Best Portable Grills for 2023 (Top 7) – Reviews & Buying Guide

Last Updated: January 3, 2023Anyone that has camped knows the difficulty of putting all the camping gear in their car – it’s hard. Space in a car is valuable, especially if you have a smaller car, which is increasingly common these days.

Additionally, no one likes sharing the backseat with a backpack or tent. Or worse, having to have a tent or backpack on their lap for the duration of a long car trip.

And if you haven’t even added the grill to your car, then you are in for a difficult time when packing your car. How can you go camping without a grill?

You really can’t.

This is why we will review the best portable grills for camping. We’ll also cover what makes a good portable grill, things to look for in a portable grill, and answer all the questions you might possibly have about portable grills.

Is a portable grill right for you?

If you mostly grill at home, then you probably have plenty of space to have a massive grill on your patio. You can drop hundreds or thousands of dollars on a grill that will allow you to cook hundreds of chicken wings at once.

The problem with those grills is that they’re expensive, take up a lot of space, and aren’t particularly portable, which are the exact opposite problems of what you will find in a portable grill.

For instance, if you go camping frequently or tailgate at sporting events, then you probably don’t want to bring the grill from your backyard – it’s simply too big.

Portable grills are the best choice in this case.

They aren’t big nor are they permanently attached to anything. You can even place them in the trunk of your car and even carry some of them in a backpack.

Finally, a portable grill will usually cost much less than a full-sized grill. If budget is your primary concern, then a portable grill is the best choice for you.

To summarize, a portable grill is right for you if any of the below apply to you:

Top-Rated Portable Grills Comparison Chart

So, what is the best portable grill?

Product name	Size	Fuel Type	Warranty	Cooking Area	Extras	Rating
1. Weber Jumbo Joe	20.5” x 19.7” x 19.7”	Charcoal	Limited	240 sq. in.	Ash catcher		Check price
2. Weber Go-Anywhere	12.2” x 21” x 14.5”	Charcoal	Limited	160 sq. in.	Handles		Check price
3. Coleman RoadTrip LXE	47” x 14” x 39”	Propane	3-year limited	285 sq. in.	Casters, Handles & Side Tables		Check price
4. Weber Q3200 Propane Grill	55.5” x 50.2” x 30”	Liquid Propane	Limited	393 sq. in.	Cart included, Side Tables		Check price
5. Delonghi BG24 Perfecto	19.7” x 13.2” x 6.7”	Electric	1-year limited	192 sq. in.	Handles		Check price
6. PK Grills PKO-SCAX-X	19.5” x 36.4” x 34.8”	Charcoal	Limited	300 sq. in.	Casters, Side Table, Handles		Check price
7. Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Gas Grill	28” x 17.5” x 32.5”	Propane	3-year limited	145 sq. in.	Handle, Adjustable base		Check price

Choosing the Best Portable Grill: Buying Guide

Here are some of our quick tips for choosing the best portable grill for your needs. A few different factors have been accounted for when compiling this list.

Price

Almost everyone thinks of price when they go shopping for a grill. Obviously, you don’t want to purchase the cheapest grill because that will just lead to problems.

This is why we combined a good mix of budget, reliability, and functionality.

Most portable grills are charcoal grills that cost anywhere from $50 to $200. The price depends on the capacity and brand.

A portable gas grill will cost you a little more with a range of $100 to $350.

Finally, an electric grill will cost you the least at anywhere from $30 to $120. Of course, an electric grill isn’t the most versatile because it requires an electrical outlet. However, you can use an electric grill indoors.

Grill Size

The number of people and the food you cook will determine the best grill size for you.

Are you cooking hotdogs, chicken wings, and hamburgers?

A small grill will work fine.

Do you want to cook an entire chicken, steak, pork chops, or fish?
You might need a medium-sized grill in that case.

As for the amount of people, if you’re only cooking for one or two people, then a small grill works fine. If you’re a family of four or multiple families, then you might want a larger grill.

You can, of course, simply spend more time grilling. But we recommend a bigger grill because cooking 30 hamburgers in a small grill isn’t fun.

Fuel Source

Fuel source mostly comes down to personal preference. We prefer portable charcoal grills because they’re easy to use, light, and portable.

You also don’t have to worry about gas.

Electric and gas grills are also an option, but we only recommend those if you aren’t camping. A gas grill, or electric if you have access to a plug, works great for tailgating.

Cleaning

Do you not like cleaning your grill?

You probably should avoid a charcoal grill in that case. You don’t have to worry about grease, but you do have to deal with all the charcoal ash.

If cleaning is a primary concern, then we recommend an electric grill because they’re the easiest to clean. Gas grills are also easy to clean because they usually have a grease tray.

Bonus Features

There are a few extra features on portable grills worth mentioning that can make them more desirable to use. These include the following:

Reviews of The Best Portable Grills for 2023

Here is our list of the best portable grills. Price, fuel source, durability and size have all been taken into account for each account.

We’ve also included other important features such as safety and those extra features like wheels that make a portable grill especially nice.

1. Weber Jumbo Joe – Best Overall Portable Charcoal Grill
2. Weber Go-Anywhere – Most Portable Charcoal Grill
3. Coleman RoadTrip LXE – Best Portable Propane Grill 2021
4. Weber Q3200 Propane Grill – Best Semi-Portable Gas Grill
5. Delonghi BG24 Perfecto – Best Portable Electric Grill
6. PK Grills PKO-SCAX-X – Best Portable Grill and Smoker
7. Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Gas Grill – Best Portable Gas Grill (Big Budget)

And here are our top picks for the best portable grills in 2023 with a detailed review on each:

1. Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill – Best Overall Portable Charcoal Grill

It’d be wrong to not have a Weber charcoal grill in the top position of best portable grills. When you think of portable grills, you probably think of a charcoal Weber grill.

And the Weber Jumbo Joe is everything we like in a portable grill. It’s portable, big enough to cook everything for tailgating, and simple to use and clean.

Size

The Jumbo Joe has a diameter of 18 inches and a length and width of 19 inches. The 18 inch diameter gives you enough space to simultaneously cook for six adults.

The surface of the grill is about average, which is perfectly fine. This grill is a basic grill meant for portability more than anything else.

Materials and Construction

The grill is mostly steel that is either plated or coated in porcelain. We really like the ash catcher on this grill, though.

And that is made from aluminum, which is a huge bonus.

The other extra features we like from Weber are the two dampers on the grill. One is on the lid and the other is on the bottom of the grill.

These dampers will help you regulate the temperature because you can directly control the flow of air to the coals.

If you want even more control beyond the two dampers, then you should place a lot of charcoal on one side and none on the other side. This allows you to cook with direct heat and indirect heat. You can also sear some meat and then place it on the indirect side to fully cook it.

The only downside of the construction of this grill is that you must remove the grate to add large amounts of charcoal. This is annoying because it disrupts the cooking and you may drop the food in the coalbed if you mess up. Fortunately, a cooking grate that folds can be purchased separately to remedy this problem if it occurs too frequently.

Portability?

Despite its name, the Jumbo Joe is a light and portable grill. The only problem is that it’s still a little large, so it might take up some space in your car.

Cleaning?

We rank this grill as average for cleaning. It’s not difficult to clean the cooking grate – simply scrub it with a brush while it’s hot. The grease will come off rather easily.

Safety?

We like that the handle has a heat shield on it. That heat shield should prevent burns, and you won’t need an oven mitt or rag to use this grill.

The one safety concern we have with this grill concerns the ash catcher. It’s nice, but a gust of wind can easily blow hot ashes all over the place.

This is a slight fire hazard in certain areas and can burn people near the grill.

Verdict

You can’t go wrong with a Weber charcoal grill. We recommend this grill for anyone that needs a portable charcoal grill. The size is a little large, which makes it better if you are near your car (car camping, RV, tailgating, etc.).

Positives

Negatives

2. Weber Go-Anywhere – Most Portable Charcoal Grill

Are you looking for an extremely portable charcoal grill?

The Weber Go-Anywhere is the choice for you. This grill is particularly nice for camping or hiking.

Dimensions

This grill is the smallest charcoal grill on the list. It has a width of 21 inches with a height of 14.5 inches and a length of 12.2 inches.

That’s small enough to carry in a backpack. And it will certainly save you space in your car.

Reviewers claim they can cook six burgers at a time, which is a respectable amount.

Materials and Construction

As usual, Weber uses steel for most parts of this grill. However, it doesn’t have an ash catcher, which we find more of an advantage.

Also, this grill has two temperature dampers, but they are both located on the lid. Still, more dampers is better than less dampers.
Portability

As the name implies, the Go-Anywhere is a light and small grill. We rank this grill as the most portable charcoal grill for a reason.
Our favorite feature is that this grill doesn’t have dedicated legs. Instead, the lock for the lid opens downwards to form the legs.

Safety?

The handles are heat-proof, so you don’t need to use a rag or other protection to open the lids.
Remember how we mentioned this grill uses the lid locking mechanism as legs?

This leads to a very flimsy base, which can be a little dangerous if the legs collapse while you’re cooking. You must be careful when using this grill and only set it up on a stable base.

Cleaning?

There are no additional cleaning features on this grill. You must clean the grate by hand and collect the ash yourself.

Final Verdict

We recommend the Go-Anywhere for those concerned with size. Just make sure that you have a flat surface to use this grill because of the wobbly base.

Positives

Negatives

3. Coleman RoadTrip LXE – Best Portable Propane Grill

Most people don’t think of propane grills when they think of a portable grill. Coleman is changing that perception with the RoadTrip LXE – it’s a portable propane grill.

Size

The Coleman RoadTrip is still a fairly large grill, but it’s portable by gas grill standards. It has a height of 39 inches and width of 14 inches along with a length of 47 inches. The total cooking area is 286 square inches, which gives you enough space for cooking for a family or even a small party.

Materials and Construction

This grill has an interesting grilling surface – it has two halves that are cast iron with a porcelain coating. You can even swap out the grates for different cooktop such as a griddle or stovetop grate. Unfortunately, those extra parts are not included with the grill.

The burners operate at 20,000 BTUs/hour and are controlled by a pressure control system. In other words, you can really fine tune the amount of heat with this grill. It also has an electric start, which means you don’t have to use matches.

You don’t need those 20-pound propane tanks to use this grill, either. This grill works with the 1-pound propane tanks that are common for camping. Of course, you can still use a 20-pound propane tank if you want to use one.

Portability

This grill has one feature that the other grills on our list don’t have – you can collapse it. This makes it very portable.

How portable are we talking?

You can collapse this grill down and use the handle to pull it as if it were a rolling briefcase. Since it’s collapsible, you will have plenty of room to place it in your car.

Finally, it only takes about 20 seconds to get this grill setup or taken down.

Cleaning?

The cleaning is admittedly a little difficult on this grill. You can’t use steel wool on the grate because it is a nonstick surface. Also, make sure to rub canola oil on the grate before grilling to minimize the amount of grease that gets stuck to the grate.

One last thing, the drip tray is easy to clean. You can even put it in your dishwasher.

Safety?

The legs on this grill are very sturdy, so you don’t have to worry about the grill collapsing when you use it. Unfortunately, the very convenient side tables are a little less sturdy. In fact, they are very flimsy-feeling. You can actually break them by putting too much weight on either of them.

Extra Features?

It has an electric starter, which is normal for an electric grill. The side tables are nice, but they are so flimsy that they aren’t really that useful. You can put your spatula on them and a few burgers, though.

Final Verdict

It’s a little expensive. However, we find the features, portability, and functionality worth the price. Plus, you should expect to pay a little more for a portable propane grill.

We just wish the side tables were a little sturdier.

Positives

Negatives

4. Weber Q3200 Propane Grill – Best Semi-Portable Gas Grill

Propane grills aren’t normally regarded as portable. And this grill isn’t a particularly portable grill, but we’ll still put it on the list because it is the most portable gas grill you will find.

Size

This grill is big – it has a height of 55 inches if you have the lid open and a width of 50 inches. The lid is large, so it’s only 43 inches when you close the lid.

We do like the large cooking area of this grill, though. It has nearly 400 square inches of cooking area and a 75 square inch warming area that can double as a cooking area.

Materials and Construction

The entire nylon frame of this grill is reinforced by glass, which makes it durable and sturdy. Additionally, it has a gas hose that measures 10 feet, so you don’t have to worry about swapping out a propane tank midway through cooking.

This grill has two stainless steel burners that run at nearly 22,000 BTUs/hour. These burners have a 10-year warranty, too.

We also like that the stainless steel grate has a porcelain enamel on it with a 5 year warranty.

Finally, both the body and lid are made of aluminum and have a 5 year warranty.

Portability?

This grill is not particularly portable. It weighs 85 pounds and is quite large, so you won’t be transporting it in your car very often. However, it does have wheels that allow you to move it around.

You must also carry around a propane tank with you when using this grill.

Cleaning?

This is a gas grill, so it has a grease pan. The grease pan makes cleaning up so much easier.

You will have to clean the grate by hand, but the porcelain coating makes the cleaning process pretty easy.

Safety Features?

The handle of the lid doesn’t get hot. Gas grills don’t generally have too many safety concerns.

Bonus Features

This grill has a lot of bonus features that we really like to see in grills.

First, it has two folding tables on the side that allow you to store dishes while you’re grilling. It’s extremely convenient having everything you need within arm’s reach when you’re grilling. In addition to the side tables, this grill also has a shelf underneath the grill that is perfect for storing all your grilling equipment.

This grill has a built-in thermometer, which is extremely convenient. It’s expected at this price, though.

Weber also included hooks on this grill, so you can store your spatula or tongs while you’re grilling. This is a very convenient feature.

Finally, Weber included a feature that we rarely see – a grill light. This allows you to monitor the color of the food you cook on a dark night. It’s a small feature, but it’s one that we really like.

Final Verdict

This is a good portable grill for your backyard. It’s the one we recommend for backyard use more than use outside of your yard.

It’s a little more expensive than other grills, but we can’t complain about the price for the features that this grill has on it.

All things considered, you can’t go wrong with the Weber Q3200.

Positives

Negatives

5. Delonghi BG24 Perfecto – Best Portable Electric Grill for 2023

Are you in search of a portable electric grill? The type of grill that you can use indoors?

If you are, then the Delonghi BG24 Perfecto is the grill for you. It’s electric, so you can use it indoors. It has more than just electricity going for it, though.

Size

This grill is fairly small with a length of 19.8 inches, a width of 13.1 inches, and a width of 6.8 inches. The cooking surface is sizable at 193 square inches. That size isn’t large enough for a large family or large party, but it works great for a small family or an individual.

Materials and Construction

This grill has an aluminum cooking surface that is non-stick. Keep in mind that the coating will wear off over time.

We like the powerful heating element with 1500W of power.

Unfortunately, the heat distribution can be uneven. Some spots on the grill are even cold while the rest of the surface is hot, which is annoying while cooking.

The grill has a drip tray underneath it for juice and grease. We do like the glass lid because it helps prevent grease from splashing at your face while still being able to see the food as it cooks.

It is a little light on control with only 5 temperature settings. But we do like the light that shows when the grill is properly preheated to the desired temperature.

Our only negative about the construction is that the extension cord on this grill is short. You can solve that by using an extension cord, but make sure it’s a low gauge cord.

Portability

It’s small enough that it can fit in your car. The only downside for portability is that you must be near an electrical outlet, which is expected with an electric grill.

Cleaning?

You can place the drip tray and glass lid in your dishwasher. But it’s usually easier to just wash those two with a sponge and some soap.

One downside is washing the grate. It has an electrical port on it, so you can’t even get it wet. We recommend using a damp sponge to wipe off all the grease immediately after grilling.

Safety?

The handles don’t get hot, so you don’t need to use oven mitts or a rag. It’s an electric grill, so a fuse is included that will shut down the system to prevent a fire.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect portable grill if you have an RV because you can use it indoors. In fact, we recommend this one if you have an RV.

It’s also a very easy to use grill because you don’t have to worry about gas or controlling the temperature of charcoal.

Positives

Negatives

6. PK Grills PKO-SCAX-X – Best Portable Grill and Smoker

Do you want a portable grill and smoker?

You might. It’s nice to have the option of smoking if you’re cooking ribs or certain types of fish such as mullet.

Anyway, if you are into smoking, then the PK Grill PKO-SCAX-X is the grill for you. Here’s why.

Size

The grill is not particularly large with a length of 19.4 inches, a width of 36.3 inches, and a height of 34.7 inches. On top of that, the cooking surface is sizable at 309 square inches.

A cooking surface that large can make enough food for up to 10 people.

Materials and Construction

We like that this grill has an aluminum body because that means it will not rust. The grate is steel with nickel plating, which is very nice. All the other parts on this grill are stainless steel other than the shelf that is made of aluminum.

Do you like controlling the temperature with dampers?

You’ll love this grill – it has four dampers for maximum temperature control. As typical with charcoal grills, if you want to control the heat you can load the charcoal to one side for indirect heat and direct heat.

Portability

This grill is a little heavy at 48.3 pounds, but it does have wheels that allow you to push it wherever you want to push it.

Cleaning?

This isn’t the easiest grill to clean because it does not have any non-stick coating. Fortunately, you can place some oil on the grate before cooking to make the cleaning process. We also recommend wiping off the grease while the grate is still hot.

Safety Features?

No safety features are really necessary for this grill. But it does have an insulated lid handle and sturdy feet, so there aren’t any safety concerns.

Bonus Features?

We like that the tray underneath the grill and side tray offers a lot of storage space. How much?

About 550 square inches of space for all the spices, grill supplies, and even dishes that you need while grilling.

Final Verdict

This is the perfect grill if you want to tailgate the big game. We will admit that it will cost you a little more than other charcoal grills, but we find the features and durability worth the extra cost.

It’s the type of grill that will last you a lifetime.

Positives

Negatives

7. Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Gas Grill – Best Portable Gas Grill (Big Budget)

Do you want a portable gas grill AND have a big budget?

Don’t let the size fool you, the Cuisinart Petit Gourmet gas grill is a great grill for its size. It’s also very portable.

Size

The grill is one of the smaller grills on our list with a total volume of 2.65 cubic feet.

Unfortunately, the total cooking surface is a little small at 145 square inches. Again, don’t let that size fool you, you can still cook some large meals on this grill. For instance, people have cooked multiple steaks and entire fish on this grill.

Materials and Construction

The burner is stainless steel and a little underpowered at 5,500 BTU/hour. You must factor size into this, though. And once size is accounted for the power is actually pretty good.

As for the grate, it’s the standard steel grate with a porcelain enamel on it. The lid also has a latch to secure it. A drip tray is located underneath the grill to catch all the grease and juice that comes out while cooking.

Portability

The grill is a little heavy at 18.7 pounds. Thankfully, it has a suitcase-like design that makes it easy to carry. It’s also collapsible for that extra portability.

Our favorite feature, however, is that you can adjust the height of the grill. This is extremely convenient when you have a portable grill that you can use on a variety of different surfaces.

Cleaning?

You must clean this grill by hand. It’s also advised that you should not use anything abrasive while cleaning the grate because you will wipe off the non-stick coating. A normal brush combined with some soap should work just fine for cleaning this grill.

Safety features?

This is a propane grill, so safety isn’t a huge problem. We do like that a lid latch and drip tray that doesn’t spill are included, though.

Extra Features?

The legs that can extend are nice if you don’t have a flat surface to place the grill. You can even use this on the floor or a table. And since the base is aluminum you don’t have to worry about any rust forming on the grill.

Also, it’s propane, so you can use this with a canister or a tank. All that matters is that you have a high-pressure line or adapter.

Final Verdict

We like this grill because it’s versatile. You can use it in almost any environment because of those adjustable legs.

With that said, we recommend this grill to people that need a portable grill for camping and other uses such as tailgating due to the extra versatility.

Positives

Negatives

FAQs about Portable Grill

Most of the frequently asked questions will revolve around propane tanks because they’re much more complicated than people expect. This section will answer some of those questions.

How to Attach a Propane Tank to a Portable Grill?

1. Turn the little knobs on the grill off.
2. Take off the tank that is currently attached to the grill by unscrewing the connecting line.
3. Attach the new tank to the grill by screwing the connector onto the connector of the new propane tank.
   1. Only tighten the connector by hand. You can damage it if you use any tools.
4. Ensure that the line has no leaks by either submerging the line in a bucket of water or placing soapy water on the line and searching for any bubbles forming while gas is flowing through the line.

How to Ignite a Propane Grill

This is fairly simple to do. Here’s a step-by-step guide.

1. Lift the grill lid.
   1. Don’t ignite the grill with the lid closed.
2. Turn on the gas on by using the knob on the grill.
   1. Set it to high.
3. Turn on the gas via the knob on the propane tank or connector.
   1. Open the valve all the way.
4. You should hear hissing.
5. If your gas grill has an electric starter, then press the button and the grill should start.
6. If the electric starter is broken, then light the grill with a match or a lighter.
7. Ensure that all the burners have flames coming out of them.
8. Adjust the gas setting to the temperature that you desire.

Top Portable Grill Brands

There are certain brands that have a reputation for making excellent portable grills. Here are some of those companies.

Weber

Weber was founded in 1951 in America. They have a rich tradition in the grilling industry with an amazing reputation for making portable grills.

In fact, Weber is synonymous with portable charcoal grill. Many people will refer to every portable charcoal grill as a Weber – that’s how well-known Weber is in grilling.

Additionally, Weber stands behind their products, which should be expected from a company with almost 70 years in the industry.

Coleman

Coleman is mostly a camping equipment manufacturer. But they have been making inroads into the grilling market with some excellent portable grills.

You can’t go wrong with a Coleman grill if you need a camping grill. Remember, Coleman is primarily a camping equipment manufacturer.

DeLonghi

As you might have guessed from the name, DeLonghi is based in Italy and has actually become quite popular in the US market. DeLonghi is mostly known for making extremely high-quality coffeemakers, but they do have a few excellent grills that were included on the list.

Cuisinart

Cusinart is a kitchen appliance and equipment manufacturer that was founded in 1973. They’re focus is on higher quality products.

Just like Coleman, Cuisinart has begun to reach into the grilling industry in recent years with some outdoor grills that have actually won awards for their quality and design.

Also, if you’re in search of an electric grill, then Cuisinart is the company for you because they make great electric grills due to their experience making electric kitchen appliances.

Portable Kitchen (PK)

PK is an American company that has been around since 1952. They haven’t had many innovations over the years.

However, they make up for that by making products that last a long time and don’t cost much. Think of them as an affordable option for grills due to their commitment to stick to the basics of grilling.
Remember, grilling isn’t all that complicated. It’s basically a steel tube with a grate.

One more thing, PK is the grill used in the Steak Cookoff competition and has earned a Seal of Approval from Consumer Digest.

They make good grills and have one of the better reputations in the grill market.

Final Thoughts

That covers it for the best portable grills on the market. You really can’t go wrong with any of the grills listed, but you do have to pick one that meets your needs.

Personally, we like the Weber charcoal grills the best for the combination of portability, functionality, and price.

That said, any of the grills listed will work great. It’s better to have any grill than not have a grill. Especially when you’re out tailgating or camping on the weekend. A grill just makes everything so much better.