Do you like to frequently camp outside the home or like to enjoy a barbeque party with friends to enjoy the traditional smokey flavor? If you are any of them, you are obviously in the right place because today we will tell you all about the portable charcoal grill, which will help you choose the best portable charcoal grill in the market.
We recommend you buy a portable charcoal grill. There are mainly two reasons behind this. As you are a camper, you should buy this one because it is very lightweight to carry from one place to another. Another reason is charcoal grill always provides you the traditional flavor which any other gas grills cannot provide exactly.
TOP FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A PORTABLE CHARCOAL GRILL
Stands
Always try to choose a grill that has strong stands. As your charcoal grill will provide too much heat, and if there is no stand under the grill, it will obviously damage the surface area.
Access to Charcoal
Sometimes you feel that you need to add more charcoal inside the grill, as it’s too hot, then it sits hardly possible to add more charcoal to it. Some of the grills have a door by which you can add more charcoal inside it easily.
Ash removal
Ash removal is crucial because if you don’t remove ash while cooking, it will reduce the grill’s heat. So, to get the proper heat, you should remove ash while cooking, and for that, you need to have an ash-removal system in your grill.
Electronic Gas Ignitor
Don’t you want to fire up your grill manually? Then it would help if you bought the grill which contains electronic gas ignitor which will help to fire up the grill easily.
Moving Handle
Moving handle is a major characteristic of the best portable grill. If it helps you to carry this one easily, if your charcoal grill has a moving handle, then you can easily carry it in one hand. So always try to buy girls having a strong, stable handle.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING THE BEST PORTABLE CHARCOAL GRILL
There are many charcoal grill in the market; try to follow this thing below before buying one.
Build Quality
First of all, you have to take a proper look at the build quality of a charcoal grill because this needs to be withstand properly as it sits going to perform the heavy-duty.
Charcoal grills mainly build with cast-iron, cast-aluminum, or ceramics. Always try to buy grills made with these materials.
Size
Is camping outside is the first reason behind buying a charcoal grill for you? If yes, then you should not buy the large one. So, buy a medium-size product which will be very comfortable for you to carry.
If camping is not your priority, then you can buy any of them according to your demand. There are two types of size: body size and the size of the cooking surface.
Cooking area
It is the most important thing to consider. This area is used mostly in a charcoal grill. If you buy large size grill, then you are going to get a larger cooking area. If you buy a small one, then you are going to get a small cooking area.
If you want to make a meal for your family of four members, then 300 square feet cooking area is enough. But if you want to make food for many people, you should buy a medium or large one.
You may think, can I make food for many people in a medium one? Yes, obviously, you can.
Weight
If you want to go camping outside the home with your friends or family, you should buy the light one because you have to travel a long way with that. As we are talking about a portable grill, then it should be lightweight.
Maintenance
Are you tensed about the maintenance of a charcoal grill? No worries about that, it’s elementary and easy. You may need to change this once a year for heavy use. But if you properly clean the grate, then it will last for long.
Top 5 Portable Charcoal Grill | Top Picks
Weber 121020 Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill – Best Overall
We highly recommend this one for the quality material, okay design with a lid lock system. We recommend it as the best overall editor’s choice on our list.
Cuisinart CCG-100 Portable – Best Selling Portable Charcoal Grill
We recommend you this grill because you are getting various types of features like temperature control, ash bin, and lift system. We assure you that it is one of the best portable charcoal grills of 2024.
Char-Broil Portable CB500X Charcoal Grill – Best Beginner Portable Charcoal Grill
The main reason behind the recommendation is that it’s easy to use as it has lots of features that are really good for beginners.
Quick Grill Medium: Original Folding Charcoal BBQ Grill – Best Low Budget Charcoal Grill
We recommend this because of its lower price and food-grade material, and as a portable grill, it is very lightweight.
Kamado Joe Jr. KJ13RH Charcoal Grill – Best Durable Charcoal Grill
The price is definitely higher, but we still recommend this one because of its long-lasting performance and heavy-duty charcoal grill. Think wisely before buying this product as it is a premium level item with a high price tag.
TOP 5 PRODUCT REVIEW | BUYING GUIDE
Weber 121020 Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill – Best Overall
We marked Webwe 121020 Go-anywhere Charcoal Grill as best overall. Do you know the reason behind this? The first reason is this is from Weber. Yes, Weber portable charcoal grills are the best in the market. They always manufacture their products with the best materials; that’s why it lasts for a long. This model usually used the best quality porcelain-coated cast iron, making this one more durable.
Now we should look for the weight as it considers as a portable one. It’sIt’s almost about 6.59 kilograms, which is pretty good as a portable charcoal grill. Portable grills should be lightweight as you will take this away from home, which is light enough.
Key Features:
- As it has 160 square inches of cooking surface, it’s awesome for a small gathering. Easily it can made 4-5 peoples meal at once.
- One smart feature is that you can control the cooking temperature because it has an effective temperature controlling feature.
- It has a porcelain coated cook box, which is very durable, highly portable, and you can store this one easily in any place.
- The lid lock system made this one more perfect.
- Plated steel legs made the grill better than any other; charcoal grills provide much heat, and the legs prevent the surface area from being damaged.
Pros
- Perfect for a small gathering
- It has temperature control.
- Building with quality materials
- Lid lock system and easy to carry
- Foldable legs and a carry handle
Cons
- Grates are not adjustable.
- No electric ignitor
Cuisinart CCG-100 Portable – Best Portable
Let’sLet’s talk about another remarkable brand Cuisinart the manufacturer of CCG-100 Portable best Charcoal Grills. This is a unique grill from this brand, which has a lift system by which you can add more charcoal if needed. When you are going to add more charcoal, there is no need to touch the grate.
What do you think about the temperature? You are getting an amazing temperature control system. We can mark it as medium size grill because you are getting 240 square inches of cooking surface, which is too good.
Key Features:
- It has an ash collection bin by which you can collect extra ashes while cooking. It will help to get the proper heat from the charcoals.
- As a portable grill, it provides you about 240 square inches of cooking space, which is enough to cook a large meal for your family.
- A temperature controlling system which helps to control over temperature as well.
- Providing a system in it by which you can add more charcoal while cooking. There is no need to touch the hot places in the grill.
- It has a heat resistant wide stainless steel handle.
Pros
- Temperature management
- Lift system
- Ash collection bin
- Heat resistant handle
Cons
- The price should be lower.
- The handle is not so comfortable in holding.
Char-Broil Portable CB500X Charcoal Grill – Best Beginner
Char-Broil is the name of the trust, and CB500x is one of the best portable charcoal grills they are frequently manufacturing because of consumer demand. Cast iron is used as the material of the grill, which makes it long-lasting and durable.
Its grate is adjustable, and you can also adjust the temperature of the grill for better performance. For easy ash cleaning, it has an ash cleaning box that works properly.
Key Features:
- You will get 240 square inches of cooking surface, which is much better than any other portable charcoal grills.
- There is a door by which you can access the charcoal chamber, and you can add or remove charcoals while cooking.
- A large ash cleaning tray.
- There is a damper that helps you to control the temperature.
- It works both for lump charcoal and briquette.
Pros
- Easy to control the heat.
- Ash removal system
- Durable
Cons
- Little bit heavy
- Size is significant, as a portable one.
Quick Grill Medium: Original Folding Charcoal BBQ Grill – Low Budget
Stainless steels are great material for the charcoal grill. Fox Outfitters used quality stainless steel to made this compact designed BBQ grill.
It needs a little time to set it up. It’s a medium-size charcoal grill that provides you a large cooking surface where you can easily cook for your family at once.
This grill is suitable for small type family as the size is not that large. Sometimes the large grill can be a problem for those who haven’t enough space in their home cause they belong to a small family. So all in all, a great package for the small family.
Key Features:
- It can set up quickly within a few minutes and can be folded up easily for its compact design.
- You are going to get a carrying bag by which you can carry it easily to anywhere.
- Its ports are designed so well, and air can pass very easily to the grill.
- It takes a small place in your house for its compact design.
Pros
- Used food-grade stainless steel as the material
- Proper air passing system
- Caring bag included
- Lightweight
Cons
- It gets rust if not cleaned properly.
- It’sIt’s too small in size.
Kamado Joe Jr. KJ13RH Charcoal Grill – Best Durable
One of the best Charcoal grills, which are highly durable and long-lasting, comes from Joe’s brand Kamado. If you are looking for a premium, heavy-duty, long-lasting charcoal grill, then this is the best portable charcoal grill for you.
The whole body is made with Ceramic, and its stands are made with stainless steel. You will get about 140 square inches of cooking surface, which is pretty good for small gatherings. As it is a heavy-duty grill, then you have no tension about its performance. It will provide the best performance for many years.
Key features:
- Full ceramic body assures long-lasting performance, and its steel stand is firm and holds the body properly.
- The temperature controlling system works very well.
- The cooking grate is made of food-grade stainless steel, which lasts for a long.
- It has a built-in temperature gauge.
- It provides an extra smoky flavor in food.
Pros
- Long-lasting performance.
- The body is made of ceramic, which ensures durability.
- Temperature controlling system.
- Very strong and long-lasting
Cons
- The price is too high.
- Very much heavy.
FAQ
Do you need new charcoal every time you grill?
No, You can reuse your charcoals again at least one more time.
Is grilling with charcoal bad for health?
As you are cooking in proper heat, then it would be healthy for you.
Do I close the lid after lighting charcoal?
When the charcoal is properly burned, then you can close the lid.
Is it possible to put charcoal in a gas grill?
No, because gas grills are not designed like charcoal grills.
Can you make a gas grill taste like charcoal?
It’s impossible to get the smoky flavor of a charcoal grill in a gas grill.
Wrapping Up
To enjoy BBQ’s traditional flavor, you have to use charcoal grills because only charcoal grill has the power to provide you smoky flavor in BBQ. We researched the charcoal grill, and as a result, we choose some of the best grills for you, which will be the best investment for your money. All you need just read the buying guide carefully and pick the best portable charcoal grill for you. Generally, a different person has a different taste. So, we tried to represent the characteristics of the top five grill one by one.
So, let’s grab your suitable portable charcoal grill today. You don’t know how to use them, check our article How to Use a Charcoal Grill.
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Last updated: September 24, 2023
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