something bigger, check out our guide to full-size charcoal grills. Load up the car and hit the road with a Weber portable charcoal grill to throw a BBQ, host a tailgate, or grill lunch wherever the day takes you. The only part about using the Nomad that I didn’t love was emptying it. Because it needs to be emptied while completely open, it was hard to lift when attempting to dump the ash into a bin. On its website Nomad suggests using a shop vac to get all the spent charcoal out. I have no doubt that that would do the trick, but if you’re off on an adventure an hour from an electrical outlet, a shop vac might not be practical. That said, I’m hard pressed to imagine a better camping grill than this. The Nomad does cost more than anything else I tested, but it was unparalleled both in how it cooked and how easy it was to move. For the most part, the scoring of the heat output follows manufacturer claims, but we made some exceptions based on our observations. For instance, while the Weber Q 1200 only claims 8,500 BTUs, in practice it operates at hotter temperatures and maintains that heat over a larger cook surface compared to other similar models. The infrared-cooking capability of the Solaire Everywhere puts out 14,000 BTUs, and confidently sears a steak faster than anything else. The Solaire Everywhere infrared grill is the most unique product in our roster and performs very well in a few categories.