If you are in a hurry and want to find out what the Best Tabletop Grill is then we would recommend the Weber Liquid Propane Grill.
You’re looking for the best tabletop grill, and you’re unsure about what features you want and how you’d like to decide on your top pick, we get it! We’ve faced this dilemma many times on our grill journey, and choosing your newest grill is always a challenge.
The good news is, we put in the research for you and compiled this list of the five best tabletop grills on the market. Whether you’re limited on space, need something portable, or simply looking for an extra grill – we’ve got you covered.
Here are the grills that we will be reviewing:
- Weber Liquid Propane Grill
- Cuisinart CGG-180T L Petit Gourmet Tabletop Gas Grill
- Giantex Propane Tabletop Gas Grill
- Char-Griller Table Top Charcoal and Fire Box
- Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill
Choosing the Best Tabletop Grill
Before diving into our product reviews, we need to take a look at some of the buying criteria. Many factors should go into determining the best tabletop grill, and we’ll break each of them down for you.
Fuel
Are you a propane or a charcoal person? There are two types of people in this world, and you can never convince one that the other is better because they’ll never listen. Regardless of what type of grill master you are, you need to pick one option.
Both propane and charcoal have their pros and cons, but we need to apply this to tabletop grills.
If you’re looking for something portable, charcoal might be the better option. While you still have to bring charcoal with you, it’s gone once it’s gone. The propane tank can become an annoyance if you’re taking your grill camping with you.
Obviously, there’s the ease of use factor as well. Most people find that propane grills are easier to use because they start faster and don’t require as much involvement to keep the heat going. The choice is yours!
Legs
You want both sturdy legs and ones that are foldable so you can transport your grill easily. Folding legs make picnicking and traveling simpler, especially if you’re limited on space. It’s also worth mentioning that you need legs tall enough to create some space between the bottom of the grill and the surface you’re cooking on.
Weight
Most people turn to tabletop grills because they’re easy and don’t take up a lot of space. Another reason you might be looking at one of these is that they’re easy to transport. A big heavy grill doesn’t fit very well in the back of your car, but a small tabletop one does, quite nicely. Make sure it’s not so heavy that you need two people to carry it.
Lid
If you’re only using the tabletop grill in your backyard, any lid should be more than enough to get the job done. We’re speaking to those people who plan on taking their grill to the campsite. The last thing you want to deal with is charcoal ashes all over the trunk. Having a lid that locks into place is an important feature for you.
Tabletop Gas Grill Reviews: Our Top Picks
Now that you’ve seen some of the criteria, we factored into choosing the best tabletop grills; now we can look at some examples. These grills are all portable, durable, and high-quality.
Weber Liquid Propane Grill
Weber is one of the best-known grill manufacturers out there, and we always prefer to go with brands we know. This stainless steel one burner tabletop grill offers 12,000 BTUs and electronic ignition.
You get it going with a 16.4 or 14.1-ounce liquid propane cylinder, and that’ll heat 280 square inches of cooking space inside the grill. It comes with a cast iron grate broken up into sections, and you should have no problem fitting as much as 10 New York strips on there.
One of our favorite things about this grill is the choice of materials. They use a porcelain-enameled cast-iron griddle and a rust-resistant cast aluminum body and has great heat retention. Plus, you get two side areas to work on, which is not common with tabletop grills.
Pros:
- Great build quality and design
- 280 square inches of cooking space
- Additional prep space
- Stability
Cons:
- Only comes with one burner (which means one heat zone)
- Heavier than we’d like
Cuisinart CGG-180T L Petit Gourmet Tabletop Gas Grill
For all of your grill masters who prefer to take your grilling to the park, woods, or local campsite – this is the grill for you. Your friends might refer to you as “the one who brings steak and burgers when they brought canned tuna.”
Does that sound like you?
We thought so. Cuisinart’s tabletop grill is small, with only 145 square inches of cooking space, but it’s the perfect choice for a small camping trip. It can fit about six burners and maybe an ear or two of corn on the side.
It comes with telescopic legs, which means you can contract or expand them based on where you’re cooking. The lid and box are stainless steel, which is rust-resistant and durable. It only comes with one 5,500 BTU burner, but we weren’t expecting much from this little grill anyway.
The upside here is the fact that it only weighs 13.5 pounds, and it comes with a three-year limited warranty.
Pros:
- Portable, light, and easy to transport
- Large handles for carrying
- Great for small gatherings
Cons:
- Small grill
- One burner zone with only 5,500 BTUs
Giantex Propane Tabletop Gas Grill
This choice for best tabletop grill looks awesome, and it resembles a traditional propane grill. We recommend this one for those of you who aren’t moving the grill quite as much but are still looking for something to impress friends and family and the reunion at cousin Larry’s lake house. (you get what we’re saying)
The Giantex offers two burners totaling 20,000 BTUs, which makes it one of the biggest options on our list. It has an electronic ignition system that helps you reach temp much faster, and you get two heat zones for cooking different meats and vegetables.
Best of all, you get 266 square inches of cooking space, allowing you to cook for a party of eight or more depending on how much you plan to chow down.
It weighs approximately 26 pounds, so it’s certainly not the lightest grill on here, but you get 430-grade stainless steel and unmatched durability and aesthetics, so it’s a trade-off.
Pros:
- Two 10,000 BTU burners
- 266 square inches of cooking space
- Stainless steel construction
- Folding legs and locking lid
Cons:
- A little heavy at 26 pounds
- The grill is shallow, so the grates are right on top of the burners
Char-Griller Table Top Charcoal and Fire Box
What would a tabletop grill review be without a charcoal grill? Here’s a great portable option for those of you who can’t escape the taste of that delicious charcoal.
The Char-Griller tabletop grill looks like a smoker, and that’s because it does come with a firebox that you can use to create an offset smoker. It does require a bit of irreversible modification because you have to drill holes. Once you’ve done that, you’ll dramatically decrease the portability of this grill as well.
It’s made with heavy-duty steel offering 250 square inches of cooking area and weighing in around 42 pounds, being one of the heaviest options so far. We’re trying to say here is, don’t try to take this one to the lake unless you plan to leave it there. It does come with a five-year warranty on rust and burn-though.
Pros:
- Durable design and materials
- Slide-out ash drawer
- Plenty of proper ventilation
Cons:
- Heavy
- Once you turn it into a smoker, you can’t turn back
Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill
Our last choice is one of the most budget-friendly options out there. This Weber grill allows you to go places you never thought possible. Imagine grilling over delicious charcoal in the middle of the woods on a hot summer day.
Now come back to reality and picture yourself in your backyard with the kids running around and screaming. Yeah, that’s more like it.
Regardless of your situation, this charcoal grill is a great option for those who like to take their grilling with them. The legs swivel underneath the grill and lock into place, and it comes with a nylon handle with a heat shield that makes it easy to remove the lid and transport. When the legs lock into place, it locks the lid as well, so you don’t have to worry about ashes falling out.
It only has approximately 160 square inches of cooking space, but it weighs less than 16 pounds. The thing we like most is the shape of the grill. The rectangular shape allows you to create two cooking zones, even on a small grill. One of the biggest complaints is the lack of an ash pan, so you need to dump the ashes out when you’re done.
Pros:
- Weber brand
- Locking lid and legs
- Great for transporting
- Two-zone cooking
Cons:
- Not that stable
- No ash pan
- No lid thermometer
Let’s Get Cookin’
What would a best tabletop grill review be without a full recommendation? We have to say that our favorite grill on the list is the Weber Liquid Propane Grill. There’s no way you can go wrong here. It might be a bit heavy and bulky for transporting, but you’re getting prep space on the sides, great design, and a grill that outperforms the rest.
If you’re looking for something cheap to use on occasional camping trips, we’d go with the Weber Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill. You can’t beat the taste of charcoal, and for being as cheap as this is, it’s got a lot of space for grilling.