Which Coleman grill is best?
Coleman is one of the most trusted brands available for almost any outdoor need, and one of their best products is the Coleman grill. Known for their quality of construction and easy-to-use designs that pack in all kinds of extra features without breaking the bank, Coleman grills are hugely popular choices for all kinds of portable grilling, from camping to tailgating.
The best Coleman grill for any need is the Coleman Road Trip 285 Propane Portable Grill. This three-burner, adjustable-strength grill might stretch the term “portable” to its limit, but the power and options available are impossible to beat.
What to know before you buy a Coleman grill
Coleman grill sizes
Coleman grill sizes fall into three categories: grill size, burner size and overall size.
- Grill: The grill size covers the total cooking surface area. It’s measured in square inches and British thermal units, which relate to the amount of heat the grill can produce.
- Burner: Coleman grills have between one and three adjustable burners, all in a horseshoe shape for balancing heat across the grill’s surface.
- Overall: The overall size is the total size of the grill, both when folded away and when in use. More powerful grills are larger when folded and when in use and are meant more for road trips, but even two-burner grills can be folded away quite small for camping or backpacking.
Charcoal vs. electric vs. propane grills
Coleman grills are fueled using electricity, charcoal or propane gas.
- Electricity: Electric grills aren’t really meant for use outside, as they require a significant power source, like a portable generator, to properly cook food. This makes them far more suited to grilling indoors at home, since they don’t produce the harmful gases that charcoal and propane do.
- Charcoal: This fuel source for Coleman grills isn’t quite as convenient as propane, as you have to transport the briquettes and dispose of them after. Charcoal grills tend to cost less, however.
- Propane: Propane grills are the gold standard for Coleman grills. Propane is the most efficient fuel source for Coleman grills, with 1-pound propane bottles lasting upward of 2 hours. They’re the most portable, too.
Coleman performance
BTU is the unit assigned to all grills, portable or not, for relating performance. While it doesn’t correlate to cooking temperature, a quick method of calculating cooking efficiency is to make sure you have 50 BTU+ per square inch of cooking surface.
What to look for in a quality Coleman grill
Best way to clean a Coleman grill
Coleman grills are surprisingly easy to maintain and clean. They usually have built-in grease management systems and removable porcelain-coated grilling grates that are also dishwasher-safe.
Coleman multiuse grills
Some Coleman grills are more versatile than others and have features like grilling grates that can be swapped with griddles or stovetops. Large models can have tables that slide in and out, and others have built-in thermometers.
Weatherproof Coleman grills
Coleman grills are meant for use outdoors, and as such have various protections against inclement weather. They usually feature some sort of built-in wind protection, and most use Coleman’s PerfectFlow/PerfectHeat systems to maintain gas supply and thus efficiency.
How much you can expect to spend on a Coleman grill
Coleman grills are very affordable across the board, with tons of value even when compared to full grills. You can get everything you need in a portable grill for less than $150, with the highest-cost, top-of-the-line Coleman grills reaching only $400, or about half the cost of a full grill.
Coleman grill FAQ
Which Coleman grill is the most portable?
A. While all Coleman grills are designed with a portability-to-size ratio in mind, the “most” portable Coleman grill models are those with “Fold N Go” designation.
Can I use full-size propane bottles with my Coleman grill?
A. Yes, you can use full-size 20-pound propane bottles with Coleman grills. That said, Coleman grills are designed around portability and thus natively use 1-pound propane bottles. You’ll need to purchase an adapter and hose to utilize 20-pound propane bottles.
What’s the best Coleman grill to buy?
Top Coleman grill
Coleman Road Trip 285 Propane Portable Grill
What you need to know: This three-burner Coleman grill with adjustable temperatures is a powerhouse option for any traveling griller.
What you’ll love: Two side tables which slide in and out of the grill keep your utensils and plates easily reachable, plus five different color options means more opportunity for finding your favorite.
What you should consider: If maximum portability is your main focus, this quite large Coleman grill might not be the best option.
Top Coleman grill for the money
Coleman Fold N Go Propane Grill
What you need to know: A foldable design and included handle make this one of the most easily portable Coleman grill options.
What you’ll love: This Coleman grill is easy to clean due to its included grease tray and removable porcelain grill grate.
What you should consider: This propane grill is big enough to cook for a handful of people and isn’t suggested for more than that small amount.
Worth checking out
Coleman PerfectFlow Portable Camp Stove
What you need to know: If you need to grill on the go or need a portable stove, this two-in-one Coleman grill is an excellent choice.
What you’ll love: It’s rustproof due to its quality steel construction and has wind block panels that can be folded in and out of the way as needed.
What you should consider: While the two burners are supposed to be adjustable, in practice, the flames are essentially just high and low.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.
