You’d agree with me that one of the best ways to enjoy a relaxing day is by sharing nicely grilled food with friends and family. Things even get better when you have the meal cooked from the back of a parked vehicle in a picturesque environment. Tailgating is a memorable outdoor activity, and such activity is not complete without the best portable gas grill for tailgating to satisfy the taste buds. With portable gas grills for tailgating, you can prepare delicious steaks, ribs, burgers, and other tailgate recipes from the bed of the truck. In this review, we would like to look into three portable gas grills for tailgating.
Review Summary
Editor Choice: Coleman RoadTrip 285 Portable Stand-Up Propane Grill
The Coleman RoadTrip 285 propane grill is designed with a foldable leg for easy transport. Weighing fairly 46 ponds, this grill features two side tables, a lockable lid, a cast iron grate, and three adjustable burner knobs.
Best Value: Cuisinart CGG-180TS Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill
The Cuisinart CGG-180TS is another standout tabletop gas grill perfect for tailgating. This grill is constructed with stainless steel and designed such that the grate is close to the burner making it energy efficient.
Best Overall: Char-Broil Portable 240 Liquid Propane Gas Grill
Featuring on this grill are four sturdy legs that provide you with stability to use on a tabletop. To top it all, this Char-Broil grill is durable as it is constructed with rugged steel and coated with porcelain to prevent it from rusting. The cooking grate itself measures 240 square inches which is enough space to cook about 6 to 8 burgers.
Top 3 Best Portable Gas Grill for Tailgating Reviews
#1. Coleman RoadTrip 285 Portable Stand-Up Propane Grill
Firstly, let’s consider the Coleman RoadTrip 285 propane gas grill known for its portable design yet ample enough grilling space to feed you and your friends. This Coleman RoadTrip grill comes with a foldable leg design that allows you to collapse it for easy transport. Coleman designed this 46 pounds gas grill with two durable wheels that makes transporting it even easy. Integrated into the design of this grill is a thermometer embedded on top of the lid for accurate temperature monitoring. The lid itself features lockable latches that do not only keep the lid closed while transporting but create an air-tight seal preventing heat loss. Also, Coleman designed this grill with durable steel and coated it with paint. This grill is also quite easy to maintain as it features an easy-to-clean grease management system.
Prepare a wide array of perfectly cooked meats, seafood, and veggies for friends and family with this Coleman RoadTrip grill every time thanks to its excellently designed swappable cooktops. Switch between its cast iron grill grate and a griddle sold separately for more cooking options. Plus at the side of this grill are two sliding side tables that provide you with storage space to keep sauces as well as utensils. Despite the portable nature of this Coleman grill, it comes with a cooking surface measuring 285 square inches.
Across the cooking surface, Coleman included an improved burner that gives you up to 20% better control over the grill and can produce up to 20,000 BTUs of heat. Thanks to the three adjustable knobs, you can create up to three burning zones. To even make using this portable gas grill easy, Coleman designed it with an InstaStart ignition system that provides you with a reliable way to light up the grill.
- Lockable lids
- Easy to clean
- Compact and portable
- Lid thermometer
- The water tray is too long and shallow causing it to spill when disposing
#2. Cuisinart CGG-180TS Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill
Another portable gas grill for tailgating we would be looking at is this Cuisinart CGG-180TS gas grill. This Cuisinart Petit Gourmet gas grill is a perfect tabletop gas grill ideal for tailgating as well as backyard grilling. The portable nature of this Cuisinart grill makes it perfect for tailgating, hiking, camping, or beach. Cuisinart constructed this grill with stainless steel, which is not only exquisite, but it’s quite durable as it is weather resistant. The stainless steel construction of this grill makes it stand out anywhere you place it be it patios or deck. Additionally, the small nature of this grill makes it suitable for anywhere with limited space like RVs and boats. More so, the compact size of this grill allows you to get enough heat in the cooking chamber to keep the heat near the food. As such, this Cuisinart grill is more energy-efficient than large grills.
One of the major aims of Cuisinart when constructing this grill is to design something quite compact and portable. As such, this Petit Gourmet Cuisinart tabletop grill features foldable legs that allow you easily fold it to fit into the trunk of any vehicle and set it up on-site. The lockable latch and generous carrying handle all contribute to its great portability feature. Interestingly, this grill also comes with a large enough cooking space enough to grill for most families. On its 45 square inches grilling surface, you can cook 8 hamburgers, 8 steaks, 4 pounds of fish, 6-10 chicken breasts amongst others. The cooking grate is coated with porcelain enamel which is easy to clean. Across the grate is a 5,500 BTUs burner that features a twist to start electronic ignition.
- Adjustable burner
- Foldable legs
- Portable and easy to transport
- Durable stainless steel construction
- No thermometer
- Only one burner
#3. Char-Broil Portable 240 Liquid Propane Gas Grill
Lastly, we’d be looking at the Char-Broil 240 Portable gas grill, one of Char Broil’s best gas grills. Char-Broil has been known since 948 to be one of America’s favorite grill brands for several reasons. One of the reasons Americans love Char-Broil is defined in this grill as it is a very portable, perfect on-the-go grill for tailgating. Featuring on this grill are four sturdy legs that provide you with stability to use on the tabletop, beach, or the ground. The carrying handle makes transposing this grill between locations very easy, moreover, this grill weighs only about 28 pounds. Apart from that, this Char-Broil grill features a lockable latch that helps keep the lid closed while transporting. This grill is so portable that it is compatible with a 1 pound propane tank which you can connect directly to the side of the grill.
To top it all, this Char-Broil grill is durable as it is constructed with rugged steel and coated with porcelain to prevent it from rusting. The interior of this grill is designed with a wire cooking grate coated with porcelain to make the surface non-stick although it can be swapped with a cast iron griddle sold separately.
The cooking chamber of this grill is 24.8 inches wide, 16.2 inches deep, and 13.3 inches high. The cooking grate itself measures 240 square inches which is enough space to cook about 6 to 8 burgers. While this grill is quite portable, we don’t like the fact that it comes with a single burner. However, at the side of this grill, you can adjust the amount of heat produced by this grill. Still at the side of this grill is a Piezo ignition button that provides users with a reliable way to light up this grill. On top of this grill is a lid-mounted temperature gauge that accurately measures the temperature of the grill.
- Easy to put together
- Heavy-duty construction
- Included lid-mounted temperature gauge
- Single burner
Best Portable Gas Grill for Tailgating Buyer’s Guide
1. Size
One of the first features to consider when buying a portable gas grill especially for tailgating is the size. This is because since it is not a grill for your backyard, it needs to be small enough for easy transport yet big enough to grill enough for your friends and family. Getting a perfect balance between these two can be quite challenging. When you are considering the size, do yourself a favor to consider the weight of the grill as well. Since tailgating is a quick outdoor fun activity, it becomes more feasible if the grill you buy is lightweight allowing you to quickly throw it at the back of your car. Whatever type of tailgate grill you choose to buy, have a benchmark of 50 pounds it shouldn’t exceed.
2. Portability
Another feature that should not be neglected or taken for granted is the portability of the grill which tells you that the grill would be easy to transport. Several factors contribute to making a grill portable like foldable or collapsible legs, carrying handle, lockable latches, amongst others. Be sure to look out for as much feature as you can that makes a grill portable before buying it for tailgating.
3. Temperature Control
Take note, not all portable gas grills for tailgates come with the ability to regulate the temperature such that you can create different heating zones. Some portable gas grills can only regulate the amount of heat produced by the grill, while others can regulate the part of the grill that produces the most heat. Without many conversations, a grill that allows you to create multiple heating zones is recommendable. Some grills also come with electronic ignition, providing you with a reliable way to start up the grill.
4. Design
The design of the grill matters also as it contributes to how efficient the grill will be. For example, some grills are designed with a lid-mounted temperature gauge, while some are not. In the design of some portable grill, there are side tables, others may not have. The grease management system is another feature you should take note of as it ensures the grill is easy to maintain.
5. Material
Lastly, consider the type of material used on the grill as tailgating is an outdoor activity and you would often need to battle with different types of weather. If the construction material is low quality, the grill would not last past a few months. But a rugged, durable construction material will last you for years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if anyone with a high passion for the best portable gas grill for tailgating can follow the above-listed grills. With anyone of these grills, you can enjoy the everlasting feel of grilling food from the back of your car. We hope with this review, we were able to answer most of the questions you may have about the gas grill for tailgating. However, if you still have any questions, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section below.