UK’s best portable gas bbq that are small for camping and caravans

Now, I feel I may come across as a bit of a weirdo for saying that a portable gas barbecue is beautiful, but I can’t help it, this thing looks fantastic! The only unit better than this in my mind is the Weber Traveler Portable gas bbq but I don’t feel they compete as that is a far more expensive and portable unit (if you need wheels then well worth a look).

The curved lines of the stand, handles, and outer shell, all complement each other and give the Weber Q1000 a stylish, modern look that certainly makes it stand out from other portable grills and is in direct competition with the iQ Portable Gas BBQ but blows it’s competitor away on absolutely everything in mind except price and here’s why:

And it’s not only in the looks department that this awesome little cooking machine delivers. Weber have not scrimped on the quality of the materials used in its construction nor the way they have been put together, and the end result is something that you feel lives up to the price tag.

Take for example, the porcelain enamelled cast iron cooking grates, or the cast aluminium lid and body that will never rust. Even the grease pan feels like it’s been made to a higher standard.

And if that doesn’t convince you, maybe the insanely long 5 year guarantee that weber are offering with this portable gas barbecue might do a better job.
The makers have done a great job of getting the most cooking area out of a product that only measures 59.7 x 68.6 x 52.1 cm, with enough space on the easy to clean grill to comfortably cook for four people, although you might have to cook one course at a time if you all have large appetites.

This portable gas barbecue is a doddle to use. A single press of the red starter button and the grill bursts into life first time, every time, and  with 8,500 BTUs per hour, it can reach high cooking temperatures in very little time. The heat is distributed across the cooking area very evenly, so not an inch of the grill needs to be wasted. It’s similar in time to the Weber traveler when it comes down to how long you will get out of a canister of gas – around a couple of hours.

Getting just the right temperature for those perfect steaks is made a whole lot easier thanks to the Q1000’s ‘infinite control’ cooking valve that is one of the best I’ve ever seen on a portable barbecue.

The only thing that I didn’t like about this barbecue’s design was Weber’s decision to go with small propane tanks as preset fuel source and their decision not to include a free tank with the product.

Having said that the company do sell the canisters separately with their own branding, or you can choose to buy their converter kit so you can attach a larger fuel source via a hose. I’ve provided more information about this on the Weber Traveler section

If you want one of, if not the, best portable gas barbecue out there, look no further. This is an outstanding product.

The best of the best, thats the Weber portable traveler gas grill. Did you ever think you’d be able to cook a couple of dozen sausages or a dozen burgers on what is essentially a portable gas bbq? Well after testing it I can personally say it does with ease:

Using this grill has to be just about the biggest advantage when compared to the other options out there – being on it’s own trolley rather than table top gives far more freedom, also when you compare it to the Campingaz Party Grill 200 Camping Stove or the Cadac Carri Chef 2 BBQ and Chef Pan Combo the Weber Traveler is still miles ahead because of the portability that comes from being on a trolley vs fixed legs. It’s a bit of a sell so ignore that but watch how easy it is to setup – I’ve fast forwarded you to save 30 seconds wasted life:

As you can see it’s a simple case of opening it up like a kids push chair, and with an on board fire starter no need for safety lighters or similar, it’s all built in. The gas canisters that you want are the standard Weber gas cans for a portable gas bbq – to avoid getting this wrong, here is a link for the right gas canisters to this Weber on Amazon:

You’ll get a couple of hours out of a canister, so let’s assume you’re doing two full loads which will easily feed 6 people, it works out at about £4 a bbq – I have to say with the way gas prices are out of control at the moment, and for small canisters, I can put up with that. If you want to workout a way to fuel this cheaper then take a look at an EN417 fitting and hose on amazon for a bargain fuel option:

Obviously it’s no where near the value of your typical gas bbq but they are chalk and cheese in terms of portability.

In terms of stability I’ve found it to be very nice – the wheels are large and so designed nicely for a camper. You have to say it runs over uneven ground or grass lovely.

On a tighter budget? Or maybe you just don’t barbecue often enough to convince yourself to spend too much on your portable gas grill?

No problem, you can still get your hands on this great little model that will serve it’s purpose far beyond what you’d expect for something so cheap.

This is a portable gas barbecue, but comes with lava rocks that you can distribute how you wish to get those hotter and cooler spots just how you need them for your cooking session. I will say that I wish Crusader would have included more of these lava rocks in the box, but you can’t grumble at a budget grill for something so small and it’s easy to find and cheap to buy extra if you really want them.

These lava rocks are excellent for giving your food an authentic, smoky barbecue flavour but without the need for heavy and messy charcoal. The rocks are heated from underneath by the long bar single burner that is fuelled via the connector/heat controller on the side of the barbecue, but you’ll have to shell out for your own regulator as there isn’t one included. Now getting back to the rocks – you might want a few extra to stop the flame flaring directly at your food – if you do decide to take this advice, you’ll get sensible use from this portable gas bbq at low money.

The Crusader portable gas barbecue is pretty versatile in that it can run on either propane or butane and there is no restriction on the size of the tank you can use as long as you have the right connectors and hose.

The cooking area is a decent 42cm x 27cm and is big enough to get a pack of bacon and sausages on there at the same time, speeding up the time it takes to prepare that all important first meal of the day. The lid does an admirable job of trapping the heat under it and, with a little practice, you’ll soon have those cooking times down pat.

At only 4 kilograms in weight, you can easily carry this in one hand for miles if you had to without it becoming too much of a burden. This lightweight nature does come at the cost of robustness a little, and the metal for the casing isn’t as thick as some of our other reviewed products, but they are priced much higher so that’s to be expected.

That isn’t to say this is a flimsy portable gas barbecue, because it isn’t, and I’m sure you’ll get your moneys worth out of it before anything starts to go amiss as long as you keep it clean and operable. At the current price, you can’t really go wrong with the Crusader table top gas barbecue with lava rocks if you aren’t looking to spend too much.

On the downside you’ll have to spend a fair bit of time with your screwdriver – this take about half an hour to assemble and is a bit on the fiddly side – I have to say that’s what needs work, otherwise, this is a top pick and well worth the money and some.

The only thing I don’t like about cooking breakfast on a portable gas barbecue is that I can’t fry my eggs on them. And to me, a breakfast isn’t a breakfast without a couple of fried or scrambled eggs, and some fried tomatoes of course.

This is why I really like this portable gas BBQ from iQ. Its cooking area is split in two with half of it a BBQ grill and the other a searing plate, and this just gives you far more options when it comes to what you can cook.

I mean, I love a grilled steak or piece of chicken as much as anyone else, but if you’ve ever been on an extended camping or caravan trip with kids, you’ve bound to have heard ‘barbecue again!’ and not said in appositive way. So, it’s nice to be able to keep the family happy with some variety, and keep your sanity secured at the same time.

Both the hot plate and the grill are removable for cleaning and they come off without trouble. Cleaning them is equally as straight forward with only the use of soapy water.

The iQ portable gas barbecue has a lot of the features we expect from the top models these days, such as a push button ignition system that sparks up straight away,  and fold out side shelves for keeping your ingredients, plates, and other necessities close at hand as you create your flame grilled masterpieces.

Standing around 48cm tall on the strong yet foldable legs, there is plenty of ground clearance under the barbecue so you don’t have to worry about accidentally burning or scorching the surface beneath. At 47.6cm wide, plus 36.7cm deep, the cooking area is large enough to prepare a meal for multiple people without too much hassle, and with the integrated thermometer you can always get your meat cooked perfectly.

You can use the free hose and regulator with either propane or LPG cylinders to fuel this awesome portable barbecue. The cylinders should be eleven to fifteen kilograms which are easy to find and inexpensive.

Also included in the price are a cooking fork, spatula, and tongs, and a PVC cover for the barbecue to keep it clean and free of dust while stored away during winter. At 10 kilograms in weight, you could quite easily find a place for this on a shelf in the garage when that time comes.

The only that lets this otherwise wonderful portable gas barbecue down, is that assembly can be a little bit annoying due to a misaligned hole here and there that needed re-drilling. This is a shame because apart from that, the build quality is actually really good.

This is a lovely looking barbecue with some good features and a fair price point. What’s not to like?

One of the main things we are looking for in a Portable gas bbq is versatility, and in that respect, the Carri Chef 2 shines.

It can be used as both a portable gas barbecue and a chef pan and it is very easy to switch from one to the other so it doesn’t matter if you want to grill steaks and sausages, cook pancakes for the kids, or even if you want to do a full English fry up, complete with a pot of tea, the Carri Chef 2 has got you covered. Here’s a look at the setup – it’s a couple of minutes and worth a look, then we will get back into the nitty gritty:

Its 47cm diameter is a good size that sits nicely between practicality and portability, and the variable heat settings combined with the different cooking surfaces give you a wide range of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Some so called ‘Portable gas bbq’ are actually just full sized models with wheels attached and it wouldn’t really be practical to try to get one in the boot of your car.
The Cadac Carri Chef 2 is another story all together, and is truly portable. The whole unit packs away into the good quality, round carry bag that it comes in, including the legs.

Carrying it around won’t break your back either. The legs are made of anodized aluminium and are very light, in fact the total weight of this portable gas barbecue is only 10.5 kilograms.

Setting up the Carri Chef 2 is quick and easy, thanks to a clever yet straight forward design. All you really have to do is screw the legs in by hand, click the lower level shelf into place, and you’re ready to attach the gas bottle.

This Portable gas bbq can be used with gas bottles and tanks of various sizes, and there are even places to hold the gas tanks in place in the middle of the lower shelf. This shelf is also a handy place to keep your condiments, spices and sauces, so they are always at arm’s reach when you’re cooking. Of course, you could also just have your beer sitting there too.

The domed metal cover has a thermometer built in so you can monitor what’s going on underneath without needing to lift the lid. It also doubles as a wind breaker that clicks onto the side of the barbecue. It’s a good feature because, let’s face it, even in the sunniest weather, Britain can still be windy enough to blow out your flames or blow debris onto your food.

When the fun is over, this Portable gas bbq breaks down as easy as it goes up and it has also been designed to be easy to clean, so you won’t need to be scrubbing away for hours at the end of the da. The chef pan can just be wiped down with kitchen roll or something similar.

The only negative thing I can say about this wonderful portable barbecue is that there are some lightweight plastic parts and only time will tell how long they hold up. The legs are also lightweight, but being aluminium they will last a long time.

The price tag may also put some people off, but as with most things, you get what you pay for and this portable gas barbecue is the best out there.

The Campingaz 200 CV portable gas barbecue is another 2 in one product that offers you the choice of using either the grill for your barbecue or a flat pan for frying things and it performs miles better than the Campingaz Gas BBQ Adelaide 3 Woody we reviewed in our main best gas bbq post.

Designed specifically for camping, it is very compact (32cm x 33cm on its legs) and extremely lightweight at only 2.8kg. Obviously the lack of weight and small size make it excellent for carrying around, but it also means that the cooking surface is smaller too.

Now, I’m not saying its tiny, and it is probably enough to cook up enough hot dogs and burgers fast enough to keep a small family happy, but if you are cooking for more I’d have to suggest you take a look at the Carri Chef 2 instead.

This is a 2000w single flame Portable gas bbq and can produce a fair bit of heat for something so compact. It will boil a litre of water in under 4.5 minutes and cook 6 large sausages in an equally fast time, so you can get a hotdog down your kids to keep them quiet while you cook the larger part of the meal. The heat is controlled by a knob on the front of the barbecue and it is fully adjustable from a very low flame to a high heat.

The Campingaz 200 CV portable gas barbecue runs off Campingaz’s own CV 470 gas cartridges that slip nicely into the bottom of the stove. These cartridges give you about 3 hours’ worth of cooking time and can be bought separately for about 7 pounds each. It would be nice if you could use any old gas canister like the Carri Chef 2, but the Campingaz cartridges are fairly inexpensive and easy to buy online.

A nice feature of the Campingaz 200 CV is the integrated water compartment that is designed to collect any grease that drips out while cooking, and this makes cleaning this Portable gas bbq so much easier.

Like the Carri Chef 2, this model is very easy to assemble and pack away. The 3 short legs can be detached tool free and stored inside the main stove unit along with all the other components. I actually prefer this setup over the Webers when you compare them and a key feature, the gas canister attachment is as simple as twist and go – here’s a look at that:

As I just mentioned, the legs on this portable gas barbecue are short, so you will need to sit it on a table for it to be at a comfortable cooking height while you are standing. If you plan to cook while sitting on the floor or low chair though, it should be just fine.

Again, there are plastic parts like where the gas canister is connected, that might not hold up to any less than careful handling.

This product from Char-broil is probably the most durable and hard wearing of our best portable gas barbecue reviews. Aside from being a really decent rugged but of kit for camping, setup is less than a couple of minutes. Here’s a look at that:

It has stainless steel burners, a stainless steel cooking grate, strong lid, and what plastic parts there are, are made of thick, heavy duty materials that won’t break on you easily. It’s a nice feeling to not have to handle your Portable gas bbq with kid gloves in fear of accidentally damaging it. You still have to be careful, just not as careful as with most other products of this type. I don’t think this performs as well as the Char-Broil Performance SeriesTM T22G – 2 Burner Gas Barbecue Grill in the small static gas barbecue range but it’s still worthy of making the top three in this range.

The lid has a nice sized handle and also a built in temperature gauge so you can keep tabs on what’s going on underneath.

The ignition system on this portable gas barbecue is an electric push button mechanism that works so much better than trying use matches if there’s a breeze.

Where this model stands out though is on the quality of the food it produces. Char-broil’s ‘TRU-infrared cooking system’ that prevents flare ups and ensures that your food is cooked evenly. This also helps to maintain moisture in your food so you get a nice juicy steak and not a dried out old piece of leather.

This system also helps the Char-broil X200 to be more fuel efficient and the maker’s claim it will save you about 30 percent in gas expenditure when compared to most of its competitors.

The X200 portable gas barbecue runs off 16.4 ounce propane cylinder that has to be bought separately, but you can buy a pack of 6 on Amazon from Coleman for 23.99.
The problem I have with this model, is that when the gas cylinder is full, it works amazingly, producing delicious, well cooked food. However, when the gas gets low, the cooking performance is affected. It could have just been the model I was testing but I’ve seen a few other people complain about it too.