June 2007
Portable gas grills
Does the convenience of a carry-along outweigh performance drawbacks?
Portable gas grills offer a convenient way to grill rib eyes, hot dogs, and vegetable kebabs when you’re camping or tailgating.
But our recent test of four models found that mediocre cooking performance was the trade-off for the convenience of being
able to tote your grill anywhere. (If you’re considering a full-sized grill, read our report, “Gas grills: Safety counts,” which also includes coverage of other portables.)
The Blue Rhino GBT611B, Coleman RoadTrip LXE 9949-750, George Foreman Portable GP160A, and Thermos Grill2Go produced chicken and salmon that were juicy, but the outsides tended to be charred. None of the models had a notable problem with flare-up.
Another concern with the Blue Rhino, Foreman, and Thermos portables was that their plastic handles tended to get very hot when we cooked on high heat with the lid closed. We didn’t face this problem with the Coleman grill because we followed the manufacturer’s instructions to cook with the lid open. A downside to Coleman’s open-lid approach: Cooking time increased by 20 minutes for the chicken, resulting in a charred exterior and a dry interior.
Each of these models is equipped with push-button ignition, which makes lighting easier, and a removable grease cup or bottle, which helps to reduce flare-ups and simplifies cleanup. Other features vary. The Coleman comes with side shelves that extend and hooks for cooking utensils, and the Foreman has a carrying case, for example. Note that those grills are not included in our Ratings of gas grills (available to ) as the designs of the grates or the instructions are incompatible with the evenness test that is part of our gas-grill protocol.
The Blue Rhino GBT611B, Coleman RoadTrip LXE 9949-750, George Foreman Portable GP160A, and Thermos Grill2Go produced chicken and salmon that were juicy, but the outsides tended to be charred. None of the models had a notable problem with flare-up.
Another concern with the Blue Rhino, Foreman, and Thermos portables was that their plastic handles tended to get very hot when we cooked on high heat with the lid closed. We didn’t face this problem with the Coleman grill because we followed the manufacturer’s instructions to cook with the lid open. A downside to Coleman’s open-lid approach: Cooking time increased by 20 minutes for the chicken, resulting in a charred exterior and a dry interior.
Each of these models is equipped with push-button ignition, which makes lighting easier, and a removable grease cup or bottle, which helps to reduce flare-ups and simplifies cleanup. Other features vary. The Coleman comes with side shelves that extend and hooks for cooking utensils, and the Foreman has a carrying case, for example. Note that those grills are not included in our Ratings of gas grills (available to ) as the designs of the grates or the instructions are incompatible with the evenness test that is part of our gas-grill protocol.
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