Who will not love the texture, aroma, and taste of perfectly grilled food? Most of us are addicted to its taste and appetizing flavors and are under the prejudice that we can get perfectly grilled food only at restaurants. Maybe quite a few of us would have mastered the technique of grilling and keep tasting them in the comforts of our homes. We also have our guests served grilled food in our backyard kitchen or outdoor patio kitchen. But have you ever felt you will be missing such delicacies when you are camping or traveling? If the answer is yes, then this article is for you.
Here are the top five best portable gas grills that are compact lightweight and cook no less than your full-size grillers. We have listed the best compact grills from leading brands to help serve your mouth and stomach with perfectly grilled food no matter where you are and what you are doing.
Things to Consider Before Buying Portable Gas Grills
Almost all the portable gas grills offer the freedom to cook as you would cook on your home grillers. They carry the best features to qualify for portable cooking units and here are the important factors that you should look for in your portable gas grills.
1. Size of the grill:
Choose the size of the portable grill, depending on the number of people that you have to serve. Choose the grill based on its cooking surface, though portable grills are smaller than normal grills.
2. Heat power:
The heating power of the grill denotes the period of cooking and the propane grill heat is predominantly determined by its BTU rating. You should choose the BTU rating, depending on the time available for cooking. The higher the BTU, the lesser is the cooking time.
3. Portability:
All the grills that we have listed here are compact and portable. They are featured with collapsible legs and locking lids. Make sure that you buy a unit that is easy to handle by yourself, and is easy to carry and move.
Cleaning and Maintenance of the Portable Gas Grills
Though we are using these grills on vacation trips, it is important to keep them clean and maintain them appropriately, so that they last for many vacations.
- First, we have to disconnect the fuel tank from the primary system
- Remove the grates, along with the metal plates that stay beneath them.
- Scrub gently the walls and the undersides of the gas grill.
- Finally, scrub the grates and rinse them in water
- Clean the exteriors of the grill with mild soap and a wet cloth to remove stains.
Must Read: How to Clean a Gas Grill?
What Are The Best Compact Gas Grills?
#1. Weber 51010001 Q1200 Liquid Propane Grill
This is perhaps the best compact grill from the weber brand with a stainless steel burner. This compact grill comprises one stainless steel burner that burns at 8500 BTUs per hour. This grill is capable of heating about 189 square inches of total cooking area. This unit comprises Porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates and a cast aluminum body and lid. The dimensions of this compact and portable grill, when the lid is closed are about 40.9 x 15.5 x 16.5 inches. This grilling unit comes completely assembled out of the box and burns with either a 14 or 16 oz. LP cylinder, which has to be bought separately with this unit.
People love this compact grill for its portability features and its easy start electronic ignition system. The cooking grates of this grill are made from high-quality materials, to ensure that they cook evenly and retain heat for a long time. The cooking grates are also very durable and easy to clean. This can be a handy grilling unit for backyard grilling and can be a great companion for all vacations, as users can carry it easily. This compact griller renders all the facilities of a high end grilling unit starting from heat controlling dampers, to electronic temperature controls and flavorizer bars.
Pros
- Its infinite control burner valve system helps with seamless burning for many hours.
- Comprises of a glass-reinforced nylon frame.
- Very compact and lightweight grill that weighs only 30 pounds.
- Assembling instructions of this product are available at the BILT app.
Cons
- It is important to wash hands after using this product, as it exposes people to lead and other harmful metals.
Must Check: Best Propane Gas Grills Under $100
#2. Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 Portable TRU-Infrared Gas Grill
This infrared portable gas grill is extremely efficient in taking the grilling on the go. This is an excellent infrared portable gas grill from Char-Broil and features a durable die-cast aluminum construction with a lid-mounted temperature gauge and push-button ignition system. This is indeed a very true infrared cooking system with absolutely no flare-ups. It has been designed to be extremely sturdy and convenient and makes it easy for people to set up their grill on all occasions, such as backyard grilling, camping, tailgating, etc.
This portable liquid propane gas grill from Char-Broil has been designed to help with on-the-go grilling. The special cooking grate of this unit helps to spread heat evenly across the entire grill top. It creates an expert barrier against food and flames and results in juicier and flavorful food every time. Apart from helping to cook food evenly, it helps to achieve excellent temperature control with its IR technology. Cold and hot spots are eliminated on the cooking surface, thus aiding faster cooking on less quantity of gas.
The top ported stainless steel burners are very easy to adjust and you can choose to deliver high or low heat evenly across the cooking grate by controlling its knobs. Being a portable unit, it features an aluminum firebox with a lid and stainless steel latches, to keep the grill secured on the go.
Pros
- Roadworthy portable grill that has been built to be travel friendly.
- Features a cast-aluminum firebox and lid with stainless steel latches.
- Comprises a high-impact frame with legs and carry handles.
- Features TRU cooking system to eliminate flare-ups.
Cons
- It is important to clean the cooking grates appropriately to prevent rusting.
#3. Cuisinart CGG-059 Propane Grillster Gas Grill
The Cuisinart CGG-059 is a compact portable grill that cooks and looks like any large grill. It is extremely lightweight, and thus you can take it anywhere and to any place. The steel grill comprises a locking lid and a large carrying handle. Also, you can set up this grill almost anywhere and anyplace, with the help of its folding legs, which also collapse seamlessly for storage. You can use this grill on the beach, backyard, and at any sporting event. It also fits into the trunk of the car and can be used anywhere.
The Cuisinart Grillster behaves like a large grill in a small size. Its clean and handsome design features a porcelain enamel cooking grate that distributes heat evenly. Though it has a small footprint, it can be used on a small table. It is easy to clean up as well, as its porcelain-enameled grate is dishwasher safe and eliminates the hassle of having to scrub it extensively after use.
This is indeed an excellent grilling unit, that is great for burgers, steak, vegetables, chicken and kabobs, and seafood. Its hinged lid rotates out of the way to access the grate and it also requires just a one-pound canister. The compact size of the grill is perfect when there is no requirement for a large grill. This is also an excellent grill for small decks, balconies, tailgating, picnics, and RVs.
Pros
- The Grillster is easy to set up and is light with a twist-light ignition knob.
- Its hood lifts to give total access to the grate.
- The porcelain enamel grates are dishwasher safe and are easy to clean after use.
Cons
- The grill doesn’t come with a propane tank.
- The vents of the griller are razor sharp.
Check out: Best Propane Gas Grills Under $500
#4. Coleman Roadtrip 285 Portable Stand-up Propane Grill
The Coleman Roadtrip is a portable stand-up propane grill, that features quick-fold legs and wheels for hassle-free setup. It is easy to transport and takedown and users can take their grill on the camping trip and for tail-gating pretty easily. The Instastart ignition button helps in matchless lighting and we can choose the heat and enhanced temperature control with its three independent adjusting burners. The range of power of this grilling unit is between 3250 and 20,000 BTUs. The grilling unit also features iron grill grates that are coated in porcelain.
Enjoying perfectly grilled foods with family and friends is possible with this grilling unit, which is perfect for cooking, veggies, meat, and seafood every time. The interchangeable cooktops of this unit help to switch the grill grates with a stove grate or a griddle. Two sliding side tables help to keep the sauces and utensils handy. This grill is compact and portable, making traveling and cooking hassle-free and convenient. It makes use of a one-pound propane fuel cylinder that has to be bought separately.
Its improved burner technology offers 20% more control over the grill. There are three temperature settings, with independent adjusting zones for precision temperature selection to cook a variety of foods. Its quick fold legs and rugged wheels help in easy transportation to the campsite. The iron grill grates can interchange with stove grates or griddles for better meal options. There is also a water pan option to collect cooking grease and to help in easy cleaning.
Pros
- Independently adjusting burners with ambient temperature control.
- Offers about 285 Sq.in. of cooking area.
- Lightweight and compact unit that weighs about 52.58 lbs.
- There are two side tables for resting sauces and utensils.
Cons
- The latch that holds the lid shut is not sturdy.
- The water tray is shallow and long and is tough to pull out to clean.
#5. Cuisinart CGG-306 Chef’s Style Propane Tabletop Grill
This is a compact and portable gas grill with two burners and a stainless steel body. It is pretty easy to set up and is quite fast in cooking up food. You can set this up and get it ready for cooking in less than ten minutes, without any need for tools and complex assembling instructions. This grill unit makes use of propane as its primary fuel and has two stainless burners of 20,000 BTUs. Both of them are powerful burners with an electronic ignition system and comprise dedicated control knobs for either of the two burners independently.
Each of the burners provides for 10,000 BTUs and helps with a simultaneous grilling experience. It comprises stainless steel grates that are perfect to cook large cuts of meat. Its stainless steel grates offer the best performance, like that of a large grill, within a compact base. Its two-burner system ensures that food cooks evenly, and it is good enough to cook even large cuts of meat easily.
This compact and portable tabletop grill is also very light and weighs only 22 pounds. The unit is very compact to fit in a compact car. Its locking cover, comfortable carrying handles, and folding legs make it easy to carry anywhere. Its integrated thermometer and adjusting burner knobs help in controlling the heat of the grill. This unit can operate seamlessly with 20 lbs of propane. It also comes with a 3.5-foot LP hose to connect with the propane tank.
Pros
- Works amazingly well to cook all types of food
- Its twist-start automatic ignition makes it easy to light up without any matches
- Its drip tray helps to collect grease and drippings.
- The product comes with three years of limited warranty.
Cons
- The dome of the grill is very shallow, and will not be able to cook huge volumes of food
- The stainless steel body is well-engineered but is of light gauge, and thus it can heat up and cool down quickly.
Check out: Best 2 Burner Gas Grills Under $300
Bottom Line
Portable gas grills are the best options to cook food outdoors when you are a trip away from home. This small appliance will promise tasty food anywhere and it renders the option to cook several dishes at a single time. We hope you have found your perfect travel companion the next time you plan on your vacation.
