In the summer, grilling meats and veggies (and fruit) comes naturally. And while some of us have plenty of room (read: backyards) for large grills, some of us have to make do with porches, rooftops, and portable grills that we can keep indoors. Or consider the camping folks who want to bring the joys of a grill with them to glamping—er, I mean camping— sites. Whichever camp you fall into, we’ve got your back and have rounded up some top-rated smaller grills (several of which I’ve used and will swear by down below) that are perfect for anything you plan on cooking (so long as you have the right grilling tools, of course).
Best Overall: Weber Q1200 Liquid Propane Grill
Easiest to Fold: Napoleon Travel Q Portable Grill
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Best with Legs: Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Gas Grill
Best with Wheels: Coleman RoadTrip Propane Grill
Most Stylish: Smoke Hollow Stainless Steel Gas Grill
Most Affordable: Coleman Fold N Go Instatstart Grill
This one’s my favorite weekday grill considering how crazy easy it is to put together and convenient to get going — and it also has some really great color options (like the Blue model I got to test). The burner inside the grill gives you full control over nearly 200 square inches of grilling surface. But it’s the operation that’s a dream. Once you’re done, the grill is easy to clean and fits neatly into a bottom shelf in your kitchen. Best Feature: Not only is this grill easy to put together and take apart, it's also stylish, easy to use, and has burners that give you great control, without sacrificing portability.
This Napoleon grill folds up easily and you can set it up even easier. In 10 seconds or less, you’ll be able to fire up this grill with portable propane cylinders, and a 225 square inch efficient cooking grid. Best Feature: This is one of the most compact grills out there, plus it folds up making it even more portable.
For a cute take on the compact and portable grill, we get one that has optional legs you can pop out and prop it up a bit from a tabletop. While built around a small surface, this grill can still handle about eight burgers at the same time, which is a lot of burgers. Cusinart’s family of grills collectively boast a 4.1-star average rating from more than 3,300 reviews.Best Feature: These legs are great for situations where you don't want to risk burning the table or surface you're cooking on.
This Coleman option has wheels that collapse, so it’s extremely portable. It also has an exterior thermometer, which is surprisingly rare on portable grills. More so, it has three adjustable burners for precision temperature control.Best Feature: This is basically a full size grill that can really travel anywhere thanks to its nifty wheels.
I’m a big fan of the brushed matte stainless steel look and Smoke Hollow is delivering it in this grill over every inch. With more than 200 square inches of surface space and a powerful U burner, you’re getting a solid grill that will look great no matter where you lay it down. Best Feature: This is a portable grill that doesn't look like one. Bring this around and it'll look like you're a grilling pro.
On the more affordable end is Coleman’s take on the portable propane grill. It’s a bit weaker in delivering heat than the Q1200 but that only matters if you require lots of heat. It’s also a bit smaller, giving you about half the cooking surface and again, the priority there relies solely on your needs. Notably, its grates are dishwasher-safe.Best Feature: If you're not using a portable grill a ton, but need one, this is a great option. It is easy to take around, but isn't a huge investment. It'll get the job done, though.
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