The 5 Best Camping Grills

Starting your day with a warm cup of coffee and a delicious breakfast is an incredible feeling – and it’s even better when you are out camping. That’s why a proper camping grill is a must-have item for your trip, either propane gas or open flame. 

From propane gas stove tops to open flame grills with a grid and grill plate, your options are practically endless. These grills are designed to be user-friendly and take up the minimum storage space, as your vehicle will already be packed. Most of these grills are lightweight, which is great when you are going backpacking and want to keep the weight you’re carrying to a minimum. 

Of course, even though they are lightweight, they are made of high quality materials to ensure durability. Grills will need to withstand high heat at times, along with occasional lower heat for longer periods of time. 

You definitely don’t want a grill disappointing you when you are out camping with friends. So, let this buyer’s guide help you choose the right camping grill for you. 

The Best Camping Grill

We will be looking at five different grills, including both propane gas and open flame grills. In this buyer's guide, we are going to help you to determine which grill will be best suited to your needs. You may enjoy sitting around a camping fire preparing your meals on an open fire, or you may prefer the propane gas stove for a quick start-up, not wanting to wait for the fire to get going.  

Let’s see the camping grills available on the market today! 

In A Hurry? Here Are Our Top Picks…

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The Coleman propane two-plate stove is lightweight and easy to use. It’s great for when you are camping and it gets a bit windy, as it has wind blocking panels. These panels ensure that the flame doesn’t get blown out and you can keep on cooking without difficulties. It’s certainly a great option when you are planning on going to the beach.

This Coleman stove also has two adjustable burners, which helps you maintain the perfect temperature control while you are cooking. The pressure regulator assists with keeping the flames consistent, even under the most extreme conditions. It can run for one hour on high with a 16.4 oz propane cylinder, so you can easily go a weekend camping with one cylinder.

Specifications

  • Weight: 4 ounces
  • Size: 4.1 x 21.9 x 13.7 inches
  • Cleaning: Using a soap cloth and warm water
  • Function: Cooking food and boiler water using propane gas

Pros

  • Lightweight materials used
  • Cooking power of 20,000 BTU’s
  • Easy to clean
  • Adjusting burners
  • Gas pressure regulator
  • Adjustable wind blocking panels
  • 3-year limited warranty

Cons

  • Wind blocking panels tend to bend easily
  • Unstable even on a flat surface
  • Burners are sticky, which makes for difficulty adjusting flame
  • Poor quality materials used for manufacturing of product
  • Doesn’t self-ignite – you need to remember to pack a lighter

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This campfire grill is truly unique, with a solid griddle plate on one half and a grill grate design on the other half. You can prepare pancakes and scrambled eggs on one side, and on the other, you are grilling sausages and steaks. It is really a very user-friendly grill to use on an open flame.

What is also great about this grill is that it doesn't take a lot of space. You can fold it in half and make it compact and easily portable. The grill also has handles, so once it’s folded up, it’s easy to carry around. 

The grilles are made of high quality coated steel, perfectly safe to cook food on directly, and highly durable for direct heat.

Specifications

  • Weight: 10.4 lbs
  • Size: 24 x 12 x 9 inches 
  • Cleaning: Warm soap water
  • Function: Grilling and cooking food 

Pros

  • Heavy duty and well crafted
  • Cook directly on grill
  • Easy to store with a storage bag
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Large cooking space 
  • Guaranteed product quality

Cons

  • More effort to clean
  • A bit on the heavier side – not ideal for hiking 

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A heavy duty campfire grill with a breakfast tray design, the AmazonBasic Heavy Duty Folding grill is perfect for open fire usage, as it can be a stove top. Cast-iron cookware can be used on top for cooking your meals – it is not recommended to cook directly on the grill. The legs of the grill fold in, which then leaves you with a flat surface that is easy to pack away.

This grill is made of a high quality welded steel and mesh, which can support a few cast-iron pots at the same time. The steel is quite durable and it can withstand high heat, while holding its shape over time. 

This is a perfect grill to get if you like to prepare your food in pots and pans and have space to take them with you.

Specifications

  • Weight: 6.07 lbs
  • Size: 40.2 x 18.1 x 9.3 inches
  • Cleaning: Warm soap water
  • Function: Cooking food and boiler water – cooking platform 

Pros

  • Large grilling surface 
  • Heavy duty
  • Foldable legs – easy storage
  • Can be used on open flames

Cons

  • Paint flakes off
  • Cleaning is a mess
  • Long-term use causes them to bend and rust
  • Not ideal when backpacking
  • Cannot cook food directly on grill

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This handy on-the-go table top griller can grill up to eight hamburgers at a time on a 187 square inch grilling surface. When you are done grilling, simply take it by the heat-resistant handles and move it out of the way – no need to wait for it to cool down. The legs fold over the top to help keep the lid in place, so it is easy to transport.

The Char-Broil Standard Portable Liquid Propane Gas Grill  is made from high quality steel and a durable finish that prevents rust and extends the life of the grill. It is perfect for grilling steaks, vegetables and burgers, and anything else you can think up. Upon closing the lid, you can get an even heat throughout the grill and minimize flare-ups. 

The grill can heat up to 11,000 BTU’s and uses 16.4 or 14.1 ounce propane canisters, so you can do a few barbeques before you need to replace the canister. 

Specifications

  • Weight: 10.2 lbs
  • Size: 24 x 12 x 15 inches
  • Cleaning: Chrome-plated cooking plate is dishwasher safe, and the rest can be cleaned with hot soapy water
  • Function: Grilling food on high or low heat

Pros

  • Easy to pack up
  • Cooking power of 11,000 BTU’s
  • Cooking plate dishwasher safe
  • Great for everyday use 
  • Prepare food directly on the grill
  • When closed, heat spreads evenly and minimizes flame flare-ups 

Cons

  • Assembly is difficult and time-consuming
  • Regulators tend to give problems
  • Bulky and heavy
  • Not ideal when going backpacking 
  • Doesn’t self-ignite – need to remember a lighter 

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The Texsport is a very sturdy foldable open flame grill made from high quality steel. It is perfect to use for a stove top, and sturdy enough to handle cast-iron pots and skillets. The design of the grill resembles that of a breakfast tray, making it quite sturdy. 

The legs fold in underneath the grill, which makes storing very easy – and it doesn’t take up a lot of space. Depending on the size that you choose to use, it can be perfect for backpacking, as it is not very heavy at 3 lbs.  

It can even be used as a handy “table” around the camping area for any gear or equipment you don’t want lying on the ground. This is a truly versatile grill to use around the campsite. 

Specifications

  • Weight: 3 lbs 
  • Size: Medium 16 x 12”, large 24 x 16”, extra-large 36 x 18”
  • Cleaning: Warm soapy water 
  • Function: Cooking platform to use on an open flame

Pros

  • Legs fold in for easy storage
  • 3 sizes to choose from
  • Can use on an open fire
  • Sturdy build

Cons

  • Paint peels off easily
  • Legs of the griller are a bit on the short side, so you might need to put it on some rocks to get enough height
  • Bends a bit in extreme heat, but goes back to original shape
  • Can’t cook food directly on the grill

Camping Grills Buyer’s Guide Wrap-up

In this guide, we looked at propane gas and open flame grills. All of them are a great value for the money, so it can be difficult to decide which one you should get. 

Thinking about your personal preference when you are going camping will give you the best idea which grill type to go with. Hopefully, this buyer’s guide helped you figure out what’s most important to you. 

Here is a quick roundup to help you make your camping grill decision.

The Best On-the-Go Grill

I would go for the Char-Broil standard portable liquid propane gas grill if you need something portable. After you are finished with the grill, you simply take it by the heat resistant handles and move it – no need to wait for it to cool down. It’s also great that the legs fold over the top to secure the lid, minimizing a mess if you are not going to clean it immediately. Best of all, the cooking plate is dishwasher safe, with no scrubbing needed!

The Most Versatile Grill

The Adventure Seeka folding campfire grill can be used for virtually anything. Having a griddle plate and grill plate is awesome. You have one grill where you can prepare your food directly, so no need for extra pots and pans. Imagine grilling sausage on one side while making scramble eggs on another side – it's just the perfect camping grill. However, it is a bit on the heavier side, so it’s not the ideal grill to take with you when you are backpacking. 

The Best Grill for the Beach

My personal opinion on a beach grill is the Coleman Gas Camping Stove. The wind-blocking panels reduce the chance of the wind blowing out the flame and you losing your propane gas. The panels also adjust so you can have a large pot on the stove. It’s also lightweight and doesn’t take up much space when folded up.  

The Best Grill for Backpacking 

The Texsport Heavy Duty Over Fire Camp Grill is ideal for backpacking, as it comes in three different sizes and is also notably lightweight. You want a small grill that won’t weigh you down. This grill doesn’t have sharp edges, so when you put it into a bag, you won’t damage it. You can even use it as a ground table to put some of your equipment on, if you don’t want your things on the ground.

The Easiest Grill to Use

The AmazonBasic Heavy Duty Folding Campfire Grill is so easy to use. Simply flip open the legs and you have a stovetop over your fire! Taking up the minimum space when traveling, it folds up flat and fits in tight places, even when the car is already packed. It also has a large surface, so you can use quite a few pots and pans on it at once.   

We hope with this buyer’s guide, we have helped you decide on the perfect grill for your next camping trip – and many more to come. The perfect grill truly makes a trip memorable. Please go and have a look at our other reviews for camping accessories and other must-have items.

Happy camping and grilling!

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