After testing grills all year, we have formulated a lot of opinions on what makes a great grill, and what doesn't. See which ones were our favorites and why, and then find out what other grills we tested and why they didn't make the cut!
Here is a little more about why we loved these three portable grills so much…
Set up
All of these grills come mostly put together. The Weber and Blackstone need a few handles and parts put on, but the NomadiQ is practically ready for grilling.
Propane hookup
All three of these grills are compatible with the small 16oz propane tanks that are perfect for portable travel. If you wanted to use a larger propane tank a converter would be required for hookup.
All of them have very stable hookups for the small gas tank. There are some other grills where the gas hookup slides in and out or back and forth leaving you to feel a little uncertain or uncomfortable about the safety of the grill.
Flat top / Griddle
The NomadiQ is not meant for flat-top grilling so we will take them out of the equation. The Weber does have the option to change out half or all of the grilling surface to a flattop that fits perfectly inside the grill. While this is nice, if you want a grill for that purpose I would just stick to the Blackstone. The size of the Blackstone and the versatility of what you can cook on such a large surface is incredible.
Grill grates, heat source, and lids
The grill grates in both the Weber and the NomadiQ are both heavy, high-quality, cast iron, thick grates. They allow for any meat or vegetable to sit nicely on top without any raw meat sinking through before it cooks, or vegetables falling through because there is too much space in between. These grills might be portable but the grates make the quality of the product coming off the grill just as good as it would be in a commercial kitchen.
The heat source on all of the grills was impressive, but the NomadiQ and the Blackstone have two different burners offering dual-heating capabilities at the same time. The NomadiQ has each of those burners completely separated giving you complete control over each side of the grill for different ingredients and cooking temperatures. The Blackstone is nice because the surface is so large that you can cook what you need on a high heat, and move things over as you finish grilling on a low heat to keep them warm and serve everything up piping hot all at once.
The burners are relatively close to the grill grates and flat-top on all these grills allowing for a wonderful char on anything you are cooking, and also makes for a very quick ‘pre-heat’ to get the grill to temperature.
Speaking of temperature, the NomadiQ does not have a temperature gauge on it because it doesn’t have a lid. The grill does an incredible job creating that char-broiled crust and flavor considering it has no lid to encapsulate the heat. The other two have lids that help you regulate the temperature and also allow you to cook larger pieces of meat that you know will reach the internal temperature you’re looking for in no time.
What I recommend using each grill for
Because the NomadiQ doesn’t have a lid or temperature gauge, I would stick to burgers, veggies, or chicken for this grill vs. larger pieces of meat. I am sure it COULD do it if you really had to but if you are looking to smoke something or cook a huge 2inch ribeye out in the woods, I would recommend getting yourself something else.
The Blackstone flattop is incredibly versatile. It can do a burger or a steak with no problem, in fact, some people claim that it cooks meat even better than a typical BBQ grill with grates. I do love how it's a flat surface so you get a nice crust and even cook throughout. Not only can it do the basics, but it can fry an egg, cook up some bacon, saute some peppers and onions, and even flip some pancakes. It’s perfect for hibachi-style dinners or philly cheesesteaks where you want to use thinly sliced meats that would fall through the grates of any other grill. If you are looking for those perfect grill marks on your meats, then this wouldn’t be the grill for you, but in pretty much every other scenario…it has you covered.
The Weber is what I would consider the grill you know, trust, and expect to get when looking for a portable grill. Dependable, lightweight, and high quality. You can cook anything from chicken to steak to vegetables on this grill and those heavy cast-iron grates will satisfy you every time.
Portability
The NomadiQ is no doubt the most portable grill I have ever seen in my life. If you are camping, walking long distances, going to the beach for a picnic, trying to hide a gas grill on your apartment balcony…the list goes on and on. This would be the grill that I would recommend.
However, the Weber, which is a much more affordable price point is another great option for a portable grill. This would be my recommendation for tailgating at a football game off the back of your truck or on a table top, and a great replacement for a huge grill if you live in a small space and are only cooking for 2-4 people.
The Blackstone is a nice grill, it can absolutely be used for things like a tailgate, but it is much larger than the other two grills. On the one hand, it can cook up much more in a shorter period of time just because of the square footage, but it will also take up more space in your vehicle and hands if you have to walk very far. This is a grill that would probably need two people to carefully lift or one strong man…so for me as a girl I wouldn’t realistically call this portable.
Grease trays, drippage, and cleanup
All of these grills have grease trays that sit in ideal locations to catch the drippings and eliminate any large mess. The engineering of all of them was well thought out, but I will say the trays for the NomadiQ are a little small and fill up quickly so you need to pay attention.
The grates lift off both the Weber and the NomadiQ making for a very easy clean in a large sink or with a hose outside. You can easily scrub them down using a sponge or brush as well. The Blackstone griddle cannot be removed easily but it does have a large hole in the back to scrape off any excess grease and you can also clean it easily with a little lemon juice and water…again pushing any excess through that back hole and leaving you with a spotless grill.
Price point
The saying “good things come in small packages” remains true in this case because even though the NomadiQ is the smallest of all the grills we tested, it is the most expensive, coming in at around $399. I would say it was surprising, but once you use the grill…heck, once you even see the quality of the grill, you’ll understand that you really do get what you pay for.
The Blackstone and Weber are both in the $200 - $250 range, which is very reasonable given the high-quality product you are getting. In terms of a typical grill we did vote the Weber the best bang for your buck, but it really does just depend on what you are looking for if you are debating between these two grills.
Here is a list of the other grills we tested:
- Char-Broil Gas Grill 240
- Too much set-up time
- Ninja Woodfire Pro Outdoor Grill and Smoker
- Phenomenal grill but needs electricity so not realistic to call it a portable solution
- Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Grill
- Disappointing functionality and cooking capabilities
- Scorch by FlameKing
- No versatility, it’s really only good for broiling, and an oven would be a better option
- Cuisinart CGG-306
- Durable yet too bulky to call it a good portable option. Reasonably priced for those who want something small but don’t have the space for a full-size grill.
