The best portable charcoal grill becomes an essential companion for enthusiasts who appreciate the authentic flavor and experience that only charcoal can impart. These compact marvels allow you to bring the time-honored tradition of charcoal grilling to campsites, picnics, and tailgates, delivering a rich, smoky taste that elevates every outdoor meal.
Here are a few portable charcoal grill that will help you out to get the one that kicks in perfectly.
The Best Portable Charcoal Grill Researched by 4 Season Grills are
1. PK Grill PKGo Camp
Product Specifications
- Dimension: 25.1 x 31.5 x 26 inches
- Weight: 35.2 lbs.
- Power source: propane gas
- Material: Aluminum
- Cooking surface: 280 sq. in.
- Heating Power: 12000 BTU
This grill scored high right out of the box—literally, thanks to the fact it arrived mostly assembled. This was also where testers became very aware of the PKGO’s heft; its cast iron construction means this portable grill clocks in at 39.5 pounds. It won’t be the easiest for everyone to move around, but this also means it’s nice and stable.
Our testers appreciated how easy it was to add charcoal without making a mess, and noted how the food had plenty of room on the grates. Burgers and sausages “sizzled immediately when placed on the grill” and came away with “very defined grill marks,” according to testers’ notes. The PKGO was equally easy to clean—pretty much a dump-and-go situation—though it did take a long time to cool down enough to handle.
Overall, testers agreed that this grill is “great for an avid camper or outdoorsy person,” with the caveat that it’s too heavy to realistically carry over long distances. They also liked the clips on the sides that ensured the lid stayed closed during transport or storage.
Its weight may be a detriment to its portability, but the PKGO “retains heat so well that the weight actually makes it more attractive,” according to one tester, who added that this grill is worth the investment because it “performed so well and the quality of the build is so durable.”
2. Masterbuilt MB20040722 Portable Charcoal Grill
Product Specifications
- Dimension: 18.8 x 27 x 36 inches
- Weight: 52 lbs.
- Power source: Charcoal
- Material: Metal
- Cooking surface: 200 sq. in.
With its useful rolling cart, testers confirmed that Masterbuilt’s portable charcoal grill is “incredibly easy to move” and “stable when fully unfolded” thanks to the wide base. Once you’ve got it where you want it, charcoal was easy to add through the hopper.
Food came off of the Masterbuilt with a nice sear and the grill retained heat well enough that our tester never had to refill the coals during a 45-minute cooking session. Ash was easy to clean up (thanks again, hopper!) and general consensus was that this grill “would be good for a small beach-going or camping family.” It even has two built-in drink holders. Testers also agreed that the Masterbuilt portable charcoal grill is both beginner-friendly and suitable for experienced grills who can make the most of its ability to double as a smoker.
Our testers cautioned that the hopper door gets quite hot and you’ll definitely want to use BBQ gloves if you’re planning to add coals while cooking.
3. Everdure Cube Portable charcoal grill
Product Specifications
- Dimension: 13.67 x 16.73 x 9.05 inches
- Weight: 15.4 lbs.
- Power source: Charcoal
- Material: Alloy Steel
- Cooking surface: 115 sq. in.
The Everdure CUBE is probably what comes to mind first when most of us think of a portable grill. It’s “small and easy to move” and “really easy to use” according to testers, though it’s definitely suited to just one or two people—you won’t be feeding a crowd with this one!
One tester described the CUBE as “literally a drink cooler converted into a grill and I’m here for it.” This little grill is nice and lightweight, and well-balanced thanks to rubber feet at all four corners. When it comes to cooking, the CUBE delivers with surprising performance. Testers reported “definitive grill marks” on the brats, charing on the corncobs, and a nice sear on the burgers.
The Everdure CUBE portable charcoal grill is “definitely a beachgoer type of grill” that is “easy to move, easy to use, and easy to clean.” While its small size may limit how efficiently you can feed multiple people, this is a portable grill you’ll actually want to use. It’s also available in a handful of fun colors.
Again, this is a small grill and its size may be limiting for some.
4. Dyna-Glo Portable Table Charcoal Grill
Product Specifications
- Dimension: 25.1 x 31.5 x 26 inches
- Weight: 48.5 lbs.
- Power source: propane gas
- Material: Alloy and cast iron
- Cooking surface: 218 sq. in.
- Heating Power: 12000 BTU
At 44 pounds, this grill might require a second set of hands to help assemble and move, but it’s sturdy once you get it in place. Testers liked the expansive cooking area and while they did notice some hot spots while cooking, food came off the grates nicely cooked and with pleasing grill marks.
Due to the Dyna-Glo’s heft, this probably isn’t the grill you’ll carry along to the park, but it’s a great option for small outdoor spaces. Testers agree this grill will appeal to grilling beginners thanks to its sectioned grates that allow for the easy addition of charcoal, as well as the conveniently placed vent dampers and ash catcher. Similarly, experienced grillers will appreciate the cast iron construction that retains heat well and clocks in at an accessible price.
Again, this isn’t a grill for moving any sort of distance.
5. Oklahoma Joe’s Rambler Tabletop Charcoal Grill
Product Specifications
- Dimension: 19.5 x 26.8 x 21.8 inches
- Weight: 48.5 lbs.
- Power source: Charcoal
- Material: Aluminum
- Cooking surface: 280 sq. in.
- Heating Power: 12000 BTU
Despite being “heavy and cumbersome to carry,” the Oklahoma Joe’s Rambler scored high among our testers, who appreciated the grill’s capacity both for charcoal and space on the grates for cooking. “Food that was in contact with the cast iron grates browned exceedingly well,” noted one tester, who also commented that the Rambler “handled well and was easy to clean,” thanks to its pull-out ash tray.
This grill is perhaps more of a small-format grill than a true portable unit—a lack of wheels adds to the difficulty of moving it around—but the heavy-duty construction means the Rambler retains heat like a champ. The charcoal tray is also height-adjustable, meaning you can easily achieve either high heat, or keep things low and slow. Overall, “this grill feels priced exceptionally well for its durability and performance.”
At 48.5 pounds, you’d likely need two people to move this grill around.
6. Expert Grill Premium Portable Charcoal Grill
Product Specifications
- Dimension: 24.5 x 17 x 17.5 inches
- Weight: 35.2 lbs.
- Power source: Charcoal
- Material: Stainless steel
- Cooking surface: 262 sq. in.
When it comes to affordability, this grill is tough to beat. Testers liked how lightweight and easy it was to carry, and while the portable Expert Grill isn’t the most stable unit out there, it gets the job done without fuss. “This grill has a lot of room,” one tester noted, pleased with the amount of available space to flip food and move things around.
All told, it’s the price that really sells this grill, which “feels like it would belong to a beginner or someone who is not ready to commit to a full-size charcoal grill.” Testers agree that this model is “a good fit for tailgating or RV camping, where it can sit on a truck bed, fold-out table, or picnic table.”
Expert Grill may not have given us a luxury grill with this portable pick, but it’s a darn good price for a very functional piece of equipment. Also? It’s cute.
The legs are wobbly, which gave testers pause.
7. Char Griller 2 in 1 Portable Charcoal Grill
Product Specifications
- Dimension: 21 x 18 x 20 inches
- Weight: 36.9 lbs.
- Power source: Charcoal
- Material: Alloy Steel
- Cooking surface: 250 sq. in.
Here we have another budget-friendly portable charcoal grill, this one from Char-Griller. It’s quite stout, which does mean it’s less easily portable than the comparably priced Expert Grill, but it’s very sturdy and testers appreciated the lack of wobble.
Once the grill is up and running, testers did like the spacious cooking surface, evenly cooked food, and resulting char marks which yielded brats with “a wonderful outside texture and flavor with a juicy inside.”
Overall, this is another portable grill best suited to beginners, but for the price, we’ll back it as a pick for anyone in the market for a small charcoal grill.
The Char-Griller can be troublesome when it comes to adding charcoal, which must be done from the smaller side of the barrel, where the charcoal chimney “just barely fits inside to be able to pour the coals without spilling ash and hot embers.”
8. Weber Go- Anywhere Charcoal Grill
Product Specifications
- Dimension: 11.5 x 19.5 x 15 inches
- Weight: 13.4 lbs.
- Power source: charcoal
- Material: Alloy Steel
- Cooking surface: 160 sq. in.
With one of the most respected names in the grill game, it should come as no surprise that there’s a Weber on our list. The Go-Anywhere is a portable charcoal grill at a favorable price that’s easy to assemble and lightweight enough to carry with ease.
It isn’t Weber’s standout performer, though. While our testers had no issues with grilling burgers and corn cobs, the bratwursts cooked unevenly in comparison. But as one tester noted, “there are no bells and whistles in any capacity—this grill performs the bare minimum and does so admirably.” In other words, as long as your expectations are modest, the Go-Anywhere is a solid choice if you’re looking for a well-constructed grill under $100.
Again, uneven cooking plagued this pick a bit.
Frequently Asked Question | Best Portable Charcoal Grill
1. How light is a portable charcoal grill?
The weight, style, and design of a charcoal grill varies on the manufacturer. Usually, the minimum weight of a grill ranges from 10 pounds to a maximum of 50 lbs.
2. What is the easy way to start a charcoal grill?
The most convenient way of starting a portable charcoal grill is through a chimney starter. All you have to do is gather all the charcoal and pile it up upon the newspaper. Light the pile with the match once they are good to go; it will automatically transfer the heat to the grilling area.
Summing it up | Best Portable Charcoal Grill
If you are more into smoky flavor and want to enjoy it while camping, the best portable charcoal grill is what you need. Here, we seek for the charcoal grill which is convenient, yet offers heat consistency to avoid meat burns. Hence, 4seasongrills.com has formulated a list of the best portable charcoal grills for camping from which you can have one.
