Best Camping Grills in 2020

For many of us, there’s nothing more enjoyable than spending time in the outdoor with our loved ones. However, without good food to go hand in and with it, the experience wouldn’t be able to reach its potential. And great meals don’t happen on their own– you have to make them.

Although for every camping trip, there’s usually enough food to snack on that’s already prepared from home, nothing comes close to the delicious meals prepared with the help of a camping grill. A nice steak, sausages and veggies – just the simple and tasty things the whole family or group of friends or a couple would enjoy.

That being said, if you’re missing out on this important piece of camping equipment, I suggest you keep on reading as to find out how to choose the best camping grill for your needs. First, let’s start with the main division.

Important Features to Look Into

Portability

In order to address this question properly, you need to decide how much weight you are willing to carry for your upcoming adventures. Usually, most grills range from 15 to 57 pounds. Having clear limits before making the decision will help you maneuver the portable grill later on. There are two main types of portable grills: the tabletop model and the cart style model. Tabletop models can be both light and heavy whereas with the cart ones, it’s a bit easier as the have two wheels. Cart style models usually range from 40 to 60 lbs.

Burner Control

This is a very useful feature, but unfortunately, hard to tell upfront. The best way to learn what kind of burner control a certain grill has is to actually use it a couple of times. Thankfully, there are many forums where avid campers go on and on about their experiences, so that could make finding the answer regarding the model you’re considering a bit easier.

However, even without the help of forums and online opinions, not all hope is lost as there is a way to predict at least a little bit what this feature would be like on a certain model. Namely, if the grill contains more than one burner, then it is probable that the burners are going to be easy to control. Multiple burners are also great for when you want one side of the surface to be hotter than the other for cooking different things.

The Surface of the Grill

Nobody wants to be stuck with a grill that cannot handle the needs of the fellowship of your camping crew. This is why you need to think of the most probable scenarios beforehand and act accordingly.

A small cooktop can serve you for making four hamburgers that would be an inch one from another. This option is great for two people and the size of the surface is 100-150 square inches. This surface can suffice for making one meal even for four people if you don’t plan to add veggies, or you can prepare them after the meat, separately.

If you want to be able to cook both meat and veggies together, then you’ll need to consider getting a grill with a surface of 250 square inches. If you plan to go camping as a group of six or more people, you’ll need to consider cooking in shifts. If you want to avoid all that, you’re going to have to choose a non-portable grill.

Charcoal Grills

If you’re all about that authentic barbecue flavor and you won’t settle for anything less than that, this type of grill is what you need. The charcoal will add that signature flavor to the meat and the vegetables which is what makes us fall in love with barbecuing in the first place.

Regarding ease of use, this type of grill is very convenient. It consists only of a big steel ball which holds a blazing charcoal. And if all that weren’t enough, these grills are also affordable. But that’s not all. Charcoal grills are able to produce a lot of heat – perfect for searing meat. The only downside regarding that part is that it takes about 20 minutes as to distribute the heat evenly. If you choose to go with this type, also be prepared to add or remove charcoal frequently while cooking in order to achieve the perfect temperature.

Another minor disadvantage is the fact that is can be a bit tricky to clean these properly. For best results, pros suggest using tongs or gloves. And don’t forget to purchase a removable ash try as these grills produce a lot of ash.

Gas Grill

Due to their installation, these grills are the more expensive variety, but nevertheless, they are quite popular. People like them due to the convenience of not having to stock up on coal. The process of preparing food on these grills is pretty simple and doesn’t require a lot of effort. It begins with the heating of the natural gas for the purpose of burning porcelain briquettes or coal in some cases. Then the heat is being transferred right on the cooking surface.

Another thing that makes this type great is the fact that they last longer than any other grill. What’s more, certain models offer some extra features that can enable you to fry, roast or bake.

What you should be careful about before purchasing a gas grill is whether the machine you’re considering is suitable for the intended fuel source. Impatient campers rejoice at the existence of the portable gas grill since it gets the food done in no time. The only few downsides are the fact that they cannot help you create meals with the much loved charred taste and the fact that to a certain extend, these grills can be a bit dangerous as they work with flammable and harmful fuels. To finish this explanation on a positive note, unlike charcoal grills, these models offer excellent temperature control.

Best Camping Grills In 2020

1) Zojirushi EB-CC15 Indoor Electric Grill

If you decide on a small electric grill, space will not be a problem for you. The Zojirushi indoor electric grill is a very popular portable electric grill that every household should have in their kitchen. Its unique way of storing the extra fat from the meat in the drain is what makes it one of the best selling indoor electric grills out there. This means that it not only ensures you get a delicious meal, but it also prepares your food in the healthiest way possible, without any extra and unwanted calories and fats.

Also, if you’re not the greatest cook in the world, don’t worry! This specific electric grill is also beginner friendly, thanks to its double layer titanium and ceramic surface that won’t let you stick your fish, ribs or steaks and ruin your dinner or camping party.

2) T-fal GC70 OptiGrill Electric Grill

Smart technology in grills doesn’t sound possible, right? Definitely not until the T-fal GC70 was presented on the market and people started calling it “the latest innovation in the barbecue world,” which made all of us fall in love with it immediately. It’s not only a small electric grill that you can easily lift up and take with you anywhere, it’s also actually smart because it detects the number of food items and their thickness volume. With this portable electric grill you don’t have to worry about the cooking time, the T-fal GC70 will do the work by itself.

If you want your steak rare, wait for the yellow light, if you want it medium, take it off when the indicator light is orange, or if you’re like so many of us and you feel safer going with well done, just let the grill do its work and take your steak when the light is red.

3) George Foreman 4-serving removable plate grill

If you want to bring your favorite fast food restaurant at home or on the road, don’t hesitate in picking a small electric grill that will give you tasty burgers and crunchy panini bread slices. This electric grill indoor essential delivers hot and healthy food thanks to its nonstick coating that stores all the grease that no one likes.

Another important perk that makes this portable electric grill stand out is that cleaning after a long, delicious dinner will never be a pain again. The coating is easily removable and perfectly safe for any dishwasher or any type of dish soap, making it a favorite three step electric grill: turn it on, allow it to work its magic and put it in the dishwasher.

1) Char Broil CLassic 280 2 Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill

Even though this awesome charcoal grill has only two burners, it’s a fit for a yield of 20,000 BTUs which means you can place as many different kinds of food as you wish! Compared to the other choices on the market, we’re looking at a small charcoal grill with a lot of power that’s very easy to move around. The two stainless steel burners are the living heart of the grill making it one of the greatest small charcoal grills to own when camping or hosting a warm outside dinner for family and friends.

2) Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill, Red

The Cuisinart Petit Gourmet gas grill is just the perfect choice for family picnics, camping, parties or apartment balconies. It’s simple, it’s easy to use and amazingly, it only weighs 13.5 pounds. This might actually be the best portable gas grill on the market! The convenience of this grill is definitely what makes all of us want to buy it. This tabletop propane grill uses stainless steel, which is always a great idea if you’re not into cleaning for hours after cooking.

3) Weber 51010001 Q1200 Liquid Propane Grill

The Weber 51010001 Q1200 is a space-saving and portable camping propane grill with cool aesthetics and easy maintenance for everyone. It rises up to 500 fahrenheit in under 10 minutes, which makes it a great environment for cooking meats. What they did with this Weber gas grill is they simplified the entire process of portable cooking combining lots of grilling options, such as heat adjustments, a temperature gauge, and highly effective grates. It’s one of the best Weber tabletop gas grills out there because it has a compact design, it’s very stable and it has an easy start electronic ignition.

Top 3 Charcoal grills

1) Char Broil Gas 2 Coal 3 Burner Liquid Propane and Charcoal Hybrid Grill

If you’re on the hunt for charcoal grills that will last you for a while, I’m sure the name Char Broil has come up at some point of your research. Yet again, Char Broil produced another hybrid grill of gas and charcoal, giving all die hard barbecue fans the best of both worlds. The beauty of this grill is that it can be both a portable carbon grill or a portable gas grill, and that’s actually really neat.

Char Broil’s stainless steel burners are usually very easy to clean and maintain, which means you won’t have to worry about a new grill for a long time. A very cool innovation for this possible camping charcoal grill is that there is a small storage for the charcoal pan when you’re not using it. A portable camping grill with storage? Yes, please!

2) Char-Broil Classic 360 3-Burner Liquid Propane Gas Grill with Side Burner

Even though this awesome charcoal grill has only two burners, it’s a fit for a yield of 20,000 BTUs which means you can place as many different kinds of food as you wish! Compared to the other choices on the market, we’re looking at a small charcoal grill with a lot of power that’s very easy to move around. The two stainless steel burners are the living heart of the grill making it one of the greatest small charcoal grills to own when camping or hosting a warm outside dinner for family and friends.

3) Char Broil 30” Offset Smoker

Before we start talking about this specific product, let’s go into the basics of the offset smoker. The charcoal and the wood are built in the firebox, which locates the heat on the sides and not directly under the food. Obviously, since the firebox is on the side, that side of the grill is much hotter, so to avoid overcooking on one side and undercooking on the other, you have to make sure that you’re rotating your food as frequently as possible.

Also, while you’re keeping an eye on the food, make sure you constantly add wood or charcoal to the cooking chamber. And now back to our product, the Char Broil 30” offset smoker, that might not be a small charcoal grill but it definitely is easily portable thanks to its wheels made of a combination of durable metal and plastic material.

This unique carbon grill has a spacious cooking chamber, a very easy and convenient door to maintain the heat and to clean the leftover ash, a temperature gauge that helps you keep track of the temperature inside the smoker and very importantly, a smokestack that regulates the smoke by drawing it through the cooking chamber.

When it comes to charcoal grills, maintenance is extremely important, so it is essential that it’s cleaned regularly, especially because you don’t want to leave food and grill deposits at the bottom. The good thing is that the porcelain surface makes it very easy to clean, so any residue can be wiped with a mild class cleaner or some water and baking soda.

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