Travel Grill V Griddle

[memtiger]

My grill that I take when we travel is dead and looking for something else. What does everyone use? I see a decent amount of people cooking on griddles when camping but I can't believe that can cook a steak as good as the open flame. We have an electric griddle that I use for breakfast but was thinking maybe just get a gas one for all meals.

 

[jackiemac]

We have the small Weber Q1200 BBQ. Steaks are excellent on it...

 

[memtiger]

We have the small Weber Q1200 BBQ. Steaks are excellent on it...

The Weber Q's are one of the grills I am looking at.

 

[Isaac-1]

A lot depends on what features you are looking for, versatility, portability, cooking steaks, burgers, etc. Here are my thoughts on the subject, we carry a Cuisinart Dual Blaze propane grill in our coach, overall it works ok, but I would not recommend it, primarily for 2 reasons, you almost need 3 hands to fold / unfold the legs, and the heat range runs from hot to incinerate, there is no low or even medium heat option. Also when this question comes up the Weber Q series seems to be the most popular choice out there by a long shot.

Now having said that I also have a couple of other portable-ish propane cookers that are worth talking about, the first is probably the most versatile, it is Captn Cook Ovenplus, Amazon.com it is a combination pizza cooker and top cooking flame grill, it is semi portable with a lug-gable handle on the top, though it weighs about 35 pounds. I suspect this thing was invented for some special purpose in Asia and has been rebranded as a pizza / steak cooker. There are various youtube videos that show it in action. As to cooking the BEST steak I also have an Infrared high heat propane cooker, they are offered in various models priced from about $100 -$1,500, this is the one I have Amazon.com It is great for steaks, burgers, etc., cooks them better than the Ovenplus as it gets a LOT hotter and will quickly sear a steak, where the ovenplus is more like a conventional broiler. The down side is there is no way to put a pot, etc. on it to easily cook side dishes. Don't be fooled why the ad photos, while it does have handles, I would not exactly call it portable as it weighs in around 27 pounds.

 

[Tulecreeper]

We have the small Weber Q1200 BBQ. Steaks are excellent on it...

We'll bring the tatties and beer!

 

[memtiger]

A lot depends on what features you are looking for, versatility, portability, cooking steaks, burgers, etc. Here are my thoughts on the subject, we carry a Cuisinart Dual Blaze propane grill in our coach, overall it works ok, but I would not recommend it, primarily for 2 reasons, you almost need 3 hands to fold / unfold the legs, and the heat range runs from hot to incinerate, there is no low or even medium heat option. Also when this question comes up the Weber Q series seems to be the most popular choice out there by a long shot.

Now having said that I also have a couple of other portable-ish propane cookers that are worth talking about, the first is probably the most versatile, it is Captn Cook Ovenplus, Amazon.com it is a combination pizza cooker and top cooking flame grill, it is semi portable with a lug-gable handle on the top, though it weighs about 35 pounds. I suspect this thing was invented for some special purpose in Asia and has been rebranded as a pizza / steak cooker. There are various youtube videos that show it in action. As to cooking the BEST steak I also have an Infrared high heat propane cooker, they are offered in various models priced from about $100 -$1,500, this is the one I have Amazon.com It is great for steaks, burgers, etc., cooks them better than the Ovenplus as it gets a LOT hotter and will quickly sear a steak, where the ovenplus is more like a conventional broiler. The down side is there is no way to put a pot, etc. on it to easily cook side dishes. Don't be fooled why the ad photos, while it does have handles, I would not exactly call it portable as it weighs in around 27 pounds.

Sounds like you had the Cuisinart similar to mine. I agree I hated the legs and the constant high heating eventually melted everything plastic on it after several years of use. I could never turn away because I couldn't keep the temp low enough. Those other 2 are pretty cool items I have always wanted a pizza oven.

 

[Sprucegum]

I recently bought a Ninja wood fire outdoor grill. It’s electric, all in one ; grill, smoker, air fryer, roaster, broiler, etc. Uses up to 1760 watts power so I am hoping my inverter/battery system is up to the challenge the odd occasion I find myself off grid. It’s easy to use and easy to clean.

I also have a small wood burning grill when wood fires are allowed

 

[Isaac-1]

... Those other 2 are pretty cool items I have always wanted a pizza oven.

The amazing thing is that it can even make a cheap Totinos frozen party pizza taste good, the down side is some other brands of frozen pizza are hit or miss in it, home made pizzas come out much better.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I have a patio-size propane char broil grill for "grilling" and I have a cast iron griddle that goes on top of my coleman 2 burner propane stove for "griddling". With this configuration I get a griddle and a stove where with a blackstone or whatever, I wouldn't get the stove. I have used all possible combinations of this setup and at no time did I ever wish I had a dedicated griddle.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Domo]

Last trip I left our roadmaster grill home and bought an air fryer.

Works great, packs small, with silicone insert it's also easy to clean. I put it out on the small table we have and plug into the basement. Love it! Not good for a crowd... But easy is the word.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Ah.... but food can come off an electric griddle, if you do it right.

Use butter (real butter, not margarine) on your meats instead of vegetable oils. And cover your meats with a deep dish lid. Sauté your onions first, then put the meats directly on top of the onions. Add your seasonings on top of the meats.

Now, use the drip pan on flat griddle to continue to baste the juices (meat drippings and melted butter) from the drip pan over the top of the meats.

It's food to die for!

https://imgur.com/RGZ1iVN

https://imgur.com/hg0XUV3

We switched to a Bella griddle and a Bella electric frying pan. The ceramic top is marvelous. Easy clean up. Got it off Amazon. It didn't cost any more than a "Presto" and it's defiantly a better griddle.

https://imgur.com/QCtwKjZ

https://i.imgur.com/kp2dksT.jpg

 

[jlhog]

I recently purchased a Weber Traveler grill for camping. It is slightly large but it will stay in the truck when traveling. I just added a griddle to half of the grill area. This allows me to grill and or griddle.

 

[Professor David]

We have the small Weber Q1200 BBQ. Steaks are excellent on it...

+1

 

[Deb&RickTX]

I thought I wanted a grill too, but love our Blackstone griddle. It's more versatile, and FAST.

 

[TheBar]

IMO charcoal or wood flame is more work but the flavor is the best. Maybe due to a million years of our evolution of cooking over a wood fire.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Always a good topic that comes up often on many RV'ing forums.

If I was buying a camping grill of any sort my first choice would be the Weber Q series. Good BTUs, portable, relatively lightweight, and dependable. However, what I have used for 15 years of RV'ing is the Coleman Road Trip Grill. Why I would put the Weber ahead of the Colemans is the size, weight, and portability. But, my first Coleman lasted us 13 years, bought as a Christmas present for my wife and me by my wife's daughter. That grill came with cast iron grates and a griddle top. The griddle top was used every camping trip to make French Toast, pancakes, and eggs outside, one of my favorite camping activities. The number of meals that were cooked on it included great steaks, frozen pizza, pierogis, and more. As it was nearing its end use, one wheel broke off and then finally the burner pan rotted away I was going to get a Weber Q2000 to replace it. However, as another camping season ended which always brings you close to the Christmas season in the Northeast, we got another Coleman from my stepdaughter and SIL! This model is the top of the line in the Roadtrip series which has a water moat under the burners to collect the grease drippings. With 3 burners it will outperform most if not all portable grills. Again the only reason I would have bought the Weber is the Coleman is large with its built-in stand, and with the grates in it it can be somewhat heavy to lift into the storage compartment. Oh, I still use the grates from the first Coleman and the griddle top, saving (for what?) the new lighter-weight aluminum grates.

The next IMHO must-have RV cooking device is a portable induction cooktop. If you are the type of cook that uses the stove top a lot this is the device you want. Boil a pot of water (4 qts. in around a minute or so), and use it in place of your propane stove to save on propane.
Small and easily packable, you can use them inside or out. Like making low country boils, this is the unit you want set up and the picnic table.

I do carry a small charcoal grill for the best-tasting steaks or if I don't feel like bringing the Coleman out. And, finally, I use my wife's mom's 40-year-old electric frying pan to cook bacon or breakfast sausage outside. Thermostat controlled, lid to keep warm, dump the grease in the fire pit, easy to clean and using the campground electric again.

 

[CharlesinGA]

This is an interesting idea. The portable one is rather compact and uses a very small amount of power. electric pellet smoker.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The main determinant is what sort of foods you intend to cook and your preferred style(s) of cooking, i.e. frying, roasting, grilling, etc. Since you already have an electric griddle, you have that aspect covered (as long as you have 120v power). A griddle is optimal for pan-fried foods while a grill is optimal for grilling or roasting. And you can always put a griddle or an iron frying pan on a grill.

For my personal tastes, I mostly prefer grilled or roasted meats so a grill is a must. For me, a griddle is used primarily for breakfast-type cooking, e.g. eggs, pancakes, bacon & sausage. So like you, I carry an electric griddle for that.

I like the Charbroil Grill2Go for a portable tabletop, but there are other excellent models, e.g. Webber Q1000 & Q1200. And if a smoker is in your realm, the small Traeger seems an outstanding choice.

 

[1stimerver]

For what its worth, I love my Blackstone griddle. As we travel with a group of up to 12 people, the 17" x 14" griddle can cook a lot of food. As far a weight goes It is a little on the heavy side.
We have seared steaks with it very successfully.

We also have a small charbroil propane fired grill, for when food must be absolutely grilled.

For charcoal or wood cooking we would use the fire pit with our own grilling grate placed on top.

Our NUWAVE single burner induction cooktop gets quite a bit of use as well.
It never hurts to have lots of options.
It helps to keep things interesting and allows for lots of variety.

Safe travels and all the best.

 

[johnhicks]

Get the grill of your choice, Weber or whatever. Then get a Lodge griddle, square or rectangular, cheap either way, and just plop that on top when desired. You have the best of both worlds without carrying two contraptions or giving up one way to cook.