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If you’re a frequent outdoor camper or a barbeque purist, you’ll agree when we say that nothing beats the delicious taste of fresh barbeque straight from the fire.
This proves that a charcoal grill is an essential tool for making great barbecues. But do you have to carry that large bulky grill around?
Of course not.
That’s why we brought you this round-up of the best portable charcoal grills on the market.
#1. Best Portable Charcoal Grill – Weber 121020 Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill
Wrapped in black stainless steel material with a porcelain-enameled lid is the Weber 121020 Go-Anywhere portable charcoal grill.
This small but mighty charcoal grill weighs just about 14lbs – not the lightest – and has a cooking area of about 160 sq. inches.
You’re interested in it, aren’t you?
Read Full Review
#2. Best Lightweight Portable Charcoal Grill – UCO Flatpack Portable Stainless Steel Grill
Your weekend hangouts with your friends just got even better with the UCO Flatpack Portable charcoal grill.
This totally collapsible charcoal grill will keep you munching on your cooked food.
It’s lightweight, compact-sized, and perfect for your beach events – or just about any place you take it to.
Read Full Review
#3. Best Portable Charcoal Grill For Beach – XIANGBAN Portable BBQ Charcoal Grill
The XIANGBAN Portable BBQ Charcoal Grill may seem huge and bulky from afar, but it’s a small compact sized charcoal grill that will serve you and few more mouths on the beach.
To think that it folds into a suitcase and is lightweight makes it even more interesting.
Read Full Review
Buying A Portable Charcoal Grill – What You Should Know
There are tons of lovely portable charcoal grills on the market. How do you know which one is right for you?
Build Quality
Build quality is a very important factor to consider when buying a charcoal grill. The charcoal grill you want to buy should be able to withstand heavy usage and last long.
There are three main materials used for making charcoal grills.
They include cast aluminum, ceramic (heavy ones), and cast iron. These three are the most preferred because of how they are able to withstand heavy usage and last long.
It is the build quality of a product that determines it’s durability. The tougher it is, there is an increased likelihood that it will last.
Size
If portability is of major concern to you, you must consider the size of the portable charcoal grill that you want to buy. The size here refers to the body of the charcoal grill and the size of the cooking surface.
The larger the body of the charcoal grill, the more difficult it becomes to move it around and the heavier it weighs.
Cooking Area
This is where you’re going to be doing a lot of work on the grill. If it’s small, you spend more time cooking, if it’s large, you’ll spend less time cooking but then, you may end up buying something that isn’t in any way portable.
The cooking area of charcoal grills is often measured in square inches. A portable charcoal grill that has a cooking area measuring about 300 square inches can be used to grill food for a family of 4 at once.
For you to be able to get a portable charcoal grill that will suit your needs, you need to consider the places it will be used. In addition to that, you should also envisage the number of people it will serve.
Take, for instance, if you want to go on an outing with your friend, you’ll probably want to take a smaller-sized grill along with you.
But if you’re going on a family vacation or camping as a group, a medium-sized charcoal grill will be a much feasible option.
If the cooking area of your portable charcoal grill is too small, there’s a likelihood that you’ll struggle with feeding a large number of people with it.
Dual Cooking Sections
This isn’t a must-have but if you find a portable charcoal grill with two cooking sections, grab it with both hands – especially if it meets your other preferences and the price is right.
With dual cooking sections, you can grill two different things at the same time with different heat settings. Great way to save time especially when you’re preparing food for a sizeable number of persons.
Weight
For a portable charcoal grill, weight is yet another important factor to consider. The charcoal grill should be easy for one person to carry. If two or more people carry it, then it is no longer portable.
A grill that weighs less than 15lbs is considered lightweight. There are, however, some that weigh about 20lbs which still fall under the lightweight category.
Ease of use and cleaning
The right portable charcoal grill won’t be difficult for you to handle and use. If it is, it’s probably not the best one for you. It should be easy to set up and dismantle and move.
If it’s a foldable type, it should be easy for only one person to open or fold it.
With respect to cleaning, charcoal grills can be tough to clean. But having a few extra features like a removable ashtray/catcher can be helpful.
Moving Wheels/Handle
A good portable charcoal grill should sport a strong handle – one that should never creak no matter what. The handle must also be comfortable too.
As for the wheels, they come in handy when the grill has been set up and you need to move it aside to make way for something or someone. The wheels should have a lock on it to keep the grill from moving.
Having wheels on your portable charcoal grill isn’t a must.
Control Over Temperature
There are a lot of people – myself included – who cannot handle flames on a charcoal grill well. If you fall into this category, then you should lookout for a grill with good dampers.
The damper is very important as it helps you to control the temperature and heat generated by the charcoal in the grill. Two dampers at the top of the lid of the grill will go a long way in controlling temperature.
And lastly, there’s a feature some charcoal grills have that can be used to adjust the distance between the charcoal container and the grilling rack.
This greatly reduces the amount of heat your food receives and thus helps you to control your cooking temperature.
Design
For portable charcoal grills, there are three popular designs. The kettle charcoal grill, the ceramic grills, and the barrel-like grills.
Choose any design you like as long as it fits your budget. But don’t forget to take into consideration things like an extra door from where you can add charcoal whilst cooking, grill rack with hinges, and even an ashtray/catcher.
Grates/Grilling rack
If your grilling rack is poorly built, it will not last long under the heat from the charcoal.
Fortunately, most portable charcoal grill makers ensure that their grates are as strong as the grill itself.
Extra Accessories
There are a few extra accessories you may want to get for your portable charcoal grill.
The charcoal chimney and a thermometer are two of such accessories.
Heating charcoal requires a little bit of patience but by purchasing a charcoal chimney for a few bucks, you can significantly reduce the time it takes for the charcoal to heat.
And once the charcoal heats in the chimney, you can easily transfer it to the grill.
Other accessories include vents, charcoal drawers, ash catchers, temperature probes with thermometers attached to them, side tables, etc.
Cost
Given their size, portable charcoal grills don’t cost much and as such, are easily affordable. If you sacrifice two dozen cups of coffee, you’ll be able to buy a good one.
Portable Charcoal Grills Review
Grab the following portable charcoal grill with both hands. They’re the best in the market – no arguments, please.
#1. Best Portable Charcoal Grill – Weber 121020 Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill
Materials: Porcelain-coated cast iron
Weight: 14.5lbs
Size of cooking area: 441 sq. inch
Features: compact-sized, lightweight, easy to set up, porcelain-coated cast iron body, foldable legs that also serve as a lock, good dampers. Stainless steel cooking grates, 441 sq. inch cooking area.
The Weber 121020 Go-Anywhere Charcoal Grill is an embodiment of all you want in a portable charcoal grill. Coming from a reputable brand like Weber, it’s not surprising that it’s a best seller.
It features a sizeable cooking space which can accommodate up to 6 small burgers made using the Weber burger press or any burger of the same size.
Design-wise, it looks cool, sporting a rather distinct design from what we’re used to.
It features an ergonomic and tough handle on top of it and by the sides, there are two more handles. Both are comfortable to the grip and get only a little warm when you’re grilling.
The body of the Weber 121020 portable charcoal grill is made from durable cast iron material while the lid is made from porcelain. On the other hand, the cooking grate is made from plated stainless steel materials along with the legs of the grill.
From a distance, the Weber 121020 grill looks like its heavy. Well, it’s not the lightest grill on this page, but it’s not the heaviest either. Weighing just 14lbs, we think it’s light enough to be called lightweight.
The Weber 121020 grill features folding legs which fold back to the top of the grill to lock the lid in place when you’re done with the grilling.
As soon as you release the legs, it returns under the grill to provide elevation and support.
The grill doesn’t need much assembling out of the box.
With regards to durability, the Weber 121020 grill will surely last as long as you keep it clean after each use to prevent rusting.
The Weber 121020 portable charcoal grill shares a physical resemblance with the Char-Boil Portable Tabletop Charcoal Grill but it’s more aesthetically appealing than the latter.
Of all the things we love about the Weber 121020 Go-Anywhere portable charcoal grill, there’s one flaw we noticed. The legs on the grill seem a little flimsy and look like they can’t support weights of up to 10 lbs.
Furthermore, this grill doesn’t have an ashtray. You need to flip it over to collect the ash after each use. However, it’s easy to flip over and removing the ash takes only a matter of seconds.
Other than that, the Weber 121020 gets a yes from us. If you want a carry case as well as other accessories for cooking, Weber offers a ton of them for relatively low prices.
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#2. Best Lightweight Portable Charcoal Grill – UCO Flatpack Portable Stainless Steel Grill
Materials: Stainless Steel
Weight: 3.3lbs
Size of cooking area: 169 sq. inch
Features: compact-sized, totally collapsible, lightweight, reasonably large cooking surface, quick setup under 60 seconds, stainless steel body with corrosion-resistant coating.
For this review, we took a look at the Regular model of the UCO Flatpack Portable Charcoal Grill. There’s also a Mini model which measures 9 x 6.75 x 7 inches.
The Regular model measures about 13.5 x 10 x 11 inches, and in all honesty, it’s the true definition of portable. Here’s why.
It features a distinctive design. With a V-shaped charcoal chamber, the grill folds and unfolds easily in a matter of seconds. When you replace the grate for cooking, you’re offered with a cooking area of about 169 sq. inches.
When folded, the grill is only about 1.5 inches thick and can fit easily into a backpack with relative ease. That’s a great value.
As we mentioned in the buying guide section of this article, one of the factors to consider when shopping for portable charcoal grills is weight. Our best pick, the Weber 121020 Grill didn’t impress us weight-wise.
However, the reverse is the case with the UCO Flatpack grill which weighs only about 3.3lbs for the Regular model and a tad less than that for the mini model.
The grill is made from a high-quality stainless steel material with corrosion-free coating. In addition to that, the grate is also made from stainless steel.
To make carrying the grill even easier, UCO includes a carrying case. However, the case is only available for the mini model but not the regular model.
A lot of people are probably wondering if it’s ok to use the grill exclusively as a firepit. Well, it’s fine to use it as a firepit. It works with DuraFlame logs and it should keep you warm for as long as the coals are heated.
Any reservations about this portable charcoal grill?
The legs of the grill can’t handle a lot of weight, so whatever you’re doing, keep the weight small.
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#3. Best Portable Charcoal Grill For Beach – XIANGBAN Portable BBQ Charcoal Grill
Materials: Stainless Steel
Weight: 5.2lbs
Size of cooking area: 256 sq. inch
Features: lightweight, heat and scratch-resistant stainless steel frame, comes with accessories for cooking, triple vents to eliminate smoking, u-shaped claws for grill adjustment, folds into a small suitcase.
If you’re looking for a portable charcoal grill for that beach event you’re planning and the XIANGBAN Portable BBQ Charcoal Grill isn’t top on your list, you’ll be missing out on a fine grill.
This compact-sized charcoal grill is made from scratch and heat resistant stainless steel material. The grill sports a rather unique foldable design that leaves it looking like a suitcase when folded.
It measures about 8 x 8 x 2 inches and weighs just about 5.2lbs. The grill is black is available only in black color and honestly, it’s just about the size of a laptop.
Setting it up is easy and takes only a few minutes to do that. It does, however, have legs which are a bit flimsy in our opinion. If you’re grilling heavy stuff on this grill, then chances are that the legs might give way sooner than later.
Apart from being very compact and foldable, the XIANGBAN Portable BBQ Charcoal Grill comes with a handful of accessories to make your cooking easier, faster, and perhaps tastier.
Added accessories include soft barbecue tools, stainless steel shovels, a BBQ fork, two U-claws and of course, the grilling net.
To deal with smoke when grilling, XIANGBAN included three vent layers on two sides of the grill. This ensures that the charcoal burns properly and the smoke is kept minimal.
Let’s also mention that XIANGBAN also equipped this grill with a safety button. The safety button keeps all the accessories from falling out of place. In addition, it also comes in handy when removing the cover of the grill.
Generally, being able to fold and tuck away your charcoal grill after each use is a big blessing in disguise. And that’s what the XIANGBAN Portable BBQ Charcoal Grill offers.
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#4. Best Foldable Portable Charcoal Grill – Shark BBQ Portable Charcoal Grill
Materials: Stainless Steel
Weight: 7lbs
Size of cooking area: 190 sq. inch
Features: foldable, quick assembly and dismantling, comes with a carrying bag, comes with lock tabs for added safety, made with strong stainless steel material.
The Shark BBQ Portable Charcoal Grill shares quite some similarities with the XIANGBAN Portable BBQ Charcoal Grill in terms of foldable design. And for a portable grill with 190 sq. inches of cooking surface, it’s impressive.
It’s built with high-quality rugged stainless steel materials which we think are going to last for a long time, no kidding. And like other portable grills, the grate on this one too is made from stainless steel too.
Assembling the grill is as easy as ABC, thanks to the concise instructions provided by Shark BBQ. However, it’s slightly different from what we’ve seen so far in terms of foldability.
The Shark BBQ Portable Charcoal Grill comes with a carrying bag. It’s certainly not the strongest carrying bag, but it’ll work.
When folded, the grill is barely about 2-inches high. Given this height, fitting it into the trunk of your car or even under a seat in your truck won’t be a problem.
The legs with some of the portable charcoal grills we’ve seen so far give us concern and the legs on the Shark BBQ grill aren’t an exception. A little bit of overweight can cause it to snap.
Nevertheless, it will serve you if you grill food that is not heavy on it.
The Shark BBQ portable charcoal grill measures about 14 x 14 x 2 inches and as we mentioned earlier, it offers you about 190 sq. inches of cooking area, enough to contain about two dozen hot dogs.
While cooking with this grill, you get enough vents for the fire. It sure does its job of keeping the unit from filling your lungs with smoke.
So far so good, we’re impressed by the Shark BBQ Portable Charcoal Grill which is why we recommend it for people looking for foldable portable grills that can tag along with them to anywhere they are going.
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#5. The Smokey Joe Grill – Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill
Materials: Stainless Steel
Weight: 18lbs
Size of cooking area: 324 sq. inch
Features: 18-inch kettle-like design, comes with an ashtray, porcelain-enameled lid, and bowl, comes with a lid holder, good dampers, sizeable cooking area of about 324 sq. inch
The Weber Jumbo Joe portable charcoal grill is the second Weber grill we’re reviewing in this roundup of the best portable charcoal grills. Also known as the Smokey Joe Grill, this kettle shaped grill is all it says it is.
Coated in black, the Smokey Joe Grill is partly made from stainless steel but also includes a porcelain-enameled lid. The bowl for the charcoal is also made of porcelain whilst the legs, grate and the ashtray are both made from stainless steel.
The Weber Jumbo Joe portable charcoal grill is not as light as we expected – a characteristic most Weber grills share.
It weighs about 18lbs, almost five times as much as the UCO Flatpack Portable Stainless Steel Grill. Additionally, it measures about 19.75 x 20.5 x 19.75 inches and offers a cooking area of about 324 sq. inches.
With such ample cooking area, you can easily cook up to 7 or 8 burgers at once especially if they were made using a Weber burger press.
The Smokey Joe grill comes with an ashtray placed at the bottom of the cooking area. Thus, collecting ash when you’re done the cooking is much easier on the grill.
There are also dampers situated in the right places to give you a grip of the flames on the grill.
The Weber Jumbo Joe portable charcoal grill is undoubtedly a great piece of equipment although it’s not geared towards people who are looking for something that can fit into a backpack
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#6. Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill
Materials: Steel
Weight: 8lbs
Size of cooking area: 196 sq. inch
Features: lightweight, folds to become about 1-inch thick, stainless steel material, easy to fold and unfold, sizeable 196 sq. inch cooking area.
The Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill is another wonderful portable charcoal grill we like. It’s foldable and can easily fit into a 1-inch storage bag with little or no hassles.
Design-wise, it sports a rather unique design which is similar to what we’ve seen especially on the UCO Flatpack Portable Stainless Steel Grill. Both fold in a similar fashion.
The Fire Sense charcoal grill offers an impressive 196 sq. inches of cooking space. It is ample for grilling food for up to six persons at a go.
All around, the unit measures 14.8 x 11.8 x 17.5 inches and is made from stainless steel material. In addition to that, it weighs about 8lbs which is pretty lightweight.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t come with a carrying case. You’d have to purchase that separately if you want to. Unlike the UCO Flatpack Portable Stainless Steel Grill that can be used as a firepit, this Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill cannot be used as a firepit.
Aside from that, it also has a few flaws. The paint seems to burn off when you cook the first time. In addition, some of the welds that hold it together seem to be misaligned.
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#7. Weber 10020 Smokey Joe 14-Inch
Materials: Aluminum
Weight: 9.5lbs
Size of cooking area: 196 sq. inch
Features: made from aluminum, has a porcelain-enameled lid, weighs about 9.5lbs, has stainless steel grates, comes with an ashtray, well-placed dampers.
The Weber 10020 Smokey Joe 14-Inch is a smaller sibling to the Weber Jumbo Joe Charcoal Grill which we reviewed earlier. They share a few similarities with respect to design but not weight and build material.
With respect to weight, the Weber 10020 weighs about 9.5lbs – this is half the weight of the Jumbo Joe Grill. It has a sizeable cooking area with 196 sq. inches of space and measures about 17 x 14.2 x 14.5 inches.
The Weber 10020 Smokey Joe grill is made from aluminum materials. However, the lid is made from enameled porcelain – a typical characteristic of the kettle-shaped grills from Weber.
In addition, the grate is made from stainless steel and it does appear sturdy.
There are dampers placed in the right places on the grill and they help in giving you good control over the flames on your grill. Aside from the dampers, the Weber 10020 Smokey grill offers an ashtray under the bowl.
Do we have any reservations about this?
Yes, the grill lacks side handles. How’re you supposed to move it especially when it’s hot? Additionally, there is no hook that secures the grate firmly to the bowl.
If you slightly move the grate to add charcoal, you risk losing the food you’re grilling dropping into the charcoal.
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#8. Best For RV – GoBQ Portable Charcoal Grill
Materials: Silicone coated fiberglass
Weight: 9lbs
Size of cooking area: 196 sq. inch
Features: Made from silicone-coated fiberglass material, cooking area of 196 sq. inches, unique design, foldable design, can fit into a carry bag
Donning a rather astounding design is the GoBQ portable charcoal grill. This portable charcoal grill can be mistaken for a tumbling composter when you look at it from afar although it’s much smaller than a composter.
It measures about 14 x 6 x 8 inches and weighs just 9.07 lbs.
Based on the design, we thought the grill won’t be foldable. It folds but doesn’t completely fold down like some of the other portable charcoal grills we’ve reviewed.
As a matter of fact, when it’s folded, its size is about 17% its original size when unfolded. Given this great reduction, fitting it into a TSA bin or an overhead compartment when traveling won’t be a problem.
The GoBQ Portable Charcoal Grill is great for tailgating and a handful of RV owners are glad to own one of it.
We honestly like the design of the grill. The legs are sturdy and are made from stainless steel materials. They feature rubber feet at the joints and it helps to keep them glued onto a surface while you’re grilling.
A part of the legs serves as a handle for the grill especially when it’s in use. It gets a bit hot when in use so be careful when lifting it with the handle on.
Any flaws?
Well, the top lid doesn’t snap properly into place. It can make your food get too hot quickly and this can lead to having undone food.
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#9. Homemaxs Stainless Steel BBQ Charcoal Grill
Materials: Stainless Steel
Weight: 6.7lbs
Size of cooking area: 256 sq. inch
Features: traditional grill design, foldable, easy to set up, strong legs, made from stainless steel materials, 12 airway vents, stainless steel materials.
The Homemaxs Stainless Steel BBQ Charcoal Grill is a portable charcoal grill that still has a touch of traditional charcoal grills. It’s a lightweight portable grill, coming in at 6.7lbs.
With that weight comes a sizeable cooking area which measures about 256 sq. inches. This is arguably large enough to grill food for about 6 people.
As we mentioned earlier, it rocks the traditional grill design but in a much more resplendent way. So design-wise, there’s really nothing special about it.
The Homemaxs Stainless Steel BBQ Charcoal Grill is made from a combination of iron, stainless steel, and chrome with stainless steel being the most dominant of the three materials.
This is quite different from the use of stainless steel as a sole material for some of the portable grills we have reviewed here. By the way, the paint didn’t peel off on the first use.
There are 12 events around the body of the Homemaxs Stainless Steel BBQ Charcoal Grill. Each of the vents provides the required air for the charcoal to burn properly.
The home Max portable charcoal grill also has handles on both sides. They seem a bit wobbly but that, notwithstanding, we think they’re going to last a while.
Setting up the Homemaxs Stainless Steel BBQ Charcoal Grill is as easy as ABC and it takes just a few seconds. All you need to do is open the grill, unfold the feet, and set it down. And that’s how you fold it up when you’re done.
As for the cooking grate, it sits tightly in place while you are grilling. If you would like to add more charcoal slightly raise it up and gently toss in the charcoal.
Any flaws about this grill?
The handles get hot as a result of the heat coming out from the vents. So if you’re not careful you’ll probably get your fingers burned for not allowing it to cool down before touching it. A rubber or ceramic grip would have helped.
In addition to that, we miss having a lid on this portable charcoal grill. Other than that, it gets a yes from us.
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#10. Best Large – Starwide Go Portable Charcoal Grill
Materials: Stainless Steel
Weight: 45lbs
Size of cooking area: 1089 sq. inch
Features: distinct design, large cooking area, hanging hooks for utensils, stainless steel finish, its lid can be used as a tray/bbq table, has wheels for easy movement, rubberized feet, comes with a ton of accessories.
To think that we saved the best for the last gives us sheer joy. The Starwide Go Portable Charcoal Grill is worth every penny you’ll spend on it. This portable charcoal grill can buy about 7 of the other portable grills on this list.
That said, you already know it doesn’t come cheap. However, it’s still very much affordable considering the value that you’ll get when you buy it.
Away from the price now, the Starwide Go Portable Charcoal Grill weighs about 45lbs. Honestly, it’s way too heavy to even be on our list.
However, it makes up for its weight by having wheels that help in moving it. There are only two wheels in front. At the back, the leg stands firm on the ground and is fitted with an anti-slip rubber material.
As we mentioned earlier, the Starwide Go Portable Charcoal Grill sports a rather eye-catching design. It’s shaped like a mini-bus – more like the old Volkswagen Type 2 bus.
And the red color makes it impossible to miss it from afar.
It offers a sizeable amount of cooking space when the lid is taken off. The cooking area measures about 1089 sq. inches and is large enough to prepare food for up to 8 persons at once.
Setting up the grill is a bit tricky at first since it’s not totally set up from the factory. It doesn’t take much time to do that if you follow the instructions for setup.
The grill has a locking mechanism that locks it when it’s unfolded. To unfold the grill, you simply need to turn the handle by the right side of the grill.
Let’s not forget to mention that the Starwide Go Portable Charcoal Grill is made from stainless steel materials. It comes with a few cooking accessories that are also made from stainless steel.
There is a tarpaulin cover for carrying the grill when it’s not in use. From all indications, it’s made from tough PVC material and it’s waterproof.
Other things we like about this grill include the ashtray, the included waterproof grill cover, two grates, a BBQ fan, and a frying pan.
We also like the fact that the grill’s lid can be used as a tray. Actually, it doubles as a tray or as a table – with legs that can be folded and unfolded with ease. Talk about ingenuity!
Save for the 45lbs weight, the Starwide Go Portable Charcoal Grill is certainly everything a lot of people need in for their outdoor grilling activities.
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Final Words
Make every outdoor moment count with the best steaks and grilled chicken made with any of these portable charcoal grills. While shopping, keep in mind factors like weight, foldability, easy to set up, cooking space, and of course, build quality – these five factors are important for anyone looking to buy a nice portable charcoal grill.
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