A portable BBQ is always practical.
When the weather is nice outside, it's fun to think that we have the luxury of being able to take out our BBQ and cook wherever we want.
And because it's always good to know more about all our possible options, I thought it would be a good idea for me to tell you more about these beautiful machines and present my favorites. 😜
Before I give you my top 3, for example, it's important that you have some basics on portable BBQs. "Let's go"! Let's get into the subject! 😎
What is it for?
A portable BBQ is ideal for traveling and allows us to use it wherever we want. Apart from that, it is a BBQ that does not take up too much space. For going camping, in particular, it is useful because we do not need to drag our grill in a big "trailer".
The characteristics
It all depends on what you are looking for, but there are several models of portable BBQs. For example, there are some with a trolley, which is practical, but requires more space, there are others with shelves, some with wheels...
There are different types of fuels too, so you'll need to allow extra space to take charcoal or propane tanks to your destination, for example.
In fact, the level of portability of your device (its size and fuel) will limit you. Can you carry it in a bag or do you need to be near a power source for it to work? This will affect your travel as well.
What's cooking
As for cooking, everything is possible with a portable BBQ. It's more complicated to make a "brisket" on it, but it's possible. In a Pursuit 20, for example, it's done without any problem. 😉
What do you need to know when shopping for a portable BBQ?
There are mainly 3 things to consider when you want to get a portable BBQ:
- The size you need;
- The number of people you are cooking for; and
- The type of fuel you want to use.
On point 3, actually, it's important that you consider the length of your outings as well. For example, if you're going out for 1 month in the woods, you might prefer to have charcoal with you rather than a 1 lb propane tank. To that, I would also add that it depends on the experience you want to have. Do you want it to be easy and have nothing to drag around, or do you prefer to have the full experience and find your own wood? This needs to be taken into account.
My Favorite Portable BBQs
There are portable BBQs for everyone. The ones I'm going to show you are all different and the one you're eyeing may not be here. That's okay; what I can tell you, however, is that if it's on sale here, it's a good choice. 😉
Now that that's said, to keep some suspense, let's go in descending order... 😜
3rd position — BBQ PHANTOM TRAVELQ® PRO 285X Napoleon
For me, this BBQ is the most beautiful. It is all matte black and, as you know, "black on black" speaks to me. 👌
Apart from that, it has a stainless steel top grill, which is practical and interesting, because, generally, portable BBQs do not have a warming rack or they have one with a lower quality steel. So already there, it has a good advantage.
Another thing that this BBQ has that others usually don't is its number of burners. The PHANTOM TRAVEL Q is a gas BBQ that, by default, has 2 burners instead of 1, which is very cool. Also, its bottom grills are of high quality and made of cast iron, which is perfect for storing heat well and transmitting it to the food.
If we go more general, I particularly like its unique design. The BBQ is bolted on a cart that has 2 big wheels that will allow you to easily transport it to a park or a tailgate, even on foot! It also has 2 solid shelves with hooks that will allow you to hang your utensils. (It's cool, because Napoleon really made sure to maximize their efficiency by doing that! 👌)
Otherwise, it's small, so if you live in a condo or have to store it in a small "locker" you won't have a problem using/doing it.
2nd position - BBQ Pursuit 20 Camp Chef
This BBQ, in my opinion, is one of those that are made to be moved "for real". It's a BBQ that, just with its design, we see that it was designed to be portable. The lid locks, then it has wheels and a handle. It follows the same principle as a travel suitcase. 💯
What's also nice is that even though it takes up less space than a 24" Camp Chef, it has plenty of room to store "stock". A "brisket", a pork shoulder... large cuts of meat fit well and cook well in there.
And, that's not all! It's versatile too! It can be used as a grill as well as a smoker (in terms of temperature and stability, I would even say that it has the same performance as a full-size smoker! 🤩). Oh yes, thanks to its Slide and Grill function, grilling meat or vegetables is easy. And it can do all this even with "just" 5 lbs of pellets! 👌
I really like this BBQ because Camp Chef didn't leave any stone unturned. They made it a good size to take camping or to a tailgate, without compromising on efficiency.
1st place — BBQ Go-Anywhere Weber
To go on an excursion in "pack bag" mode, there is nothing better, especially at this price! It's a BBQ that fits in a backpack (hello portability! 🙌), which is versatile, and which does not require a lot of resources (monetary and fuel).
It's a BBQ built with 2 independent rectangular parts. If you want to eat oysters on the edge of a beach or go to a hunting camp lost in the woods, you'll be "in business" with this because you just have to open it, put coal and a fire starter in the bottom of the tank and light the fire starter. "That's it, that's all", as they say. Even so, it's made to be safe to use too; you can easily control your fire and the temperature.
By the way, whether you want to grill or smoke your food, everything is possible with this beautiful little toy. (Often, people even use this BBQ as a "side grill". They sear their food in it and then transfer it to their Kamado to cook it slowly.)
There you have it! I hope I have managed to enlighten you on the subject and, possibly, even helped you to select your next portable BBQ. 😉
See you next time and… have a good BBQ!