TrulyObscure - article - gear - Truly Outdoors: Grilling on The Go

Posted by Greg May Jul 15, 06:47 PM to gear : -

There’s nothing like burgers, hot dogs- a hot meal- to serve as a proper reward after setting up the tent and campsite. Sure, you can use a normal camp stove, and make some of our recently-reviewed lightweight and nutritious dehydrated meals, but there is no substitute for grilling up some ribs. Grills are usually big, heavy, and awkward though- or were until fairly recently. We’ve tried out two of the best in the new portable propane grills.

The O-Grill, from Iroda, weighs only 24 pounds- perfect for the beach, roadtrips, picnics, or RVs. The Coleman RoadTrip Portable Table Top Grill weight a bit less at about 23 pounds. Both of them offer automatic matchless ignition, both fire up with around 10000 BTUs, and both offer porcelain-coated cast iron grills and removable grease trays. Each offers easy temperature control, in a pretty wide range, though these are grills and cooking temperatures will vary a bit over the surface. They even offer similar handles for easy portability, though the O-Grill’s is balanced and built slightly better. Setup time on each is similar, only a couple of minutes and you are ready to cook some burgers.

With so many similarities, what are the differences? Well, prices for one- the Coleman is a bit cheaper, at $150 versus $190. The O-Grill offers six different colors though, a nice bonus for those who want a little touch of green or blue in their camping equipment. And while both units feature foldable or retractable supports, the O-Grill takes the prize for the slightly less-stable but more attractive system, with a nice clamshell design and hideaway legs that allow you to store or carry the unit vertically. The Coleman, though, is unique in offering an optional stand at an extra cost, a great way to turn the grill from a tabletop model to a standalone.

The Coleman RoadTrip Table Top Grill also offers a bit more cooking surface- 245 compared with 225 square inches- but does go through fuel almost correspondingly faster. The major feature difference though is the Coleman’s thermometer, easy to read when the grill is closed, and pretty convenient (and mostly accurate). The controls on the Coleman are also placed a bit better, at least for when the unit is in use. We recommend choosing it, at least for casual use, unless the unique design and color choices of the sexier O-Grill catch your eye. Either way, it’s summertime, and the grillin’s easy… and portable to boot.