Best portable barbecue 2024: small and medium-sized gas, charcoal, pellet and electric models

The best portable BBQs are ideal for spring and summer – whether you’re camping, caravanning, chilling on your balcony or living the van life, a portable or small BBQ is an ideal grilling solution. In this guide we feature a wide selection of portable gas, charcoal, electric and pellet BBQs in a variety of sizes and price bands.

While some of these portable BBQs may be a bit too small for your needs, we also have a general guide to the Best Barbecues overall – featuring full sized models with a variety of fuel types – plus specific guides to the Best Gas Barbecues and Best Smokers. And if you want to switch up what’s cooking some days, then why not check out our guide to the Best Pizza Ovens, too.

The best portable barbecues you can buy in 2024

This handsome powdered black gas portable just pips the similar, T3-award winning Weber Traveler to the top spot. The Napoleon TravelQ Pro285 Phantom comes with two Piezo-operated, jet-fired stainless steel burners, a lid-mounted thermometer and plenty of meal estate on its trademark 37 x 54cm cast-iron wave-shaped grill grate to handle up to 20 hamburgers or many more sausages. In fact the wavy grill grate isn’t just for aesthetics, it also prevents small ingredients like prawns and chipolata sausages from slipping between the bars. 

Crucially, the Pro285 Phantom is also attached to a two-wheeled scissor cart that expands and folds down in a thrice. Granted, its mechanical action isn’t as pleasing to use as the Weber Traveler’s, but it’s not far off the mark. Although its large wheels make it easy to manoeuvre into position or move it from car to camp pitch, its overall weight (23kgs) could be a hindrance if pulling it over rough terrain or a sandy beach.

The TravelQ Pro285 runs on easily-obtainable full-size propane bottles though it can also be adapted for use with disposable mini gas canisters from the likes of Campingaz, Primus, Coleman, et al. 

This sterling portable grills meats, fish and veg exceptionally well and the heat is easily controlled when flare-ups occur. Also, having two burners instead of just one adds extra convenience when grilling in the great outdoors. It means you can have two temperatures for different ingredients and be able to shift cooked food over to the side for warming. Unsurprisingly for a Napoleon product, build quality is exquisite and the matt black finish shouts ‘style’ with a capital S. 

If you’re looking for a highly competent gas BBQ for camping, caravanning, patios and balconies, this one’s a shoo-in.

Read our full review of the Napoleon TravelQ Pro285 Phantom

This exquisite folding model from Weber is well worth investigating. Yes, it’s large when folded (104x60x32cm) and, at 28.141kgs, it’s extremely heavy too – at least for a portable. But on the plus side it can be transported like a shopping trolley on its large wheels with the whole barbecue section locked into place.

Before we get to grill size and general features, I need to tip the hat to Weber’s designers for coming up with the most elegant folding system the world may have ever seen. As we detail in our Weber Traveler review, to unfold the Traveler, you undo a safety latch, put your foot on a grippy red section on the leg and pull it up until it clicks into position. Simple. However, it’s the folding up mechanism that impresses the most because the whole thing collapses with a really slow and satisfying damping action that you will probably play with a number of times before even attempting to barbecue on it.

For a single burner barbecue that’s being advertised as portable, this handsome devil comes with a 2,065cm2 cast-iron grilling area and that’s big enough for 20 drumsticks or around three dozen sausages. The porcelain-enamelled lid, meanwhile, provides typically reliable indirect grilling without flare ups. The Traveler is designed to work with disposable canisters of the screw-top variety from the likes of Coleman, Weber and Primus. However, it can be easily adapted to work with a standard Patio Gas propane bottle.

Remarkably for a Weber – and one with such a complex mechanism – the Traveler is very reasonably priced, too. And that makes it one of the very best portable gas barbecues you can buy right now.

The Weber Traveler is so good that it won the Best Portable Barbecue award at the T3 Awards 2022. Here's why the judges rated it so highly.

Now read our full review of the Weber Traveler

Here’s a bit of a left-field gas-fired option that is absolutely deserved of a high spot in this portable BBQ guide. The 24,000 BTU, twin-burner Blackstone 22” griddle is an ideal diner-style option for anyone wishing to add a smorgasbord of versatility to their outdoor cooking. 

This model doesn’t come with a standard slatted grill grate; instead, it is one large, flat, heavy-duty steel surface designed for frying a myriad of ingredients, from full English breakfasts – bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes, fried bread, etc – to pancakes, stir fries, griddled steaks and, of course, smash burgers.

Our Blackstone sample arrived with a fitting for connection to a UK propane cylinder though it can also be converted for use with disposable Coleman propane canisters. However, you may need to remove the tiny gas-restricting orifices in each of the two burners. This is because early 2024 shipments of this model are Euro spec and the UK has a different propane pressure, so if the orifices aren’t removed, the griddle’s cooking temperature won’t be uniform across the plate. It’s relatively easy to do though it’s best to enquire when purchasing in case the model you buy has already had the orifices removed. Assuming everything’s in order, the next task is to season the grill – and this is a step that should not be missed because it will ensure ingredients don’t stick to the surface. There are some great videos on YouTube that explain the seasoning process.

This griddle performed superbly well in our smash burger test, producing deliciously crusty, caramelised tops and crunchy sides when the patty was flattened hard against the piping hot surface. It also whipped up an amazing outdoor breakfast of bacon and eggs. When finished, I just grabbed a cleaning tool and scraped all the grease and food remnants into the grease catcher at the back (Blackstone produces an excellent 5-piece griddle kit comprising a scraper, two stainless steel spatulas and two squeeze bottles).

If you really want to revolutionise your outdoor cooking, the Blackstone will cook practically anything you throw on it. It’s perfect for patios and balconies, and an absolute shoo-in for car camping, caravanning and tailgating, whether you’re cooking breakfast, lunch or dinner.

This keenly-priced gas-fired, table-top BBQ provides enough cooking space on its 1200 square cm cast-iron grilling grate to feed four – and several more if just grilling sausages and burgers. As the name suggests, the 13kg Attitude 2Go is easily transportable though it is actually quite large when seen in the flesh (59 x 39 x 36cm). Nevertheless, we’d say it’s still a perfect choice for car camping, caravanning and balcony or patio use. 

Given its camping credentials, the Attitude 2Go runs off disposable CV propane canisters that are readily available all over the UK and Europe, though it can be converted to run off a standard refillable Campingaz 907 bottle, which is usually the Euro camper’s most favoured method of gas delivery.

The whole package is sturdily built and comes equipped with a 2.4kW single burner that provides plenty of oomph and extremely fast heating via Campingaz’s Blue Flame Power system. A large thermometer mounted in the tall aluminium lid, meanwhile, ensures accurate temperature reading while the lid itself retains heat very well for reliable convection grilling.

Given Campingaz’s excellent reliability record and impressive design nous, we don’t think you can go wrong with this model, especially if you’re in the market for a compact, no-fuss gas BBQ that ticks all the right boxes.

Many barbecue manufacturers are predicting that in the fairly distant future we might not see any more gas BBQs and even very few charcoal ones given that charcoal production causes great environmental damage both in terms of deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions. Hence, many experts now see barbecuing going the same way as the car – all electric. 

Weber’s leaped out of the blocks in this regard with the launch of the Lumin, an all-electric portable grill that can sear, grill, smoke and steam. Weber’s made electric barbies before – the Pulse and Q Electric – but this is the first model to encompass a range of disciplines. 

The Lumin is available in two main configurations – the Lumin and the Lumin Compact – and both are available with or without an optional stand. We’re reviewing the Compact version here which comes with 1,166 square cm of cooking space that equates to about 16 chicken drumsticks, 25 sausages or 10 burgers. Mind, at 12kgs it’s quite a hefty model to carry for long distances.

Aside from the porcelain-enamelled, cast iron cooking grate, the Lumin Compact also ships with a pair of stainless steel trays that are used for steaming and smoking. Simply fill the lower tray with water or wet wood chips and use the top-mounted perforated tray to cook the ingredients. Since the tray is half the size of the grill, it leaves plenty of space for cooking all the other traditional BBQ fare.

The Lumin uses a simple old-fashioned oven-style element beneath the grill and it’s extremely efficient and eminently controllable. Simply turn the dial to your preferred heat setting and it will go from gentle warming to 315˚C in about 15 minutes. This writer popped on some spicy wings and was very impressed by the outcome. Moreover, because the fats sizzled on the heating element below, it still produced that desirable BBQ flavour we all crave.

I’d have liked to have seen a latch on the lid to make transport easier and I don’t think it would be too difficult for Weber to add some app connectivity so you can change temperatures remotely. Nevertheless, I’ve been really impressed by how well this electric barbecue has performed. It’s the perfect option for balcony use and glamping, and I see no reason why you couldn’t use it indoors either, as long as there’s an extractor fan above. Highly recommended.

This single-burner mini gas barbecue doesn’t come with a grilling lid so you’ll need to keep an eye on the food and adjust temperatures accordingly. But on the plus side it’s one of the best little gas barbies around.

Ideal for tabletops, balconies, boats and camping, the Sahara bears some resemblance to the charcoal Everdure Cube we review below so it comes with a similar wooden lid that also serves as a prep board. However this clever model has a few extra tricks up its sleeve.

Firstly, it’s made mostly from pressed steel for durability and it has a nice rubberised handle for carrying (it weighs 8kgs). It also features a top-quality cast iron grill grate with a central insert that flips over to become a flat griddle for frying an egg and a single Piezo-operated control knob for the chunky burner. The 956cm² grate should accommodate around 12 sausages or 10 drumsticks.

Rather cleverly, when you flick the two side latches, the Sahara’s plastic base comes away to reveal a storage area for the 400g propane bottle (not included) the grill is designed to be used with (available from places like Screwfix), plus a metal bottle holder and the gas regulator. The grill sits on four stumpy legs once the bottom section has been removed.

Available in four colours, the Sahara is one of the best designed portable gas barbecues we’ve come across and it's keenly priced, too.

Like the Traeger Ranger reviewed below, the Pit Boss Navigator 150 uses wood pellets, electricity and a computer processor, and this means you can set the temperature, load ingredients on to the ample 250 square inch grate and leave it for pretty much the entire cooking process while you chat to your guests.

The Navigator just pips the evergreen Traeger Ranger by dint of its lower weight (19.7kgs against 27kgs) and simple but very clever patented Flame Broiler Lever that opens vents in the flame deflector directly above the fire pot. This allows the Navigator to sear steaks over an open flame – something that most pellet grills are incapable of.

The Navigator’s 2.27 kg pellet hopper is of ample size for a slow-and-low smoke or a few average grilling sessions. The main 36.8cm x 33.6cm grate should be just fine for about four people though there’s a smaller half-sized grate above it in case another two guests turn up.

Like all pellet grills, you operate the Navigator 150 using a digital controller – like an indoor oven, once the temperature is set (between 82˚C and 260˚C), it’ll stay within a couple of degrees as long as there are pellets in the hopper. Although portable, you wouldn’t want to carry this model too far and, of course, you will need an electricity supply to operate it. But if you’ve never used a pellet grill and are eager to try one without spending a small fortune, then this one is a great place to start.

Although it is table-top friendly and essentially portable, this suitcase-shaped pellet grill does weigh a small ton that makes it very difficult to carry more than about 10 metres without developing a hernia. However, for RV, caravan and tailgate use, it’s the perfect take-away model – but only if you have access to an electricity supply or a power station like the excellent Anker Solix C1000 we reviewed quite recently.

The Traeger Ranger’s interior is divided into two sections: a 3.6kg pellet hopper on the left and a 184 square inch non-stick porcelain grill on the right, with a short auger to deliver the pellets in between. It’s all controlled by a Digital Arc controller that allows you to set the cooking temperature in five degree increments. Also featured is a handy timer, a ‘keep warm’ function that works brilliantly well and a single port for the supplied meat probe. It also comes with a heavy duty flat cast iron griddle plate for whipping up camp side breakfasts of bacon and eggs or even pancakes if you wish.

We tried a number of ingredients on it – burgers, sausages, chicken legs – and they all cooked perfectly well with only one visit to turn the food over. We even took a flier and lobbed on a whole medium chicken which was more succulent than any we’ve cooked in the indoor oven. We calculated that one fully loaded hopper lasts well over an hour at about 200˚C, and much longer if cooking low-and-slow ribs or brisket.

Although Traeger says its maximum temperature is 230˚C, we noticed that the actual highest temperature reaches about 241˚C and with a roaring flame beneath the heat shield.

If you’re a family of four, this might just be the only barbie you’ll ever need. It’s just so easy to use and so reliably good at grilling without burning everything to a crisp. Warmly recommended. 

Read our full Traeger Ranger review

If you want to spend under £100 on a charcoal grill upgrade that can be used both at home and on the road then the Weber Smokey Joe Premium Portable Barbecue is a great choice.

You can use its 37cm steel cooking grate to cook burgers, sausages, chicken, vegetables, fish and more, while its tuck-n-carry lid lock and handle mean you can easily transport it for use during camping, picnics in the park or even expeditions down river.

Moreover, the Smokey Joe Premium's porcelain enamelled lid and bowl have been designed to deliver a constant cooking temperature and protect against rust after prolonged usage. Overall, this is a very capable and stylish BBQ charcoal grill that will go the distance.

There’s something very appealing about having guests grill their own food on a tabletop and this new copper-coloured Campingaz model is a great place to start. The Campingaz 360 CV runs off small propane-butane CV300 Plus or CV470 Plus canisters and is a doddle to set up. Simply put it on the table, attach the included hose to the canister and choose between the flat or the ridged non-stick 30cm griddle surface. For easier cleaning, you can also pour water into the main bowl and then pour out all the greasy water when finished.

The 360’s 2400w ring burner provides ample heat to cook any ingredients quickly and efficiently though it would have been good to see a lip of sorts around the edge of the flat-sided griddle plate because frying something as slippery as an egg is not so easy on this camp stove unless it’s on a perfectly level surface.

That aside, this truly is as portable as it’s possible to be – it weighs just 4.4 kilos – and it even comes with its own carry bag and a plastic lid to keep everything in position during transportation.

Here’s a low-priced single-burner gas offering from one of America’s favourite barbecue manufacturer – a great choice if you’re looking for a product that’s built better than most no-name brands.

The Porta Chef 120 comes with a solid 2,245 sq cm cast iron grate, a 4.1 kWh stainless steel burner, electronic ignition, resin side shelves and a cast aluminium cook box powder-coated in black epoxy paint for durability. To transport it, simply pull out the legs and clip them underneath the chassis.

At just 18kgs, this barbecue is ideal for camping, caravanning and narrowboat sailing as well as balcony and patio use. It’s easy to use, small enough to store away or transport in a hatchback and it grills superbly well.

The Cube is the cheapest and smallest model in a tranche of Heston Blumenthal-branded charcoal and gas barbecues that screams style and sophistication.

This eminently portable charcoal burner doesn’t sport any groundbreaking technological features because it is, to all intents and purposes, just a square container with a shallow charcoal tray and a steel grill on top. 

However, there are plenty of refined Heston touches here to whet the appetite, including a beautifully moulded porcelain enamel interior with walls that are raised about an inch above the grill so sausages can’t roll off and a heat guard fitted to the bottom so it doesn’t scorch grass or ruin the patio table.

The firmly secured lid, too, is a clever design flourish since it encompasses both a sealed plastic storage tray with room for a few cuts of meat and a bamboo food prep board. The Everdure admittedly only provides enough meal estate for a romantic picnic for two… But what a stylish and tasty picnic it will be.

To see how this portable barbecue compares to our top pick, check out our Traeger Ranger vs Everdure by Heston Blumenthal Cube comparison feature.

With its rugged military looks and superlative build quality, this portable gas-fired barbie is the perfect choice for patios, balconies, and camping and caravanning where the campsite doesn’t allow the use of charcoal.

Char-Broil is justly famous for its TRU Infrared grilling technology which ensures food is cooked evenly across the grill plate. The slight downside is that the corrugated infrared grill requires burning off after each barbecue session and scraped down using the supplied cleaning too. If you neglect to do that, the tiny holes in the infrared plate could become blocked and the system won’t work as well. The Grill2Go’s grate will accommodate about 12 hamburgers so there should be enough grilling space for two to possibly four adults. 

Like many small BBQs, this model is designed to be used with disposable camping gas canisters which simply screw onto the gas regulator. It can also be used with large traditional Patio Gas bottles but you’ll need to invest in the special adaptor.

This model performed exceptionally well, grilling everything we threw at it with consummate aplomb. It’s also built like a brick outhouse so it should easily withstand the bumps and scrapes of outdoor living.

For fire-prevention reasons, many campsites in Britain and France forbid the use of charcoal-based barbecues. Gas versions, though, are invariably fine; which is where Weber’s excellent kettle-style travel grill comes in. The Q1000 is light enough to carry some distance and features a porcelain-enamelled, cast-iron cooking grate big enough for three or four, a tall aluminium lid and push-button Piezo ignition.

Since the compact Q 1000 uses small propane cylinders, it’s easy to transport; yet you’ll still get half-a-dozen five-place meals out of each canister. Great for picnics too.

This 1,600 watt electric grill brings outdoor cooking indoors by dint of a simple smoke-free design that encompasses a dishwasher-safe ‘Titanium Infused’ non-stick grill plate positioned a few inches above a drip tray that cools the dripping fats, reducing the amount of smoke by about 80%. Although it does indeed produce very little smoke, if using indoors we would still recommend placing it on the cooker hob below the extractor fan for completely smoke-free grilling.

This is a great grill for burgers, sausages and other fatty foods because most of the fats drip away and that means healthier eating. It also does steaks pretty well though it’s best to halt grilling until the heating element is up to its highest temperature.

If you live in a bedsit with no cooker, regularly go on caravanning trips (and your caravan or RV has 240v power), or simply like the idea of smoke free grilling, then this is a worthwhile choice that delivers the goods for a very modest outlay.

Now for the smallest, most portable grill in the world, enter the UCO Grilliput. This barbie in a stainless steel tube is just the ticket for the picnicker, beach bum, hiker, climber, Bear Grylls wannabe or anyone with very little room in the backpack.

To build it, simply empty the tube of its contents – 12 stainless steel struts, four short legs and a second, slightly narrower steel tube – thread each strut through both tubes and then attach the legs. Now place it on a non flammable surface and stuff some wood or charcoal under it and, voila, instant campfire barbecue.

The Grilliput is available in two sizes: the Duo serves two-to-three gannets and the larger Quattro will handle up to six. Once it’s cooled down, disassemble it and you’re good to pack up and go.

For two-person picnics, this natty barbie-in-a-case is a better bet than the disposable variety. It won’t scorch the grass for start – well not much. To use, simply unclip, fill the titchy charcoal grate with a very small amount of charcoal (four or five broken briquettes may be best in this instance) and a couple of firelighters, and rest the steel grill on top.

Now it has to be said that this barbie’s 16 x 25cm grill area is tiny and only good for about 10 sausages at a squeeze or three hamburgers or possibly even two 6oz steaks. Nevertheless, once it’s up and running, it makes a surprisingly good fist of grilling on the go. At under 2kgs, it’s also one of the lightest portable grills on this page though you will need to wait for it to cool down before you can fold it up and be on your way.

How to buy the best portable barbecue

First of all you'll need to decide if you want to use charcoal, gas, wood pellets or electricity. Gas and electric certainly have their place in terms of consistency and convenience when cooking outside, but they arguably also reduce the authenticity of the results to some degree. That said, if camping or barbecuing in the wilderness, then gas is far and away the safest option. In fact most campsites in the UK and France forbid the use of charcoal and probably pellets, too.

Secondly, you need to look out for the grill size with these portable units – as well as how much they weigh – if you really are after something you can carry down to the beach. Equally, you don't want something you can carry but you can't cook what needs to be cooked – especially if it means you need to do two or three batches of cooking. That's no fun.

Bear in mind that charcoal, gas and pellets produce carbon monoxide as a by-product of burning so, for heaven’s sake, never ever use the barbecue indoors or bring it into a tent. If using charcoal, be aware that the coals continue to emit carbon monoxide for many hours after they've stopped glowing. However, you can use an electric model indoors – as long as you don’t mind everything smelling of cooked meat.

There are two different methods of cooking on a barbecue. Without a lid is known as grilling or direct cooking, and you'll need to keep an eye on the food as it's hard and fast and there's a danger of over cooking or burning the food very quickly. Indirect cooking under a lid is what purists call proper barbecuing – using convection currents and smoke to flavour and slow the cooking process. Try using a plant spray or mister to tame any flare-ups.

Ben Tish, owner of Sicilian-Moorish influenced London restaurant Norma, gives his verdict on that age old question - what's best? Charcoal or briquettes? "Lump wood charcoal is superior in flavour to briquettes due to the fact there aren't any chemicals or binders in there to mask or skew the flavours. 

"Most charcoal is from South Africa and will have been compressed so it travels better and doesn't break up in transit. I'd suggest British charcoal which is much lighter and burns better. Apple, hazel and oak all have their differing flavour qualities.” So now you know.

Where to buy the best portable barbecues in 2024

If you're looking for the best portable barbecue for your garden, patio and balcony or something to bring with your on your picnic and camping trips, try these fine retailers in the UK and USA. If you're looking for a great deal but don't mind waiting for a little bit, our Amazon Prime Day hub and Black Friday page might unveil some cheap barbecue deals too.

In the UK:

• Amazon
• Argos
• B&Q
• John Lewis & Partners
• Homebase

In the US:

• Best Buy
• Lowe's
• Sears
• Walmart
• Amazon