Why portable charcoal grills? Well, folks, it turns out that these little grills are perfect for all sorts of grilling situations. Let’s talk about a few of them here.
#1 APARTMENT/COMMUNITY LIVING
If you live in the city, odds are you live in an apartment, condo or a townhouse and most of these don’t come equipped with a spacious backyard to set up your Cadillac grill. So portable charcoal grills are usually the best option.
Most likely you have a small balcony. If this is the case. In most states, you will not be able to use any open-flame cooking devices within 10 feet of the building. You should reference your state, county or city’s regulations for open flame cooking devices. Or see Outdoor Grilling safety tips to learn more about grilling safety. Even if the law does allow this the complex may not so make sure to check with management before just firing up the grill on your balcony.
#2 CAMPING TRIPS
I’m not a big camping fan anymore, but my kids and grandkids love it. Don’t get me wrong I still love the great outdoors, I just like to come back indoors when it’s time to go to bed.
#3 FISHING
Now, this is my favorite. Fishing trips for me are usually an all-day affair and I do get tired of cold sandwiches. So my portable grill is perfect for burgers hot dogs or the catch of the day.
#4 A DAY AT THE PARK
As I explained in Apartment living above the reasons for not wanting to use those grills on a stick that you’ll find in most parks are the same. They are just filthy. So the few dollars invested in a portable grill are well worth it.
I only mentioned a few instances for when you might want to use a portable charcoal grill but there are many, many more. No matter what the scenario. If you are away from home the portable charcoal grill is the answer. Even if you are home and just want to grill up a little something for yourself without having to pull out the big grill, a small portable grill is a perfect choice.
What type of portable Grill should I get?
Well, let’s talk about some of the different grills out there. I know everyone has their own taste, but I’ll tell you what I like in a portable grill.
1 Portability
2 Quality & Durability
3 Cooking surface
4 price
The Main thing I look for in portable charcoal grills is portability.
Is it really portable? Just because it’s small doesn’t mean that is easy to carry. Does it have carrying handles or a carrying case? Is it lightweight? Is it going to be too much of a burden to carry if I have to take a long hike to my favorite fishing hole or to that perfect spot in the park? These things can be a deal breaker for me.
If you are young and strong and don’t have a problem carrying something bulky or awkward or heavy more power to you. I on the other hand like things to be as easy as possible.
The next thing I look for is durability.
Is it going to fall apart before I get to my destination? How long can I expect to get good use out of it?
Another thing I look for is Cooking Surface
It has to have enough cooking surface to cook for at least 2 people.
And the final thing is price
Price isn’t usually an issue with most of these grills because you can most likely find one for close to $50.00 or less. For me it doesn’t have to be pretty it just has to get the job done right, and to me, it seems like the more they cost the less portable they are.
A couple of my recommendations
Below are a few portable grills that stood out when I was researching this post. One of which I actually own. They stood out because they meet at least 2 1/2 of the criteria that I look for in a portable grill.
Weber-Go-Anywhere Grill
Charbroil Portable Tabletop Grill
Another one of the top picks is the Char-Broil portable Tabletop Charcoal Grill. This grill only weighs about 7 1/2lbs and is a lot better if you need to take a bit of a hike although it is still a little bulky for my taste. I like to call this the beat up grill. Because at less than $25.00 I have no problem taking this grill into the backwoods of wherever and abusing it for the summer or two and buying a new one when needed. You can read the full review of this grill here.
Wolfwise Portable Charcoal Grill
I have never used this grill before but I’ve done a little research on it on and it seems to be pretty solid. The only reason it even caught my attention is the fact that it fits my #1 requirement and that is portability. It’s small, very lightweight at 4 1/2 lbs. and it has a carrying case that can be strapped to my backpack. “Hmmm” not bad but what about quality? Read about what I learned here.
These are just a few of the portable charcoal grills available. There are much more in a wide range of shapes and prices. I chose to feature the ones above because they meet the criteria that I look for in a charcoal grill. They are all very affordable and in my opinion, all are a great value.
Not sure what to put on your new grill? Check out this post. Best Steaks For Grilling.
As always,
Thanks for Stopping by,
Happy Grilling!!!!
Aundrey
Hey there
Thanks for the great post!
I am looking at buying my partner a portable BBQ for his birthday! He loves camping and I just got him a swag now looking at other things that he may like!
I love Weber products! I think they definitely set the bench mark when it comes to quality!
I think I will check this one out!
Thanks
Hailey
Hi Hailey,
Thanks for the comment.
I’m sure your partner would love a Weber grill for his Birthday. If he loves to BBQ you can’t go wrong with getting him a grill. Check back soon to see more posts on charcoal grills.
Happy Birthday and Best Wishes to your partner.
Andre
This is perfect! I have actually been looking for some kind of option for portable grilling. I didn’t realize there were so many options.
I especially like the Char-Broil Tabletop Charcoal Grill. It’s small, simple, and convenient to use for my purposes. It’s good to know they actually make them this small. This is perfect for times when I have a taste to have something grilled for just my wife and I.
Also, I had questions if it’s okay to grill indoors or not and you DEFINITELY answered that. It’s a BIG no no! Having potential Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is not worth it.
Lastly, your video on safety tips for grilling helped me what to keep in mind while grilling. Just last week, I was grilling extremely too close to the garage. Your video said to be at least 10 feet away from the home. I was probably 1-2 feet away. I’m glad nothing happened and that everything went fine but I’ll be more careful next time. Thanks a lot!!!
HI Andre
Cool Name.
You are right to never, ever, ever grill indoors it’s just not worth the risk, and always try to stay at least 10 feet from any structure or flammable materials.
I like the charbroil also. I will be posting more on portable grills in the near future. So check back soon.
Be Safe and Happy Grilling!!
Andre.
Portable grills. Now, that’s a thought Andre. We love having BBQ cooked meat – or fish and vegetables, for all that matters. But we are not great fans of cooking using a BBQ. Let’s admit it, the smell is lovely if you like it , like us. But it lingers over your clothes. And if, like us, you are not a keen camping holiday maker, it gets a little restrictive to be able to use your BBQ in your back garden. As in fact you mention too, Andre.
We bought a similar portable BBQ this year, which we have not yet used. But you are right, even when you don’t need to carry it around on trips or hikes, it can become very useful for use within communal areas of a flat block (asking previous permission) or in back yards.
Good advice there, pointing us to really great deals. Thank you.
Hi Guilia
Glad I could help you find some good deals. Portable grills are great. I’m not a big fan of camping anymore either but i still like to use my grill at the park or the beach. I have a large grill for the backyard and only use my portable grill for small stuff like a couple of burgers or hot dogs. I use the big grill for entertaining. The smell does linger on your clothes but hey, it’s a BBQ, if it’s done right the whole neighborhood will smell like BBQ, so who cares, right?I just toss them in the washer at the end of the day. So don’t let that grill go to waste. Put it to good use and Happy Grilling!!!
Excellent post, These are exactly what I am looking for! I often camp at triathlon events that I attend and love having am after event BBQ. I have been using the disposable grills and while they just about suffice most of the time. However a lot of campsite owners really don’t like them since they singe the grass…and they are only just ok.
I really like the look of the Weber Go-Anywhere as I go to the events by car the weight is not an issue.
Thanks
Hi Steve,
Do you participate in the events or just show your support for the triathletes? I’ve never been to an event just see them on TV.
The Weber go anywhere grill is a great little grill and won’t singe the grass. And since it’s made by Weber you will get many years of worry free use.
Thank for the comment
Andre.