Best Portable Pellet Grill For Camping BBQ
Anyone who has experienced at least one camping expedition in their life understands the importance of portable pellet grill when it comes to grilling and food preparations.
It is impossible to bring an entire home kitchen along when adventuring for one or multiple nights in nature, so it is necessary to plan and pack what is needed and will fit in the space available.
Some campsites will have pre-made campfire areas with attached grilling grates, but it is up to the camper to find the firewood, maintain the flame, and properly put out the fire when cooking is completed.
RVs and camping trailers may have propane tanks and indoor cooking options, but camping fans will argue that it is not proper grilling for a camping getaway.
Pellet grills are an excellent product among backyard grilling enthusiasts, but there are portable pellet grills perfect for camping too. There are numerous benefits to pellet grills, one of those being the titleholder of the best-tasting BBQ chef for the camping season.
Whether you are new or seasoned to the outdoors, grilling, or camping, taking a trusted grill along for the trip can never be a bad idea.
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Product Name | Cooking Area | Hopper Capacity | Portable | Weight | Amazon Link |
Asmoke AS350 Portable Grill | 256 inch | 4 lbs | 5/5 | 55 lbs | |
Traeger Ranger Pellet Grill | 184 inch | 8 lbs | 5/5 | 60 lbs | |
Z Grills ZPG-200A Portable Grill | 202 inch | 8 lbs | 5/5 | 40 lbs | |
GMG Trek Portable Pellet Grill | 219 inch | 9 lbs | 5/5 | 63 lbs | |
Cuisinart CPG-256 Portable Grill | 256 inch | 4 lbs | 5/5 | 45 lbs | |
Camp Chef Pursuit Portable Grill | 501 inch | 10 lbs | 4/5 | 80 lbs | |
Grilla Grills Chimp Tailgater Grill | 460 inch | 15 lbs | 3/5 | 90 lbs |
7 Best Portable Pellet Grills for Camping
Asmoke AS350 Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
The Asmoke AS350 is a pellet grill intended to stick around for quite some time. It’s the first portable pellet grill on the market to provide a complete cooking and cleaning experience to satisfy any level of grill master.
Introducing the ASCA System, this grill can use flavored pellets for top-notch tastes and has a pull-out component designed specifically for liquid seasoning.
The ASCA System use superheated steam that increases the temperature of the smoke, reducing the overall time from start to finish. Reaching internal temperatures quicker will help make meat more tender and juicier than the overcooked or undercooked meat that can happen over a traditional fire.
The third and final piece to the grilling system is the auto cleaning function. While settling, food debris and ash are collected with the steam and contained on the pull-out tray used to dispose of the ash.
The grease collected in a bucket on the side of the grill can be disposed of at the same time as the ash, reducing the time it takes to clean between uses.
The As350 weighs 55 pounds, comes with a 256-inch cooking area, and a four-pound hopper capacity. Cooking temperatures are 180-degrees to 500-degrees.
Product dimensions are 24.4″ wide, 17.5″ high, and 16″ deep. The grill has a stainless steel body with porcelain non-stick coated grates and comes with a five-year warranty.
Asmoke AS350 Portable Pellet Grill: Check price on Amazon or Buy Direct From Asmokegrill.com
Traeger Ranger Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
The Traeger Ranger comes with a meat probe that can be used to monitor temperatures and grilling times without opening the lid. There are five cooking modes on the Ranger: grill, smoke, bake, roast, and keep warm.
With an eight-pound hopper capacity, a cooking timer, and precise temperature control that uses a digital arc controller for 5-degree increments, the only hard choice is what flavor of pellets to use.
The Ranger is constructed from powder-coated steel with a matte black finish, a stainless steel handle, and porcelain-coated steel grates.
Tabletop legs and a latching lid are handy for this 60-pound grill with a max temperature of 450-degrees. Product dimensions are 13″ high, 20″ deep, 21″ wide, and 184″ of cooking space.
The LCD screen and pellet box require access to an electrical outlet to work. Traeger provides a three-year warranty on the Ranger model.
Traeger Ranger Portable Wood Pellet Grill: Check Its Price on Amazon!
Z Grills ZPG-200A Portable Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
Z Grills ZPG-200A can bake, BBQ, grill, roast, sear, smoke, and braise while using your favorite flavored pellets.
Made from high-quality steel, the 200A comes in a matte black finish with a stainless steel handle on the front, handles on the sides for easy carrying, a latching lid, and tabletop legs.
The grilling grates are easy to clean and provide a 202″ cooking area. The hopper can hold eight pounds of pellets and comes with automatic temperature control.
The weight of the grill without pellets is 40 pounds. Temperatures can be set from 180-degrees to 450-degrees using a digital controller. The 200A measures 25″ long, 20″ wide, and 13″ high.
The electrical components including the LCD screen and the hopper must be plugged in to work. Z grills come with a three-year warranty.
Z Grills ZPG-200A Portable Grill: Check Price on Amazon or Buy Direct From Zgrills.com
Green Mountain Trek Portable Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
The Green Mountain Trek is a portable pellet grill with a pellet box outside the grilling chamber. The external hopper increases the product dimensions to 24″ high, 32″ wide, and 16″ deep.
The total cooking area is 219-inches. The Trek weighs 63 pounds and has a nine-pound hopper capacity for your preferred pellets.
A 12V or 120AC electrical connection is required to operate the 12V igniter, 4100 RPM fan motor, 4.7 to 5.2 RPM auger motor, and the GMG Smart Control WiFi connection.
The Smart Control WiFi connection provides access to monitoring and adjusting cooking temps and times with a digital controller.
The Trek model uses Sense-Mate, a thermal sensor that constantly monitors the grill’s temperature that can be set with 5-degree increments.
It includes easy to clean grates and a 13-gauge steel grease tray help maintain the cleanliness of the grill. All Treks come with a Green Mountain three-year warranty.
Green Mountain Trek Portable Wood Pellet Grill: Check Its Price on Amazon!
Cuisinart CPG-256 Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
The CPG-256 model by Cuisinart can smoke, BBQ, grill, braise, sear, bake, roast, and char-grill. An integrated sear zone can be used for either direct or indirect heat.
A digital control automatically adds pellets when needed for heat regulation and the included meat probe can be used to monitor cooking times and temperatures without opening the lid.
The hopper can hold up to four pounds of pellets. Made of high-quality metal and steel, the CPG-256 weighs 45 pounds, has tabletop legs, a latching lid, and a stainless steel handle.
The non-stick grates provide 256″ of cooking area with a temperature range of 180-degrees to 500-degrees.
Added features to the portable grill include a digital controller, auto-start ignition, and temperature control. The product dimensions are 24.7″ long, 18.9″ wide, and 14.9″ high and is sold with a four-year warranty.
Cuisinart CPG-256 Portable Pellet Grill BBQ: Check Price on Amazon!
Camp Chef 20″ Pursuit Portable Pellet Grill
Using a slide-rod control, the Pursuit provides indirect and direct heat that can be set with 5-degree increments.
Unique features of the Pursuit include smoke-set points, temperature set-points, and a low or high smoke setting. Two meat probes can be used to monitor cooking with a dual probe reading that shows on the LCD screen.
Flavored pellets can be used in the external hopper that has a 10-pound capacity. The 20″ Pursuit comes ready on four foldable legs, two with attached wheels for easy maneuverability.
The grill is constructed from powder-coated steel with stainless steel grates, and aluminum legs. When the legs are unfolded, the height of the grill is 32 inches with the cooking chamber being 21″ high, 38″ long, and 18.5″ wide.
Weighing 80 pounds, the Pursuit has 501″ of cooking area and an ash cleanout system to make cleanup easier. Camp Chef provides a three-year warranty on the Pursuit portable grill.
New from Camp Chef is the Gen 2 Retro Fit WiFi Pellet Grill Controller.
For models that do not come already equipped with WiFi cooking, the Gen 2 Retro Fit can be used to add the special features that grill masters are now looking for.
Camp Chef 20″ Pursuit Portable Pellet Grill: Check Its price on Amazon!
Grilla Grills Chimp Tailgater Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
Grilla Grills have upped their game for portable pellet grills and the Chimp Tailgater is an excellent example of the direction they are going.
Equipped with the Alpha Connect Control Board, the Chimp Tailgater can be started or stopped from anywhere when connected to WiFi.
Probe and grill temperatures can be set with alarms, easy monitoring, and TempTamer technology.
Auto-ignition, a set-n-forget control system, indirect cooking, and automatic fire tending are only a few of the benefits the Chimp Tailgater is praised for.
Double-wall insulation, a stainless steel firepot, stainless steel grates, and convection style cooking make any grill master look and feel like a professional.
High-temp and low-temp safety shutdown features are pre-programmed into every unit. If the Chimp goes above 615-degrees or below 150-degrees, the unit automatically shuts down and will display an error message.
This grill weighs 90 pounds with an external hopper that can hold 15 pounds of pellets.
With 460″ of cooking area, a removable top grate, snap-lock folding legs, and a drip pan designed to protect against flare-ups, the only possible downside is needing a three-prong outlet for a power source.
With folded legs, the Chimp is 24″ high and 41″ tall with extended legs. The width of the grill is 37″ and it has a 20″ depth. Chimp Tailgaters come with a two-year warranty.
Grilla Grills Chimp Tailgater Wood Pellet Grill: Check Price on Amazon!
Things To Consider Buying Portable Pellet Grills
Temperature Control and Cooking Performance
Temperature control and cooking performance should be at the top of the list of things to consider when buying a portable grill.
Setting and maintaining the grill’s temperature and providing a satisfactory cooking performance can make or break the grilling experience.
Modern pellet grills includes control panels with PID algorithms to help maintain temperature within 5 degrees of the set temperature. Some also includes WiFi/App functionality.
Underperforming grills cause frustration, add extra time to cooking, and feel like a waste of money.
Durability and Ease of Use
Pellet grills do not need to be complicated to use, especially portable ones. If the directions and buttons appear to be more challenging than your primary grill, try finding one more user-friendly with a simple set-up.
Durability is a critical part of the decision-making process since the money being spent will be expected to last for quite some time.
Look for its build quality to ensure its durable and is easy to use. Grills made from durable materials like steel are better off than ones with hard plastic body.
Again, since you are buying a portable pellet grill make sure its suitable for travel.
Ask your self questions like; Does it fold down conveniently?, What material is it made off?, Is there bits and pieces that is likely to fall or break down?, Does It include features like workspaces, hooks and handles.
Cooking Area and Hopper Capacity
The larger the cooking area, the more food can be prepared. The larger the hopper capacity, the longer the pellets will last for each grilling experience.
The same goes the other way; the smaller the cooking area and hopper capacity, the less food and less time before refilling the hopper.
If you have a large family or large groups that frequently get together for camping or tailgating, make sure to find a grilling area that meets your needs.
Price, Value, and Warranty
The most important thing to look is your budget. There are definitely pellet grills available in every price range, but you have to stick to the grills that is within or close to your budget.
Price, value, and warranty all have roles that can make the purchase the best or worst when combined. A typical portable pellet grill can cost anywhere between $200 to $300.
Remember to compare warranties and costs to find the portable grill that will not only meet your needs but fit in your budget and provide the experience you are looking for.
Final Thoughts
A portable pellet grill and smoker could be the best addition to your camping adventures. Each brand offers something unique and exciting from easy cleaning, WiFi connections, grilling space, and safety features.
Take notes when comparing brands, ask for recommendations, and have fun taking your home grilling on the road.
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