These come essentially in two types- Kettle grills and Braziers. These are also ideal for tailgate picnics. Most portable charcoal grills come with foldable legs, lids and venting systems.
Kettle grills usually come in a spherical shape. They consist of a lid, cooking chamber, charcoal chamber, a venting system, a lower chamber and foldable legs. The kettle like-shape of the charcoal chamber gives rise to the name of the grill.
Some grills also come with a bottom pan for collecting ash. Wheels are also added on onto some grills that make for easy portability.
The braziers are open grills without lids. Brazier grills essentially consist of a charcoal chamber on legs with a mesh overlying it. There are no venting systems and heat is adjusted by moving the wire mesh closer to the charcoal or away from it.
Charcoal briquettes are used as the fuel in both types of grills.
Some popular models of charcoal grills
- Weber 22 ½ inch One Touch Silver- This is one of the popular portable charcoal grills. This kettle grill is highly durable. It also has superior cooking capabilities. The cooking chamber is large and there are multiple vents to control the heat. It is possible to even ‘smoke’ the meat to some extent. Direct as well as indirect grilling is possible with this grill.
- Old Smokey Classic- This grill was designed almost 50 years ago. Though it shows its age, it is incredibly efficient in holding heat and cooking. Extremely easy to carry around, it allows you to cook a lot of food in one go. It is simple and the best grill under $50.
- Barbecook Arena Stainless Steel- This one is very easy to light. All you need to do is to place a couple of paper sheets in the base and light them. The charcoal above will catch fire from the paper. The base of the grill has a small saucer of water. The ashes from the paper as well as hot coal can be dropped into it to extinguish the fire. This is a brazier grill with no vents, though. You need to move the cooking tray up or down to adjust the heat.
- Portable Kitchen Cooker- Another old timer, this grill was designed long ago. It has a solid cast aluminium body and durable parts. This one has great grilling abilities and all the chances of being a family heirloom as well.