The Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill is my favorite portable grill. Why? It offers an astounding blend of usability with quality and cost — as far as I’m concerned, it’s the least expensive grill that’s worth buying. Better yet, it’s suprisingly functional.
For fuel, the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill uses handy — and easy to find — small propane canisters. It has decent flame adjustment capabilities, and while Weber has made some changes to this grill over time, I like it for camping, fishing trips and the occasional off-grid lunch or dinner.
Just to be clear, I own and have used and tested better, higher-quality portable outdoor grills. But I keep taking the Weber Go Anywhere Gas Grill with me because it’s lightweight, works great, and frankly, I’m not worried about someone stealing it out of the back of my pickup or campsite.
Let’s take a closer look at why I’m such a fan of the Weber Go-Anywhere Grill:
Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill Long-Term Review
The Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill blends a small size with thoroughly decent performance. The single-tube main burner puts out 6,500 BTUs over a 160 square-inch cooking surface. The grilling surface is a porcelain-enameled steel cooking grate that is about 10″ x 16″. The overall length of the entire grill is about 21″ and it’s about 12″ wide.
Previous versions of this grill had a Weber flavorizer plate — basically a metal shield that covered the bottom — and a wire-type grate. The idea was that grease drippings would ignite on the hot flavorizer plate, add flavor to your meat, and burn off. It worked OK but also seemed to increase the risk of grease flareups.
The new grate style is a flatter-type grate that covers the burner tube so that grease drips into the pan and avoids the flame altogether. If you’re cooking a lot of high-fat hamburgers, you’re going to get grease buildup in the bottom of the pan. Weber recommends you use a plastic scraper to clean the grease out as it builds up — you just have to let it cool and solidify first. I recommend that you just buy an inexpensive putty knife for cleaning out grease buildup.
Two Flame Adjustment Methods
There are two ways you can adjust the flame on the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill: First, there is an obvious small black nob on the regulator that lets you start the flow of propane as well as shut the grill off. You can use this nob to adjust the propane output and level of the flame. However, there is a second adjustment nob that’s not as easy to notice. It’s the black and red portion of the regulator, and it has three adjustment settings: Low, Medium and High.
Between these two adjustment methods, you can dial in the grill temperature surprisingly well for such an inexpensive grill.
Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill Review: Grilling
The key to using a plate-style grate is to make sure you let the grill heat up before you start grilling. Why? Starting with a hot grate will help the raised ridges burn into your food and make grill marks — and not stick. Of course, a bit of vegetable oil on your food helps, too, or you can add some vegetable oil to the grate right before grilling. If you use a spray-type can of cooking oil for this, be careful because the spray is flammable.
The cooking surface does a reasonable job of spreading the heat, but the edges are cooler than the center. If you pay attention and adjust your food over the surface as you grill, you can get decent results. If you cram the whole surface with hamburger patties, you’ll have a harder time. For larger groups, plan on eating in shifts and your grilling will be more effective.
Of course, if you want a bigger, more powerful grilling surface consider the Weber Q Series lineup: I’m also a fan of the Weber Q1200 Propane Grill which is beefier and includes a removable grease catch pan. I include it in my guide to a few Weber Go-Anywhere alternative options below.
Don’t Accidentally Buy the Charcoal Version
If you’re a charcoal fan, Weber offers a similar charcoal version — so make sure you’re buying the version you want. At a glance, they look similar and can easily be confused when you go to purchase.
One more thing: If you’re heading out camping and you’re planning on roasting dogs or cooking foil dinners on a campfire, you might want to invest in a lightweight portable grill anyway. Why? Sometimes campgrounds and public lands will implement campfire bans as the summer progresses and the forest fire danger rises. In these situations, a portable grill will save your trip — and still let the kids roast marshmallows.
Need a Storage Box?
I searched long and hard before finding a perfectly sized storage bin for my trusty Weber.After looking for months, I found the perfect storage box for a Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill. I wanted a durable but inexpensive bin with a sturdy lid. The short answer is this: Buy the medium Plano Sportman’s Trunk. The long answer is here: Plano Sportsman’s Trunk Review.
Weber Go-Anywhere Grill Alternative Options:
While the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill is the best portable gas grill under $100, here are some competitive alternatives:
Cuisinart Petit Gourmet Portable Gas Grill — One major benefit of the Cuisinart Petit Gourmet propane grill is that it sets up fast. The legs pop out to raise the grill to a comfortable and safe tabletop height. The lid latches is attached by a hinge, which is handy compared to the separate lid on the Weber Go-Anywhere Grill. This Cuisinart alternative grill costs a bit more than the Weber Go-Anywhere, but it has a solid steel build quality and includes a grease drip tray.
Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 Gas Grill — The Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 is a bit bigger than the competition here, but it’s still very portable. If you want just a bit more grilling space than the Weber Go-Anywhere’s 160 square inches, the X200’s 200 square inches stainless steel grilling grate gives you a bit more room to work. Better yet, the X200 is rugged with stainless steel latches.
Weber Q 1200 Portable Tabletop Propane Grill — The Weber Q 1200 is a better, more rugged grill than the Go-Anywhere Gas Grill, no doubt about it. The drawback is that the Q1200 is heavier, less portable, and it costs more. On the other hand, in my testing, it grills better with easier to adjust temperature control. The two fold-out shelves are a very handy bonus.
The Verdict
All-in-all, the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill is a lightweight and affordable portable propane grill. It’s surprisingly adjustable and versatile for grilling. I’ve used it to sear steaks, bake potatoes, heat burritos, and grill hamburgers and hot dogs to perfection. In fact, after more than six years of on-the-go use, it’s still my favorite low-cost portable grill. It’s not perfect, but I believe the price-to-value ratio is unbeatable. If you want a great experience for quick and portable grilling, the Weber Go-Anywhere Gas Grill can deliver. Very highly recommended.
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