6 Best Camping Grills For Backyard Adventures That Go Anywhere
Explore the 6 best portable grills for any adventure. From backyard cookouts to campsites, we compare top models for performance and go-anywhere ease.
The sun is setting over the lake, the cooler is full, but your backyard grill is a behemoth chained to the patio. A great portable grill bridges the gap between home comfort and outdoor freedom, turning any park, campsite, or tailgate into a gourmet kitchen. This guide will help you find the perfect go-anywhere grill for your kind of adventure.
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Choosing Your Go-Anywhere Grill: What to Look For
The central challenge in choosing a portable grill is balancing cooking power with portability. A grill that weighs next to nothing might struggle to put a decent sear on a steak, while a high-performance unit can feel like you’re hauling a boat anchor from the car. Your first decision is to be honest about how far you’ll actually carry it. Is it from the trunk to a picnic table ten feet away, or down a winding path to a secluded beach spot?
Next, consider your fuel. Propane is the king of convenience; it’s clean, offers instant-on heat, and provides precise temperature control. Charcoal is for the purist who believes authentic flavor comes from real fire, but it requires more time, skill, and cleanup. Newer options like wood-burning or pellet grills offer unique flavors but add their own layers of complexity and weight.
Finally, look at the core construction. The cooking surface area, often measured in square inches, dictates how many people you can feed at once. A sturdy build with quality materials will withstand being knocked around in a car trunk, while features like built-in igniters and stable legs separate the great grills from the frustrating ones. Your decision should come down to three main factors: Fuel Type, Cooking Area, and Weight.
Weber Q1200: The Gold Standard in Portable Gas Grilling
Enjoy grilling on the go with the Weber Q1200. This portable propane grill features a durable cast-iron cooking grate, electronic ignition, and a stainless steel burner for consistent heat.
When you picture a reliable, high-quality portable gas grill, you’re likely picturing something like the Weber Q1200. This grill has earned its reputation at campsites and tailgate parties across the country for one simple reason: it just works. Its cast aluminum body and lid retain heat exceptionally well, and the porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates deliver excellent searing power that rivals much larger grills.
What sets the Q1200 apart are the thoughtful details. The push-button electronic ignition means no fumbling for lighters in the wind, and the built-in lid thermometer gives you real control over your cooking temperature. The two fold-out side tables are genuinely useful, providing precious prep space that is often missing on portable models. It’s designed to run on small 1 lb propane canisters, but an adapter hose lets you hook it up to a larger 20 lb tank for backyard use or extended trips.
The main tradeoff here is its bulk. While portable, it’s not exactly lightweight or compact. This is the ideal grill for car camping, RVing, or any situation where you’re moving it a short distance. It’s an investment in reliable performance for the adventurer who prioritizes a great cooking experience over shaving ounces.
Coleman RoadTrip 285: Ultimate Stand-Up Convenience
If your adventures involve large groups at tailgates, family reunions at the park, or base-camping for a week, the Coleman RoadTrip 285 is less a grill and more a mobile outdoor kitchen. Its defining feature is the integrated, collapsible stand with wheels. You can roll it from your vehicle to your spot and set it up at a comfortable cooking height in seconds, eliminating the need to find a level picnic table or bend over a grill on the ground.
The RoadTrip 285’s cooking system is built for versatility. It features three independently adjustable burners, giving you incredible temperature control across the 285-square-inch cooking surface. This allows you to sear steaks on high heat on one side while gently warming buns on the other. Coleman also offers swappable cooktops (sold separately), so you can replace a grill grate with a griddle or a stove grate, transforming it to cook anything from pancakes to chili.
This convenience comes at the cost of size and weight. The RoadTrip is the heaviest and bulkiest option on this list, by a significant margin. Its portability is defined by its wheels, not its carrying handle. Think of it as the perfect solution for someone who wants the power and features of a backyard grill in a package that can be easily packed into a car and rolled to the party.
Cuisinart Petit Gourmet: Compact Power for Small Spaces
Grill delicious meals on the go with the Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Portable Gas Grill. The VersaStand base easily converts from tabletop to freestanding, while the 5,500 BTU burner provides consistent heat across the 150 sq. in. grilling surface.
For the urban adventurer with a small balcony or the weekend warrior with limited space in the car, the Cuisinart Petit Gourmet delivers impressive performance in a tiny package. This grill is designed around the concept of maximum output from a minimal footprint. Its briefcase-style design, with a secure locking lid and comfortable carrying handle, makes it incredibly easy to grab and go.
Despite its small stature, the Petit Gourmet’s 5,500 BTU burner and porcelain-enameled grate provide surprisingly even heat across its 145-square-inch surface—enough to handle about eight burgers at once. The telescoping legs provide a stable, if low, base on almost any surface. It’s the perfect companion for a couple’s getaway or for anyone who needs a quick, easy grilling solution without sacrificing an entire car trunk to get it.
The primary limitation is, of course, its size. While efficient, the cooking area can feel cramped if you’re trying to feed more than three or four people. The construction is solid for the price point, but it doesn’t have the heavy-duty feel of a Weber. This grill excels in its niche: providing true grilling capability in the most compact and easily transportable form factor possible.
Weber Jumbo Joe: Classic Charcoal Flavor on the Go
Grill on the go with the Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill. Its portable design features a porcelain-enameled lid and bowl that retain heat, plus a Tuck-N-Carry lid lock for added convenience.
For those who believe that real grilling involves the smoky, elemental flavor of charcoal, the Weber Jumbo Joe is the undisputed champion of portability. It is, in essence, a scaled-down version of the iconic 22-inch Weber Kettle, offering the same legendary performance in a package you can fit in your trunk. It provides a generous 18-inch diameter (240 square inches) of cooking space, which is more than many of the portable gas models.
The Jumbo Joe delivers the authentic charcoal experience. You get the satisfaction of lighting the coals, the control of managing airflow with the lid and bowl dampers, and the unparalleled flavor that only charcoal can provide. The Tuck-N-Carry lid lock doubles as a lid holder, keeping it off the ground while you tend to the food—a brilliant piece of design. This grill is perfect for beach cookouts, serious campsite grilling, and anyone who refuses to compromise on flavor.
The tradeoffs are inherent to charcoal itself. It requires more setup time, a learning curve for temperature management, and a plan for disposing of hot ash safely and responsibly. It’s messier than gas and requires you to haul a bag of briquettes along with the grill. The Jumbo Joe is a commitment to a style of cooking, rewarding the user who values the process and the result over pure convenience.
Blackstone 17" Griddle: Versatility Beyond the Grates
Sometimes the best "grill" isn’t a grill at all. The Blackstone 17" Tabletop Griddle opens up a world of culinary possibilities that traditional grates can’t handle. If your ideal camp meal includes sizzling bacon and pancakes for breakfast, perfectly seared smash burgers for lunch, or hibachi-style veggies for dinner, a flat top griddle is the superior tool.
The advantage of the solid steel griddle top is total heat control and versatility. There are no flare-ups from dripping grease, and you can cook small, delicate items like chopped onions, eggs, or shrimp without fear of them falling into the fire. The Blackstone’s "H"-style burner provides surprisingly even heat across the surface, and the clever rear grease management system makes cleanup far simpler than with many other grills.
This is a specialized piece of equipment. It won’t give you the char-grilled flavor or classic grill marks of a traditional grill. The rolled steel cooktop also makes it quite heavy for its size. However, for the camp chef who wants to expand their menu beyond burgers and hot dogs, the Blackstone griddle is a game-changer that brings diner-style cooking to any outdoor setting.
BioLite FirePit+: Smokeless Fire and Hibachi-Style Grill
The BioLite FirePit+ is for the adventurer who values ambiance and technology as much as the meal itself. This unique device is, first and foremost, a portable, smokeless fire pit. It uses a rechargeable battery pack to power a fan that injects air into the fire through 51 jets, resulting in a hyper-efficient burn that dramatically reduces smoke. It creates a mesmerizing, campfire-like experience without the musical chairs of dodging smoke clouds.
On top of this fire pit, you can place the included grill grate, transforming it into a hibachi-style grill. It runs on either standard firewood or charcoal, giving you fuel flexibility. Cooking over a live wood fire provides an incredible, rustic flavor. You can even control the fan speed and flame size with a free Bluetooth app on your phone, adding a surprising level of tech to a primal cooking method.
The FirePit+ is an experience-focused device. As a grill, its direct heat is best for things like skewers, sausages, and vegetables rather than delicate, temperature-sensitive cooking. You also have to manage the battery’s charge level. It’s the perfect choice for someone who wants a beautiful fire to gather around that also doubles as a capable grill, blending modern tech with the classic campfire.
Key Factors: BTUs, Grate Size, and Portability
When you’re comparing grills, you’ll see BTU (British Thermal Unit) ratings everywhere. It’s easy to assume that more BTUs are always better, but that’s a common misconception. A high BTU rating in a poorly designed grill with a thin lid simply radiates heat into the atmosphere, wasting fuel. A well-engineered grill, like a Weber Q, uses a lower BTU count more efficiently to heat the grates and the air inside the cookbox, providing excellent power with less fuel consumption.
Grate size is a more straightforward metric. The best way to visualize it is in "burger capacity." A small, 150-square-inch grill might fit six to eight burgers, while a larger 280-square-inch model can handle a dozen or more. The material matters, too. Cast iron offers the best heat retention for great searing but is heavy and requires maintenance. Stainless steel or porcelain-coated grates are lighter and easier to clean but may not hold heat as effectively.
Ultimately, every choice comes back to the triangle of portability, performance, and price. You can’t maximize all three. A powerful, large grill won’t be lightweight. A feather-light, compact grill won’t have the cooking surface for a large group. Be honest about your primary use—tailgating, family camping, or beach days—and choose the grill that makes the right compromises for your adventures.
Don’t get lost in the search for the single "best" grill. The best gear is the gear that gets you outside, sharing good food and making memories. Pick the grill that fits your style, load up the cooler, and get out there.
