The Best Portable Charcoal Grill on the Market Today

How We Reviewed

We looked at the recommended features listed above when determining which grills qualify as the best portable charcoal grills on the market today. We also took into consideration the customer satisfaction with their products when deciding on what the best features and drawback were for each model.

Overall Price Range

Depending on the materials used, your charcoal grill could cost you anywhere from $20 to nearly $200. Cast iron is considerably more expensive than plated steel but will last much longer.

Lodge L410 Pre-Seasoned Sportsman’s Charcoal Grill

The Lodge L410 Pre-Seasoned Sportsman’s Charcoal Grill is sturdy and durable. It has air vents and access to the coals without removing the grill. It is heavier than most at 32 pounds but won’t tip over in a stiff breeze.

Provided you maintain your cast iron grill appropriately, you’ll have decades of delicious outdoor cooking experiences.  

Warranty

• Limited Manufacturer’s Warranty

Cuisinart CCG-100 GrateLifter 

Cuisinart CCG-100 GrateLifter Portable Charcoal Grill’s seamless welded grill base is made of porcelain enamel-coated steel. It has a dual venting system and a heat-resistant 201 stainless steel lid handle.

The wire cooking grate is enamel coated. It’s on the heavy side at just under 30 pounds but has an extremely sturdy base.

Warranty

Char-Griller Akorn Jr.Kamado 

The Char-Griller Akorn Jr. Kamado Charcoal Grill is made with insulated triple walled 22 gauge steel and cast iron cooking grates maintain temperatures from 200°- 700° Farenheight.

The rounded design means you use less charcoal when cooking. It has 153 square inch cooking area. It weighs 40 pounds but is compact in shape.

Warranty

• 1-year warranty for defective parts, 5-year warranty for rust and burns

Masterbuilt 20041911 22-1/2-Inch Kettle Grill

While not the smallest grill in the list, the wheels make the Masterbuilt 20040311 Elite Kettle Grill portable. The cooking grate is chrome-coated steel, and the lid and bottom bowl are porcelain-coated. It has an adjustable air damper for temperature control as well as a bottom wire shelf for storage.

Warranty

• 90-day limited warranty

Weber Go-Anywhere

The Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill has 160 square inches of cooking surface on a plated steel grate. Dual dampers allow for adjustable airflow. It has a heavy-gauge steel charcoal grate.

The legs pivot to lock the lid in place for easy carrying. Side-handles allow for convenient carrying as well. It weighs just 14 pounds making it perfect for tailgating.

Warranty

C-Hopetree 22” Stainless Steel Charcoal Satay Grill

The C-Hopetree 22” Stainless Steel Charcoal Satay Grill is made from full 204-grade stainless steel. It has a raised charcoal burning rack. The grill rack will hold 20 skewers easily. It weighs just 10 pounds, and the legs are detachable for maximum portability.

Warranty

Limited Warranty

Flamen 14″ Portable Charcoal BBQ Grill

The Flamen 14″ Portable Charcoal BBQ Grill is exceptionally light-weight at three pounds. The zinc-plated charcoal grid, chrome-plated cooking grill, and enamel coated body reduce rust corrosion. It’s the smallest on our list with just 150 square inches of cooking space.

Warranty

30-day money back guarantee, 1-year limited warranty

Fire Sense Notebook

The Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill folds flat, has a built-in carrying handle, and weighs just eight pounds, making this the most portable grill on our list. It has 228 square inches of cooking area.

Warranty

30-day money back guarantee, 1-year limited warranty

Portable Charcoal Grill FAQs

Before rushing off to Sam’s Club and picking up any old grill, there are a few things you should consider when purchasing the best portable charcoal grill on the market today.

What Is A Charcoal Grill?

A charcoal grill is a barbeque grill that uses charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal. As the charcoal burns, the embers create enough heat to cook food places on a wire grill above them. Grills can be square, round or rectangular. Some have lids and venting systems for heating control.

What Are The Types Of Portable Charcoal Grills Available?

Although there are several types of charcoal grills available, we are going to focus on portable charcoal grills which typically fall into two categories, brazier or kettle. Portable grills are designed to be easy to transport and compact. On many models, the legs fold up and lock. Most, but not all styles, have a venting system, legs for stability and lids.

The brazier grill is made with wire and sheet metal. The cooking grid is set on top of a charcoal pan. This type of grill typically has legs but neither lid nor venting system. The cooking temperature can be adjusted by moving the grid higher or lower. The brazier grill is the less expensive of the two types of portable grills.

The kettle grill has a lid, cooking grid, venting system, legs, charcoal grid, and lower chamber which is shaped like a kettle. Some versions have an ash catcher pan below the charcoal grid and wheels on the legs.

The kettle shape distributes heat more evenly than a brazier grill. The lid prevents grease from shooting up and causing burns as well as allowing the heat to circulate. If wood designed for flavoring is added to the charcoal, the lid helps with the smoking process. The kettle grill is excellent for barbecuing as well.

What Is The Best Type Of Charcoal To Use?

Briquettes have some advantage over lump charcoal. They are less expensive, simpler to light and burn longer and steadier. On the other hand, lump charcoal gives food a more intense, smokey flavor. They burn hotter but burn out faster.

Adding wood chips to the charcoal blaze will add flavor to your food. Apple, peach and cherry wood provide a mild flavor that works well with chicken and pork. Oak, mesquite and hickory wood give your beef and pork a heavenly, smokey flavor.

How Do You Use A Charcoal Grill?

Even before you light up, open the vents on your grill if it is equipped with vents. Open vents provide the oxygen the fire needs to burn. In a kettle grill, the lower vents are left open until you are finished cooking.

The vents that are in the lid can be moved to adjust the airflow. Closed vents provide lower cooking temperature and slower burn. Wider vents mean higher temperatures for cooking.

Light the coals with a chimney or electric starter or use lighter fluid on a mound of charcoal. Spread the charcoal in a single layer a little bit wider than where you will cook the food.

Direct heat cooking is when you cook directly over the heat source, which in this case is the charcoal. The heat is intense and will cook thinly sliced meat and vegetables quickly. You can adjust the temperature by raking the charcoal into piles.

A hot zone will have the majority of the coal and will cook the fastest. A medium region will have less charcoal and is best for food items that tend to burn quickly. Leaving a few coals in the third zone will allow you to transfer the cooked food to that area to keep it warm after it has been prepared.

You can also cook with indirect heat. If you are cooking large portions of meat or even entire fish or birds, you should use this method. With this method, move the hot coals to either side of the grill.

Set a foil drip pan between the two piles. Put the cooking grate back on and place the meat so that it is positioned over the drip pan. Close the lid and allow the heat and smoke to permeate and flavor your dinner.

What Are Some Features You Should Look For When Buying A Portable Charcoal Grill?

When shopping for the best portable charcoal grill, you should look for specific features. An ash catcher is a useful component for cleanup as it latches on to the bottom of the kettle to capture the residual ash. Grills with a hinged grate allow you to access the embers without removing the grille entirely.

A chimney starter is an excellent alternative to lighter fluid. If you are choosing a kettle model, make sure the firebox is seamless to reduce rust and corrosion. If you want to use your grill as a smoker, make sure the lid is tight-fitting and latches.

If you plan to cook for many people regularly, make sure that your grill has enough surface area to accommodate the quantity of food you want to prepare. You will want to find one with an adjustable grate so that you can control the cooking temperature.

The type of material used for both the grate and base is also an essential factor. Grates come in nickel or chrome plated wire, cast iron, stainless or enameled steel. The support might be constructed from cold rolled or porcelain coated steel, aluminum or cast iron. The material affects the durability and weight of your grill.

Some charcoal grills have dampers. If the particular model you are examining uses dampers, make sure it has two, one for exhaust and one for intake, for the best airflow. You most certainly want a grill that won’t topple over, so check the sturdiness of the stand or legs.

The Verdict

It’s hard to say which model would be the best portable charcoal grill for your needs. The features and prices vary greatly. If you are looking for something extremely compact and inexpensive, consider the Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill. 

However, if you are looking for long-lasting quality, you would do better to purchase a Lodge L410 Pre-Seasoned Sportsman’s Charcoal Grill. A good middle of the road choice would be the Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill.