RV adventures offer the freedom to explore diverse landscapes while enjoying the comforts of home. A key component of this experience is savoring delicious meals prepared on the go. Selecting the best portable grill can significantly improve your culinary journey.
Before diving into specific models, it's important to understand your grilling needs and to assess your requirements:
- Fuel Type: Portable grills come in various fuel options, including propane, charcoal, and electric. Propane grills are popular for their convenience and quick heating, while charcoal grills are favored for imparting a smoky flavor. Electric grills are suitable when propane or charcoal isn't feasible.
- Size and Portability: Consider the storage space in your RV and how often you'll be transporting the grill. Compact and lightweight models are easier to handle and store.
- Cooking Surface Area: Think about the number of people you'll be cooking for. A larger cooking surface allows you to prepare more food simultaneously, which is beneficial for families or groups.
COMPARISON CHART
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | |
|---|---|---|
  | 1. Weber 50060001 Q1000 Liquid Propane Grill
| LEARN MORE ► |
  | 2. Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet
| LEARN MORE ► |
| 3. Coleman Gas Grill | Portable Propane Grill
| LEARN MORE ► |
 | 4. Char-Griller 3001 Grillin' Pro Gas Grill
| LEARN MORE ► |
 | 5. Cook-Air EP-3620BK Wood Fired Portable Grill
| LEARN MORE ► |
OUR TOP 5 PICKS
Best Portable Grill
#1. Weber Q1000 Liquid Propane Grill
Specifications
Type | Propane |
Dimensions | 27 by 14.5 by 16.5 inches |
Burners | Stainless Steel |
Grates | Cast Iron |
Cooking Area Size | 189 square inches |
Warranty | 5 years |
Features
Weber presents the first of the five portable grills for RVs, and with a very reputable name in the grilling industry, we hope that this model does not disappoint.
The grill lights up with just a press of a button, and what ignites is one long steel burner. It produces 8500 BTU per hour, making it ideal for grilling meats and other foods thoroughly.
The catch pan is removable so you can clean it after each use. For those who aren’t aware, this pan is meant to catch grease and residue that could stain and burn the surface that the grill sits on.
With its stable legs, this grill can rest comfortably on a table, a bench, or on a special compartment outside the RV. A separate Weber cart can be bought so you can operate it safely wherever you want to grill. No modifications are necessary when setting up the grill.
This grill is lightweight, simple to carry and can be covered by a lift-up dome. They really try to make this as simple and easy to use as possible for RV owners.
The warranty on this grill lasts for five years. Individual part warranties are also in effect, and their warranty durations vary from two to five years. Refer to the grill’s manual for more details.
It is a highly durable grill with porcelain enamel and a glass-reinforced nylon frame so that parts do not deteriorate from heat or fire. This is a grill that is designed to last a handful of years.
Video
Best Portable Grill
#2. Cuisinart CGG-180T Petit Gourmet
Specifications
Type | Gas |
Dimensions | 16.5 by 13 by 16 inches. |
Burners | Stainless Steel |
Grates | Porcelain |
Cooking Area Size | 145 square inches |
Warranty | 3 Years |
Features
Cuisinart is much more known for their kitchen appliances, but they too make household and portable grills. The Petit Gourmet grill is one that is easily affordable and looks more rugged than any of the others.
This grill heats with 5,500 BTU per hour. It isn’t the best at grilling, but you can still grill a ton of burgers and other meats thoroughly.
This grill is available in three colors: Red, black and silver. It’s good to know that there are options so that you aren’t stuck with just a jet black or cherry red model.
This grill comes with a set of short, stubby legs to make it stand up on a table or surface. These legs are folded out from underneath itself.
At just under 14 pounds, this is the lightest grill in this review, and it can be carried around like a small briefcase.
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
- PROS/CONS OVERVIEW
This grill for RVs is backed by a solid three-year warranty, so you have enough time to try it and see if it suits your needs.
This is an affordable grill to buy, so if you are on a tight spending budget and need a grill to cook food on, you can heavily consider this model.
Video
Best Portable Grill
#3. Coleman RoadTrip LXE Portable Propane Grill
Specifications
Type | Propane |
Dimensions | 32.1 x 18.5 x 15.45 inches |
Frame Material | Cast Iron |
Material | Blend |
Cooking Area Size | 285 sq. in. |
Warranty | 3-year warranty |
Features
Coleman is a name that is synonymous with the great outdoors. Whether you are camping, fishing, or eating, there is not a product that they cannot make, which includes portable grills for the RV.
Start the grill with the push of a button. It produces 20,000 BTU of grilling power for around one hour of grilling, which can be extremely impactful.
As expected, this grill has its own removable tray, which can be a real life-saver. Collect the grease, let it cool, remove it, clean it and put it back.
This grill has two independent burners, so if you want to grill two different kinds of food that require two different levels of heat, you can easily do that here.
You can purchase this grill in one of seven colors: Red, blue, black, green, purple, orange and maroon.
There is a warranty, according to the grill’s manual, but we are not sure how long it lasts. You may need to contact Coleman’s customer service about this, which is indeed a turn-off for many customers.
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
- PROS/CONS OVERVIEW
Portability is the main appeal of this grill for RVs. It collapses like a luggage bag, and when you need it, it folds out and turns into a grill with its own stand. There is no table or surface required.
The space you can grill with is very large, even larger than Weber’s grill. You can use this to grill a lot of chicken, burgers, hot dogs and anything else at once.
Video
Best Portable Grill
#4. Char-Griller 3001 Grillin' Pro Gas Grill
Specifications
Type | Gas |
Dimensions | 48 by 48 by 28 inches |
Burners | Stainless Steel |
Grates | Cast Iron |
Cooking Area Size | 438 square inches |
Warranty | 5 years |
Features
Char-Griller cooks us up this next portable grill for RVs. It’s got the size and quality of a home grill without that premium price that you typically expect.
This grill has a total of three stainless steel burners for grilling different types of food at varying levels of heat. If you want to grill chicken, patties and dogs at different temperatures, and at the same time, it is completely possible with this grill.
This is a grill with a powder-coated finish, making it more resistant to rust. The heavy steel construction makes it so that it is high-grade and is built to last a number of years.
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
- PROS/CONS OVERVIEW
The cooking area is much more than the typical portable grill and is more what you would expect from a conventional model. You can use it to cook food for two or more families at a time.
This grill heats with 40,800 BTU per hour, which is a lot of heat for a grill that is considered a portable RV grill.
Video
Best Portable Grill
#5. Cook-Air EP-3620BK Wood Fired Portable Grill
Specifications
Type | Wood Fired |
Dimensions | 17 by 15 by 15 inches |
Burners | None |
Grates | Stainless Steel |
Cooking Area Size | 14 inches in diameter |
Warranty | Unknown |
Features
Lastly, Cook-Air offers us a cylindrical 360-degree portable grill that resembles a miniature fire pit. This grill comes in red, black and gray.
This grill operated like a traditional fire pit with a fire that burns underneath the grate, A wad of paper and firewood will help you get a hot flame going. If possible, you can cook foods with a frying pan and make an omelet or pancakes with this grill.
This grill runs on a total of eight D batteries or your car’s power, so you certainly have options other than using gas or propane.
- WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
- PROS/CONS OVERVIEW
This grill can reach 65,000 BTUs, and that is thanks to its dependency on firewood rather than gas or propane. It can grill foods in five minutes or less, which sounds very exciting.
Video
BEST PORTABLE GRILL
BUYER'S GUIDE
- How often will you use the barbecue over the course of a year?
You can grill as often as you would like, but truth be told, you shouldn’t. Portable grills do not have the same quality as your typical home grill, so their parts do not last long before they get burnt out by each and every use. To ensure the longest life of your portable grill, we suggest that you use the grill only when necessary. For instance, if you stay at a park that offers a grill, use that grill and spare your own.
- Will it need to fit in the storage compartment of your RV?
There are some portable grills that will fit inside your storage compartment, and others that take their own portability measures. Some grills that collapse and fold into a carriable form so that they can be stored anywhere you prefer. If you do not have a storage compartment to spare, or you prefer your grill to be stored in another location inside your RV, consider a foldable, transportable grill to purchase.
- How Much Surface Cooking Area Do I Need?
A decent starting point for traditional home grills is 450 square inches. However, with portable grills for RVs being much smaller in size, it will ultimately come down to how many people you will generally grill for.
Go by 100 sq. inches of cooking surface area per person. You should get a good idea of how much room you need in order to cook foods for all the people or family members that live with you in your RV.
- Do you need a unit that’s transportable for camping or tailgating?
You are not required to have a portable grill for RVs that is transportable, but if you want to grill from virtually anywhere, one that is transportable is highly encouraged. If your RV doesn’t have a surface in which to place your grill, you would have to find one from where you are settled, such as a picnic bench, table, or another flat surface that is accessible to grill users. We recommend a surface that is completely flat, so if you happen to come across a plastered stone ledge, for example, it might not be suitable if the grill can rock back and forth from not having all legs planted on the surface.
If your RV does not have a compatible grilling surface, and you cannot find a place to set up and use the grill, you will need to provide your own surface, such as a folding table. Store this surface inside the RV in the meantime, and when you would like to grill, pull it out of the RV for use.
It is important to know that some of the grills for RVs in this review come with portable carts that move when you push or pull them, making relocation of your grill easy and effortless, especially when it is already in operation.
BEST PORTABLE GRILL
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The best portable grill for RVs is none other than the Weber Q1000 Liquid Propane Grill.
We trust that the quality associated with W
eber carries over to the more niche RV grill market, and that is exactly what they have done here. This isn't a grill that is on par with their traditional home grills, but it is one that works as intended and is crafted beautifully, as well as one that is simple for any RV owner to use.
Think of it as a less powerful and portable version of their premium Weber grill. Even if you may not own an RV or have any experience using grills, this is a grill that Weber recommends as a “baby’s first grill” so owners can warm up to becoming a barbecue expert at some point.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you need to know what you are doing so that its inner parts don’t get worn out over time. Replacement and spare parts are not cheap by any means. But as long as you handle this grill with great care, it will be one that works to serve you for a very long time.
The Coleman RoadTrip LXE was easily our runner up, but the fact that it was cheaply made held it back from being a truly great product.
TOP of Best Portable Grill
BACK to Kitchen and Cooking Gear
HOME to RVExpeditioners.com