Sunday Stove

The Best Portable Propane Grills

Five portable gas grills from about $150 to $450, from a 10-pound tabletop for the beach to a 49-pound cart for the stadium lot.

By Nell Harlan · Updated Oct 14, 202630 grills compared

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For a grill that rides in the trunk to the campsite, the beach or the stadium lot, get the Q 1200N. It's Weber's new version of the Q 1200, about $279, and it sits on a picnic table with a domed lid tall enough for a whole chicken. It runs on the 1-pound propane cylinders you can pick up at any hardware store, and Weber gave it a stronger burner than the old model had: 10,000 BTU (the usual measure of a gas grill's heat) instead of 8,500.

For a whole tailgate, I'd bring the Traveler instead. It's about $449, it stands up on its own cart, and it takes a dozen burgers or 15 sausages at once. The Cuisinart Chef's Style, about $225, runs off the same 20-pound tank as your backyard grill. The lightest grill here is the Grillster, 10 pounds for about $150.

Our picks

Best overallWeber Q 1200NCheck price on Amazon
Best stand-upWeber TravelerCheck price on Amazon
Best two-burnerCuisinart Chef's Style Portable GrillCheck price on Amazon
Best three-burnerColeman RoadTrip 285Check price on Amazon
Best under $150Cuisinart GrillsterCheck price on Amazon

At a glance

  1. 1.Weber Q 1200Nabout $279
    Best for
    Trunk, campsite and patio
    Type
    Tabletop, 1 burner
    Grate
    200 sq in, up to 9 burgers
    Fuel
    1-lb cylinder, or a 20-lb tank with a hose
  2. 2.Weber Travelerabout $449
    Best for
    Tailgates for a crowd
    Type
    Stand-up cart, 1 burner
    Grate
    320 sq in, 12 burgers
    Fuel
    1-lb cylinder, or a 20-lb tank with a hose
  3. 3.Cuisinart Chef's Style Portable Grillabout $225
    Best for
    Small patios and RV sites
    Type
    Tabletop, 2 burners
    Grate
    275 sq in
    Fuel
    20-lb tank only
  4. 4.Coleman RoadTrip 285about $290
    Best for
    Family campsites
    Type
    Stand-up legs, 3 burners
    Grate
    285 sq in
    Fuel
    1-lb cylinder
  5. 5.Cuisinart Grillsterabout $150
    Best for
    Picnics and the beach
    Type
    Tabletop, 1 burner
    Grate
    146 sq in
    Fuel
    1-lb cylinder

The 5 portable grills, ranked

1 · Best overall
Weber Q 1200N

Weber Q 1200N

The new Q 1200, with a 10,000 BTU burner under a lid tall enough for a whole chicken.

$279.00as of Oct 13, 11:34 PM ET
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

You want one grill for tailgates, campsites and a small patio, and you'll set it on a table.

Skip it if

You cook for more than four at a time. Nine burgers is the limit, so a crowd means grilling in rounds.

The Q, with a bigger burner

The Q 1200 has been the portable grill people point to for years. The version it replaces was Bob Vila's best overall small grill this summer and OutdoorGearLab's best tabletop grill this fall. The N keeps the same idea: one burner, porcelain-enameled cast iron grates that hold their heat for a good sear, a thermometer in the lid, and push-button ignition. Under that high lid a whole chicken fits (an instant-read thermometer in the thigh tells you when it's done, see the meat thermometers), and when you pack up, the side tables come off and tuck into the frame.

For the back porch, it'll also run on a 20-pound tank with Weber's adapter hose. There's more on that in the questions at the end.

What owners report

Only ten owners have reviewed this new version so far, and eight gave it top marks. One found it slow to heat, with steak and corn only so-so, though the sausages came out fine. Three were caught out by the fuel: the big-tank hose costs extra, a small cylinder doesn't last long, and one owner hadn't noticed it takes the small cylinders.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • One burner means one heat zone. To cook gently, you turn it down, since there's no cool side to move food to.
  • The cart or stand that makes it a stand-up grill is sold separately.
10,000 BTUCast iron gratesLid thermometer5-year warranty
2
Weber Traveler
Best stand-up

Weber Traveler

A cart that rises with one hand and a grate that holds a dozen burgers.

$449.00as of Oct 13, 11:34 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

You tailgate or camp with a group, and you want the grill to stand on its own.

Skip it if

You drive a small car. Weber sizes it for most SUVs.

Read the full write-up

Forty-nine pounds is the first thing to know about the Traveler, and the only reason it isn't my top pick. Press a lever and the cart rises to standing height with one hand. Fold it back down and the lid locks itself, and the wheels take it from the trunk to your spot in the lot. The 320-square-inch grate sits over a 13,000 BTU burner. OutdoorGearLab ranked it first of the 21 portable grills on its list: it reached 400°F in 5 to 10 minutes and topped out around 575°F, with a few hot spots right over the burner.

Take the propane cylinder off before you fold it. And for late-season games, a 20-pound tank keeps the gas flowing better. In near-freezing weather the small cylinders can't keep up, and one reviewer's grill quit at about 37°F.

What owners report

A few owners have written up problems. Two had a regulator stop letting gas through, and a new regulator fixed it both times. Another found the lid lock held while rolling but loosened with the grill parked upright, and fixed it with a thin furniture pad.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • About $449, the most here.
  • It takes a big footprint in the garage between trips.
Folded

About 44 by 23 by 13 inches.

13,000 BTULid locks when foldedWheels49 lb
3
Cuisinart Chef's Style Portable Grill
Best two-burner

Cuisinart Chef's Style Portable Grill

Two burners with their own knobs, so one side sears while the other stays gentle.

$224.99as of Oct 13, 11:34 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

The grill will mostly live on a small patio or at an RV site, and you already own a 20-pound propane tank.

Skip it if

You want to carry it far from the car. It's 22 pounds, with the handle off to one side.

Read the full write-up

Two burners, two knobs: steaks on the left, corn and bratwurst on the right. That's what you get here, 10,000 BTU per burner, and America's Test Kitchen named it the best compact grill for small yards for the sear it put on burgers and steak. The lid is tall enough for bigger cuts, too.

Then there's the part to know before you order. The CGG-306 (Cuisinart's model number) doesn't take the little 1-pound cylinders at all. Cuisinart's manual calls for a full-size 20-pound tank, with the hose and regulator that come in the box. For a patio or a campsite you drive to, that's a plus, since one tank goes a long way and you probably have one already. For a picnic in the park, it's one more heavy thing to haul. If the grill never leaves the back porch, honestly, I'd take this one over the Q 1200N.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • The folding legs feel flimsy. Don't lean on the grill.
  • The grease tray can spill on the ride home. Empty it before it goes in the car.
  • The back of the grate runs hotter than the front, so turn things around halfway.
Size

About 22 by 14 by 18.5 inches folded, with 275 square inches of stainless grate.

20,000 BTUStainless grateTwo heat zones22 lb
4
Coleman RoadTrip 285
Best three-burner

Coleman RoadTrip 285

Three burners on folding legs and wheels, for less than the Traveler.

$289.99as of Oct 13, 11:34 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

You camp with the family, the grill will stand in one spot all weekend, and you want three burners for less than the Traveler.

Skip it if

You'll be loading it alone. Getting it into a trunk is a two-person job.

Read the full write-up

Three burners, and a fussy latch

Three burners under 285 square inches let you sear burgers over one side while chicken kabobs cook more gently on the other. It gets very hot (close to 700°F at the top of the dial), and its heat is about as even across the grate as a portable grill gets.

It also has the most complaints of the five. When America's Test Kitchen tried it in 2021, a handle broke off the first time they used it, and the small lid latch let the grates spill out while they moved it. It goes through propane quickly, too, because big vents at the back let the heat escape, so pack a spare cylinder or two.

I'd buy it for a campsite where it stays standing from Friday to Sunday. For a tailgate you set up and take down in an afternoon, I'd pay more for the Traveler.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • The lid latch is hard to work. Check that it's closed before you roll it anywhere.
  • Coleman covers it for 3 years, less than Weber's 5.
Folded

About 39 by 14 by 19 inches.

20,000 BTUThree heat zones3-year warranty49 lb
5
Cuisinart Grillster
Best under $150

Cuisinart Grillster

Ten pounds, and the lid latches over the propane cylinder for the ride.

$144.45as of Oct 13, 11:34 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

You want a grill you can carry in one hand from the car to a picnic table or the beach.

Skip it if

You grill a lot of chicken. It runs hot even on low.

Read the full write-up

The Grillster weighs 10 pounds, and its lid latches over a 1-pound cylinder and the regulator, so the whole thing travels as one box of about 19 by 11.5 by 10 inches. Cuisinart says it gets past 600°F and is ready to grill in under five minutes.

OutdoorGearLab found it sears with the best of the grills they tried, and it kept cooking through 30 mph gusts. They also rarely turned it above the lowest setting: chicken blackened in under 15 minutes, and vegetables blistered before the meat was done. So keep it for burgers, hot dogs, thin steaks and shrimp skewers, and do the bone-in chicken at home.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • One reviewer's igniter quit after a few uses. Keep a long lighter in the lid.
  • Cuisinart calls the grate dishwasher safe, but on one reviewer's grill the coating wore after a few washes. Wash it by hand.
  • At 146 square inches, the grate is the smallest here.
8,000 BTUOver 600°FLocking lid10 lb

Who this is for

Most people who grill at home and want something for weekends away should start with the Q 1200N. A grill that never leaves a small patio: the Cuisinart Chef's Style. A tailgate every Saturday: the Traveler. Thinking of an apartment balcony? Check the fire code first (there's a question about it below).

How to choose

Tabletop or stand-up

The tabletops here run from 10 pounds (the Grillster) to 22 (the Cuisinart Chef's Style), and they need a picnic table or a tailgate under them. A stand-up grill brings its own legs or cart, but the two here weigh 49 pounds each. If you can't lift that into your trunk alone, go tabletop.

1-pound cylinders or a 20-pound tank

Most portable grills run on the small cylinders, and many take a 20-pound tank with an adapter hose sold separately. The Cuisinart Chef's Style is the exception here: 20-pound tank only. In cold weather, the big tank keeps the gas flowing better.

One burner or more

One burner is plenty for burgers and sausages. Two or three let you keep one side hot for searing and the other low for chicken, corn or anything that needs time.

Look at the vents

America's Test Kitchen found that grills with small, low, horizontal vents held the heat near the food and used less propane. Big vertical vents at the back let the heat escape, and those grills burned through fuel.

What I'd skip

Weber Q 1200 (older version)

The model the Q 1200N replaces, still on Amazon at about $287. That's more than the new one, for an 8,500 BTU burner instead of 10,000.

Char-Broil Grill2Go X200

About $180. Bob Vila found food catching in its V-shaped grate, and cleaning it a chore even with the scraper in the box.

Pit Boss Two-Burner Portable Grill

Two burners for about $212, but Bob Vila couldn't get it much past about 450°F, too low for a dark crust on a burger. The Cuisinart Chef's Style costs about the same, with two burners of 10,000 BTU each.

Cuisinart Venture

About $230 for 154 square inches of grate, barely more than the Grillster's 146 at $150.

Weber Traveler Compact

The smaller Traveler, about $349: 240 square inches and 11,000 BTU, and still 37 pounds. At that weight I'd rather have the full Traveler or drop to a tabletop.

nomadiQ Portable Grill

Light, with a shoulder strap, but it has no lid, a strip down the middle with no burner under it, and America's Test Kitchen found it hard to clean.

How I picked

Runs on propaneA tabletop under 25 lb or a cart on wheels140 to 320 square inches of grateA lid that locks for the rideTester and owner reports on heat, latches and ignitersOn Amazon US

These five came out of 30 portable gas grills, from a $55 Char-Broil to a $629 Coyote. Tests come from America's Test Kitchen, OutdoorGearLab and Bob Vila, owner reports from the TVWBB Weber forum and a European retailer. Prices are Amazon's on October 12, 2026.

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Common questions

What is the best portable propane grill?

For most people, the Weber Q 1200N: a tabletop grill with a 10,000 BTU burner, cast iron grates and room for nine burgers, at about $279. If you feed a crowd, the Weber Traveler.

Can I use a 20 lb propane tank on a portable grill?

Usually, with an adapter hose. Weber sells a 6-foot hose for about $44 that connects its small Q grills and the Traveler to a 20-pound tank. Some grills go the other way: the Cuisinart Chef's Style takes only a 20-pound tank. If a Weber Q won't climb past about 250°F on a big tank, Weber says the gas line has gone into a safety bypass. Turn the knob off, open the tank all the way, wait a full minute, then light it again, and it should reach 500 to 550°F in 10 to 15 minutes.

How long does a 1 lb propane tank last on a portable grill?

Bob Vila puts it at about 2 hours of cooking. A bigger burner on high goes through it faster, so bring a spare for a full day out.

Can I use a portable propane grill on an apartment balcony?

It depends on your building. Under the International Fire Code that many fire departments follow, open-flame grills can't be used on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction, but propane grills with a cylinder of 1 pound or less are allowed, and buildings with sprinklers on both the building and the balcony are an exception. Local rules and leases vary, so ask your fire department or building manager first.

Are portable grills worth it?

If you cook away from home a few times a summer, yes. For about $150 to $280, a campsite or a parking lot gets real burgers instead of sandwiches. If all your grilling happens in a backyard with room to spare, a full-size grill gives you more grate for the money.

The verdict

The Weber Q 1200N, or the Traveler for a crowd

Get the Q 1200N if your grill rides in the trunk more than it sits at home. The Traveler is worth the extra $170 when you cook for more than four and would rather roll a grill than lift one.

Check price on Amazon$279.00 as of Oct 13, 11:34 PM ET

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