We now understand what all the rave reviews are about. This is one of the best portable grills we've ever used! It's grilling capabilities could stand up to a larger grill any day. 

Bang for your buck 

This was an excellent grill for the price. The Q1000 is the older version of the Weber Gas Q Series grills, but it is still available on Amazon and worth the small discount if you are on a budget and don’t care about the bells and whistles they’ve put on the newest model. For $20 - $50 more you could purchase the Q1200, which is the newest model that has a temperature gauge on the lid, small wing shelves on both sides and comes in an array of fun colors! Regardless of the model, Weber really thought of it all when they created this Q Series, they sell a $110 grill cart for this grill to sit on top of that has wheels for easy movement and a custom cover for $20. 

Packaging 

The box wasn’t too heavy to lift and came very well packaged. Weber goes the extra mile and puts branding on the outside of their boxes, and makes the graphic specific to the make and model of the grill you ordered. I love this not only because it shows how much they care about their products, but also because it lets you know you received the correct product before you even open the box.

The grill was packaged securely in corrugated cardboard padding on all sides ensuring no movement during shipment. The grill cover had an extra layer of protective plastic, and the grills cast iron grates (the heaviest part of the shipment) were at the very bottom of the box perfectly embedded in what looked like a custom packaging mold to hold each piece. The grates come in two pieces making them easy to lift and place into the grill. I loved this because it will also make it easier to take them out for cleaning when the time comes.  

Set up

Over the years I have spent many nights putting together BBQ grills for hours on end, trying to figure out where each tiny piece goes while also trying not to get any manufacturing grease on my living room carpet. 

This little Q Series Weber grill was an assembly dream. It comes as one complete grill and the only things you have to do are: 

• Place the cast iron grates onto the top of the grill frame
• Place the cover on top of the grill base, line up the holes, place the pegs through those holes, and clamp on either side 
• Grab a screwdriver and screw in the two screws to attach the handle 
• Throw on the heating nob
• Slide the grease drip into the channel underneath the grill 
• Attach a propane tank and call it a day! 

This grill comes with a printed brochure where you can register your grill to gain access to the limited-time warranty. I suggest taking the extra minute to complete that. 

Size 

For a portable grill, it has a surprising amount of actual grilling space. While the frame is very lightweight the cast iron grates have some weight to them which helps keep the grill stable without worrying about anything knocking it. 

The official Weber measurements of the grilling area are 189 square inches or 6 big burgers that can grill at the same time. I had a bunch of asparagus, potatoes in a tin foil pouch, and a NY strip steak going at once, and I had plenty of room for 1 or 2 more steaks. 

This grill is the PERFECT potable option for grilling outdoors at a park instead of waiting for those old dirty charcoal grills to heat up. It could be great on a boat if you have space to put it underneath and out of the way until you want to use it. Ideal for any activity outside…camping, road trips, tailgating… you name it this would be the portable grill I would take. 

It is also the perfect size grill to buy if you are typically only cooking for 1 to 2 people. Or if you live in an apartment or townhome that doesn’t have the patio space for a large grill. 

Grilling / Usage 

Weber gives very clear instructions on how to get the grill lit for the first time. You need to open the lid, turn the nob to high, and hit the igniter switch. 

Our grill lit up right away. Sometimes the igniter switches require one or two pushes before it triggers the fire, but this grill was very quick to start. 

It heated up pretty quickly and the temperature was nice and hot once it did. Weber shares that the main burners are putting out 8,500 BTU-per-hour input. 

Before placing the steak on the grill I let it heat up for about 10 minutes. The first side of the steak when flipped didn’t have very dark grill marks but the second side after cooking for a few minutes looked beautiful. I would suggest giving it at least 15 minutes to heat up for the best grilling results. 

The asparagus got really nice chargrill marks and the potatoes browned at the bottom of the foil packet where it had access to the flames. These are all things I would expect from a larger residential grill, and was pleasantly surprised to see this tiny portable grill deliver. 

The heat seemed very even across the entire surface. I moved the steak from the front to the back of the grill and the grill marks and heat seemed very consistent. 

I did close the lid for the grilling process to get those internal meat temperatures up to my liking, and the grill seemed to hold the heat very well. 

The grill did create a little bit of smoke, but it really wasn’t much. We were grilling inside our testing warehouse with ventilation but if I was outside with a little breeze I probably wouldn’t have noticed any smoke at all. Even though the steak had fat drippings falling below, there was very little flame that came up as it dripped and we flipped. I’ve had some grills burn meat before because the flames are too close to the grates, but with this one that was not the case. 

One of the nicest things about this grill was the handles on both sides that don’t get hot. You can move it around to wherever you need it, even if it's in action and blazing hot on the inside! 

Cleaning: 

The grill grates are seasoned very well when it arrives. I did put a little bit of olive oil on my meat and vegetables for flavor, and nothing even came close to sticking to the grill. 

There was a tiny bit of residue left on the grill after grilling, but with a quick wipe of the grates with a grill brush, sponge, or even paper towel it was squeaky clean again! 

The grates are close enough together so vegetables like asparagus and other smaller items don’t fall through, but far enough apart that you can clean in between them. I LOVED that because you oftentimes have to buy additional accessories and grilling baskets to keep things from falling through, but not with this Weber Q Series.