Pounds of charcoal and propane led us to these top picks.
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Suffice it to say that camping and grilling go hand in hand. Being in nature wakens the call for that primal connection to fire. Your camping style may take multiple forms, from glamping to RVing to backpacking. Grilling can, too. Your idea of food from the fire may be burgers and hot dogs. It could also be slow-cooked meats, vegetables, or even pizza. Whatever the case, be it spartan or more luxury-minded, there’s a grill out there to meet your camping and cooking needs.
We put 12 of the top-rated small grills through a series of tests to judge their performance, value, and ease of use to determine the best grills in multiple categories to fit a variety of camping scenarios. In addition to our testing, we sought out the advice of four chefs with strong opinions on camping and grilling, who lent their expertise to help answer your most burning questions about using a grill in the great outdoors.
The Q 1200 has the excellent heat management and power one would expect of a larger grill.
It’s heavy for a portable grill, and attaching the gas bottle could be easier.
The Q 1200 finds its way to the top of our list of camping gas grills because it performs like a much larger gas grill despite its small size. It’s simple to assemble, with the manual providing pictogram-style instructions, taking 12 minutes to complete during our tests. The pushbutton ignition makes lighting the grill easy and safe, after which the grill grates come to cooking temperature in about eight and a half minutes.
The hot and cool zones you might expect in a smaller, portable grill were conspicuously absent. The circular, 8,500-BTU tube burner provides even heat across the enamel-coated cast iron grates, and all of the food we tested cooked evenly, with no excessive charring or lack thereof. The grill runs a little hotter with the lid down than the temperature indicated on the built-in thermometer, and there were minimal flare-ups in cooking. Cleanup is a simple task; brushing the grates and wiping down the inside of the lid to prevent grease build-up after emptying the grease collector completes the job.
Price at time of publish: $259
Fuel Source: Gas | Dimensions: 16 x 41 x 17 inches | Weight: 31 pounds
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
It’s intuitive to use, with even and accurate heating.
It’s on the heavy end of the scale for a portable grill.
The Traveler is a high-performing portable grill. Although it’s heavy for a portable, the pop-up cart design facilitates easy movement. We found it very intuitive to light, and it was ready to cook about 15 minutes after removing it from the packaging. One person can assemble it, and the instructions are easy to follow (though a second look at them before starting never hurts). The Traveler has enameled cast iron grates, which contribute significantly to the overall weight but also relieved any real sticking problems during our tests.
The single, circular burner provides even heating across the grill, and no hot or cool spots were evident. There is a single knob for temperature control that’s easy and intuitive to use. Plus, the accuracy of the built-in thermometer is one of the best we tested. It’s a little shaky when brushing the grates, but bracing the stand with your foot minimizes the grate movement during cleaning.
Price at time of publish: $449
Fuel Source: Gas | Dimensions: 23 x 44 x 37 inches | Weight: 68 pounds
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
The Venture is an easy grill to transport, set up, and cook with, delivering reasonably consistent results.
We found the center burned cooler than the edges, and removing the top presented some challenges.
The picnic basket-appearing Venture is a good entry-level grill and a compact value model for more experienced grillers. There’s no lid, so “low and slow” cooking isn’t its intended method. Instead, it’s designed for open, hibachi-style grilling. Despite that limitation, it performed very well in our cooking tests. The enameled grates heat and retain heat well, thanks to the 9,000 BTU burner, providing adequate heat for small-group cooking. It heats quickly, but the center had cooler spots than the edges, where food received a better char.
Even with the cool spots, foods cooked relatively evenly with noticeable grill marks during our tests. One knob controls the flame, so heat regulation is quite simple, even for the uninitiated. The setup is complete in just under five minutes, which, combined with the generally good cooking results, makes this approachable for all levels and a camping grill that’s easy to use and transport.
Price at time of publish: $156
Fuel Source: Gas | Dimensions: 13 x 16 x 11 inches | Weight: 21 pounds
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
The CUBE is a highly portable grill and a good sizes for two people.
The CUBE is only intended for direct heat cooking, and we wish the firebox were easier to empty.
Everdure collaborates with chef Heston Blumenthal for their grill designs, so you can’t expect a run-of-the-mill camping grill. The grill has two large handles for carrying and looks just like similar coolers from the same brand. This small grill is perfectly sized for one or two people. During our tests, we loaded two burgers, two brats, and two ears of corn on the grill, which consumed most of the acreage without crowding or overloading.
You can’t ask for much easier when it comes to set up – place your pieces in position, and it’s ready to go. The stainless steel grate requires more cleaning effort than cast iron, but the task is far from difficult. The removable firebox pops out to make emptying more manageable, but it bumps against the handle bolts and is difficult to remove without tipping the box. There’s no cooking lid to the CUBE; the top consists of a storage compartment and cutting board. Because of that, you’re limited to direct-heat grilling.
Price at time of publish: $199
Fuel Source: Charcoal | Dimensions: 14 x 17 x 9 inches | Weight: 15 pounds
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
The sturdy base and windbreak sides make this great for wet, windy, or snowy conditions. It folds down for easy packing and takes less than a minute to set up.
Some may find the cooking area too small for their needs. You can only use the grate in one position.
We had to work with a few assumptions to determine the best grill for backpackers. First, to be considered, it must be a complete grill, with a firebox and a grate for cooking, not simply a grate to place over a fire. Next, the unit is designed for grilling. While a grill can double as a camp stove, the converse is not always true. Then we considered the requirements for backpacking – it must be lightweight and fold or collapse for easy packing. These considerations took several options out of the running but left us with the UCO as the leading contender.
The grill's sides and ends function as windbreaks, making it a strong choice for grilling in windy conditions. Also, the elevated base provides a sturdy surface for grilling and elevates the grill off of wet ground or snow.
The UCO isn't a grill for large groups but has a cooking area suitable for three people. The grill can serve as a fire pit when the cooking is done. It is a little heavy, as far as backpacking equipment goes, weighing in at two pounds, but it folds flat for easy packing, and setup takes less than a minute. Some may find it too small for their purposes, but two larger sizes are available.
Price at time of publish: $40
Fuel Source: Wood, charcoal | Dimensions: 9.5 x 8 x 1.5 inches | Weight: 2 pounds
As it has in multiple tests and categories, the Weber Q 1200 stands out for its ease of use, value, and performance. Its big-grill performance in a portable format makes this grill a winner yet again.
To test these grills, we ran them through real-life scenarios, just as a consumer would. Starting with assembly, we rated the grills on a scale of one to five on how easy they were to assemble and the clarity of the manufacturer’s directions. Moving from there, we ran them full-throttle for set amounts of time, varying between gas and charcoal models, and recorded the temperatures of each, noting any hot or cool spots for the gas grills and again rated them on a scale of one to five.
Paths diverged momentarily between gas and charcoal in our cooking tests. For charcoal, we cooked two burgers, two brats, and two ears of corn for five minutes, then flipped them, recording impressions of sticking, char, grill marks, or any burning. We then cooked the items for another five minutes before removing the food and documenting the internal temperature of the meat items.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
For gas grills, we placed up to 12 onion slices on them and cooked them for 10 minutes before flipping them and cooking for another 10 minutes. We recorded any flare-ups or sticking during the process and rated them on the level of doneness, char, grill marks, and any burning. Then we placed up to 12 burger patties on the grill and cooked them at the same five-minute intervals as the charcoal, recording the same results before toasting buns for the burgers, looking for the same. Finally, we rated the grills on ease of cleanup. We took the rating score from each category, then averaged them to arrive at our final score for each grill.
The two primary fuels for camping grills are gas and charcoal, and each has merits and drawbacks. Gas is an easy and safe fuel, minimizing startup time and the potential for accidental fires. At the same time, it doesn't provide any of the fiery taste that charcoal does, and you are entirely dependent on not running out of fuel while camping. Fuel canisters can also be bulky and eat storage space.
Charcoal, too, can be bulky. It also poses a more significant threat of accidental fires from popping coals or errant embers. On the upside, because of the terpenes in the charcoal, it becomes an additional flavor in the overall profile of the dish. You can forage for wood to build your fire if you run out of charcoal.
How much food a grill can fit and how long it will take to cook are huge considerations in purchasing a grill. Before you buy, consider how many people you'll realistically be cooking for, and buy a grill that fits that need. Needing extra fuel to heat a grill that's too large for your needs can be as troublesome as cooking on a grill that's too small.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
The idea of portability is subjective to how you camp. For car camping, look for something that’s light enough to carry and compact enough to fit in your trunk or truck bed. In addition to size and weight, portable grills tend to have handles or a design that can fold up and rolls for easier transportation. For backpacking, you'll want a lightweight grill that collapses and can easily fit alongside other essentials such as a camping mess kit.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Consider how you grill. If you frequently cook burgers or vegetables, a grill with focused, high heat will do the job for you. But if you grill foods that need longer, slower cooking times, you'll want something that provides you with temperature control or the ability to build a fire for offset cooking. If you're going to bake or make pizzas, you'll need heat control and a lid that will hold the heat like an oven.
Our experts landed on two very different topics about safe grilling: physical safety and food safety. Speaking on physical safety, chefs Matthew Dolan and Megan Walker both cited the need to be aware of your surroundings to prevent fires. They live in drought- and wildfire-plagued California and stress the need to keep fires away from branches, leaves, grass, tents, tarps, and anything flammable on the campsite. For this reason, Dolan is a gas-only griller. He wants to avoid dealing with the possibility of popping coals or wind-blown embers from a wood or charcoal grill.
Chef Rob Nelson also stressed the importance of keeping yourself safe from the fire. Personal protective equipment for grilling can include heat-resistant gloves, kitchen towels, aprons, and more extended tools, such as tongs and spatulas, to insulate and maintain distance between yourself and the heat. Of course, always place your grill on a sturdy, non-combustible surface to avoid fire and injury.
Food safety is equally important. Storing your food at safe temperatures can be challenging without refrigeration. It's best to plan for more ice than you think you need in your cooler and plan your meals to cook your most perishable foods first. Handwashing is essential to prevent cross-contamination but may be difficult in a camping scenario. Exam-type gloves can minimize cross-contamination and are an excellent item to have, even if you have easy access to running water and soap. Also, keep vegetables from sitting in the same melted cooler water as raw proteins, whether those proteins are in a container or not. Foodborne illness is never pleasant, even less so in the woods away from medical care.
Our experts are in two opposing camps regarding grill cleaning. Both are equally correct. One side likes to clean the grill while hot after allowing any stuck-on food to burn on the grates, where you can easily scrub it off with a grill brush and oil or water. The other side likes to let the grill cool and clean it with soap and water. Both camps agree that lightly oiling your grill after cleaning protects it and seasons the metal of the grate for subsequent use. Walker also emphasizes that a deep clean of the grill after returning home is necessary to avoid any ugly surprises after storing it for its next use.
As we've mentioned, there are many different ways of camping. So, too, are there many different styles of camp cooking. All of our chefs had different viewpoints on what to cook. Nelson, who lives in the Ozark Mountains, usually pairs camping with fishing and expects to be grilling trout at some point. Nevertheless, he always brings contingency meals for when the fish don't bite, such as burgers, hotdogs, or steaks.
Chef Oscar Cabezas focuses on Spanish-style grilling, charring small pieces of food at high heat and finishing them with various oils and spices. Dolan is a minimalist who doesn't like to take away from the camping experience by being chained to the grill. "Pre-cooked sausages charred on the grill, good mustard, and a bun. Done," he says.
The overarching theme of everyone's approach is to cook within your capacity. It may not be time to try out that new recipe. Do as much prep work as you can at home so that you're not cutting and chopping potentially hazardous foods in an unsanitary manner. Finally, keep your food cold and safe, and eat the most perishable items first.
Food on skewers is always a good idea because of the short cooking times and easy assembly at home. Seafood is a poor idea unless you have adequate refrigeration. Burgers can also be pattied ahead of time. Longer cooking items like fresh sausages, ribs, or poultry can be great, provided that your grill is capable of offset or lower-temperature cooking.
Coleman RoadTrip 225 Portable Tabletop Propane Grill ($234 at Amazon)
The RoadTrip 225 has very noticeable temperature variations, with multiple hot and cool spots. It isn’t a poor-performing grill; rating above average in the test group and improving the variations would move it up in the ranks.
Coleman RoadTrip X-Cursion 2 Burner Propane Gas Portable Grill ($220 at Home Depot)
We excluded the X-Cursion from our list mainly because it’s unwieldy for one person to pop up from its collapsed state without the danger of dropping it.
PK Grills PKGO Camp & Tailgate Grilling System ($338 at Amazon)
The PKGO is a well-performing grill, but the grates are heavy and could benefit from some type of hinge to aid in living them.
NOMAD Grill & Smoker ($649 at NOMAD)
The damper arrangement on the NOMAD could be improved to give better heat control, and the domed grates, which are reversible to serve as a vegetable basket, alter the heat pattern towards the middle.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
The 14-inch Weber Smokey Joe Charcoal Grill ($46 at Amazon) lacks a locking lid mechanism, making it inconvenient for portability. Despite Weber’s strong performance with other grills, the Joe has poor heat distribution, leaving food grey and unappealing. The Napoleon 14-Inch Portable Charcoal Kettle Grill ($65 at Amazon) also suffers from heat distribution issues, with cool edges and most of the heat directed towards the center of the grate. We found the same issue of heat disbursement with the Char-Broil Deluxe Portable Propane Gas Table Top Grill ($42 at Amazon) and its multiple hot and cool spots, resulting in numerous flare-ups in our testing.
Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with decades of experience in the food industry. For this piece, he interviewed chefs Rob Nelson, Megan Walker, Oscar Cabezas, and Matthew Dolan to find out what the pros look for in a camping grill. He then used their insights and his own expertise combined with market research to curate this list.
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