Best Portable Grill?

[AirEgger]

Originally Posted by IanPoulin

Yeah - I am looking at a medium or small green egg - the medium weighs about the same as my genset so I know I can finagle it around. My only concern is the ceramic nature and if there are concerns on how to routinely transport it in a pickup truck bed. I'd have to put together a cradle for it to lie into sideways or something - not sure.

We carry our Small BGE in a plastic tub wrapped in bubble wrap. The tub is secured with straps against the front wall of the bed. This includes a horizontal strap to stop lateral movement and a strap over the top/lid of the egg to minimize vertical movement and to ensure the egg lid doesn't bounce. We also add a layer of bubble wrap between the lid and the egg body.

Regarding using the egg for baking, you can buy ceramic disks/plates that convert the egg into an oven. We use these for baking bread and making pizzas. The plates are used primarily for low-and-slow smoking or indirect cooking of meats, eg, ribs, pork butts, briskets, etc. The egg has a lot of uses. Again, we unload and set-up the egg if we're going to be in a location for a while and will have some days where we stay in the park and can put some ribs, etc, on for 6-8 hours. After you've stabilized the eggs temp, it pretty we'll takes care of it's self if you check on it ever few hours. The small egg will go a good eight hours on the initial load of lump charcoal at 250 degrees.

[switz]

At home, we have the largest built in Weber Grill (six burners). In my prior life, I grilled nearly every night year round on a four burner Weber in heat, snow or even rain.

I acquired a Weber 220Q for use in the UK. I changed the lid to have a temperature gage. There is a learning curve for me to cook legs of lamb or boneless rib roasts for Sunday dinners.

I acquired the Weber 120Q (has the temperature gage) for the trailer since we are only cooking for two normally or four at the most. We have used it when boon docking with the 25FB last year and it works okay.

I have been pleased with the Weber grilling products over the years.

[AirEgger]

A pic of the Baby Q and small BGE waiting for the grand kids to arrive for a fun day.

[PharmGeek]

That small BEG is nice!! How much $$? I would love it for home and longer camp trips - the mini looks a tad too small for 2 adults and two growing kids

[Airtandem]

I haven't gone through all 29 pages, but has anyone done a comparison between the BGE and the Kamato (?) ceramic grills sold by Lowes (black) and Menards (red)? They are about 1/2 the price, $299.00 for the same size.

[AdamFL]

I have a BGE and a couple webers at home, but recently picked up the Volcano for the trailer. I am pretty impressed. For a week in the FL Keys outside of morning coffee, I cooked everything on it. I have the propane/charcoal version. Also works as a small fire pit if you are in a no burn area. Stores in a nice small bag. My only complaint is there is no lid, but I had a caphalon wok type pan in the garage that works perfectly as a lid upside down while grilling and sits nicely in the volcano for use as a sautée pan or to deep fry fish for fish tacos etc. I liked the Cobb but this was nice to have a propane option. I was getting tied of carrying a burner around just to have an outside stove.

[IanPoulin]

Originally Posted by AirEgger

A pic of the Baby Q and small BGE waiting for the grand kids to arrive for a fun day.

Oh; if that's a small, that's large enough for what I would want to do. What is that internal measurement with the plate lifter installed for baking - 12 or 13" diameter?

Good setup - a Charwood and a propane both ready to go and both for their purposes! Exactly what I would be looking to do!

Ian

[AirEgger]

Ian, the diameter of cooking grate on the small is 13". The ID of the egg body at the lid opening is 13.75". I believe the newer mini's are 10". The older ones are 9". Hope this helps. PM me if you want more info.

[fast fredy]

WEber Q100 or 120 for compact solid no nonsense around $100 . Lots of shinnier stuff around with bells and whitles but get a weber. Solid .

[PharmGeek]

I like the mini egg but at 10 inch cooking surface just too small - size "small" would work just not sure I'm committed yet to that weight

I probably will buy a weber baby Q100 then later consider other options

I thought about getting the mini egg and buying basics Coleman suitcase type stove for capacity but just does not feel right

I am back burns ring the notion of a smoker I think for now

Also saw a small smokey joe weber - 15 inch grate - really solid looking little charcoal grill - may consider that as opposed to gas

[dkottum]

Anyone have experience with the new Kamado Joe Jr, at 68# is about the size of the BGE small?

[IanPoulin]

Originally Posted by PharmGeek

I like the mini egg but at 10 inch cooking surface just too small - size "small" would work just not sure I'm committed yet to that weight

I probably will buy a weber baby Q100 then later consider other options

This is my thoughts as well -- start with the propane and continue to consider my options on the charwood side of the house. Other than my personal preference for the use of charwood and a desire to have a grill and smoker both, my primary drive for this is to be able to bake while boondocking -- the (slightly) used Serenity I bought carries the micro/conv oven and I dont want to be firing up a generator to bake a pie, muffins or cookies when I am in the back country. So ultimately the grill I work with needs to have a reliable and heat controlled baking/roasting capability as well.

Thanks all for the thread; and for letting me muse a bit to make up my mind.

Ian

[PharmGeek]

Originally Posted by dkottum

Anyone have experience with the new Kamado Joe Jr, at 68# is about the size of the BGE small?

I checked their website...never seen those before...it does appear to be in the same 13 inch category as the BGE small....seems they come with nice accesories and stand as well at base cost....wondering how much they cost...weight is almost the same it seems....they have colors black and red...looks nice..

I could be tempted at this point on such a grill if I got a good price and if the top could be removed easy or stored relatively easy in a container in back of my truck....on BGE forums, seems to be alot of folks go camping with the small (some even the mediu or large ) - the collective experience so far is that if packed reasonably they hold up well....so as far as we know

[Airtandem]

Lowes has the standard size Kamado for $229.00

[andreasduess]

I got the Costco version of the BGE. I just couldn't justify the cost of an XL BGE - or rather I probably would have, but my wife would have had opinions. I got the Costco equivalent on sale for $450 and I have to say, it's been perfect so far. Really heavy, well put together and high quality grill. I've baked in it, roasted in it, smoked in it, they are incredibly versatile grills. Temperature ranges from 220º to low and slow smoking to 900º for the best pizza.

If you've got the money, go for the BGE - it's made in the US and quality and customer service is excellent. If the price is an issue, there are lower cost options available.

[Pick]

Bought some cheap $3 foil pan grills with charcoal already in them, at the dollar store.

[PharmGeek]

After much deliberation, I bought the Weber Baby Q1000 - gas grill.

I one day will want to experiment with or try a kamodo type grill...but probably right now with our small children and such, we are going to keep things simple.

Ordered with it the conversion hose to hookup to my 201b tank.

Got a site booked for this weekend coming up at oak mountain state park here in birmingham (just a few miles from my house) and camping with my son, my brother, and his son....going to give this weber a go this weekend.

So many cool grills out there to choose from....I was also pretty close to getting the weber smokey joe 15 inch version, but for now decided against it, my wife kept harking back to choosing what is easiest and quickest....I was on the fence about everything so I pretty much let my wife choose this one.

Thanks for all the advice....I will be lurking in the coming 1-3 years for a good priced and not too heavy kamodo grill to learn to smoke meats and such...for now that will be on the....backburner

[andreasduess]

The Weber Q1000 is a very good grill. I think you'll be happy with it.

A lot of people think charcoal is more work, but that's really not the case. Cleaning, for example, is far less work with a charcoal BBQ than with a gas model (not for the Cobb, which is a pain to clean if you're not careful). With charcoal, the grease simply burns away and all that needs an occasional wipe is the grilling surface.

My cleaning routine for my kamodo consists of building a hot fire and letting it burn for a bit, then a quick wipe. My gas bbq owning friends are forever soaking and scrubbing and dismantling and replacing parts... you just don't have that with a real fire.

Get a chimney starter, and you'll be grilling in no time at all.

[jpons]

I agree 100%, my cleaning routine with charcoal is to heat up the grilling surface with a hot fire and brush it clean, when done all I need to do is dump the ashes. Plus charcoal just tastes better, I grill with both routinely as my girlfriend only has a gas grill and there is no denying the taste difference.

A chimney starter makes starting a fire a snap.

-J

Originally Posted by andreasduess

The Weber Q1000 is a very good grill. I think you'll be happy with it.

A lot of people think charcoal is more work, but that's really not the case. Cleaning, for example, is far less work with a charcoal BBQ than with a gas model (not for the Cobb, which is a pain to clean if you're not careful). With charcoal, the grease simply burns away and all that needs an occasional wipe is the grilling surface.

My cleaning routine for my kamodo consists of building a hot fire and letting it burn for a bit, then a quick wipe. My gas bbq owning friends are forever soaking and scrubbing and dismantling and replacing parts... you just don't have that with a real fire.

Get a chimney starter, and you'll be grilling in no time at all.

[PharmGeek]

Well crap

I'll see how this goes - I know I want to find a smallish kamodo later