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Contrary to popular belief, bigger isn’t always better, and sometimes you don’t need a behemoth of a grill to make a fantastic meal. Besides, what better way to share the joy of grilling than by having a portable grill on hand to take with you to any outdoor setting? You might think that saving space may come with the sacrifice of quality cooking, but this couldn’t be far from the truth.
We’ve done our research to look for the best propane gas grills for small spaces, keeping the best of the best in mind and excluding the rest. Our quest for the best has led us to discover Weber’s Q line of portable propane grills, which offer quality grilling while still working with a small cooking area.
Because there are three grills in this particular line, we’ve created a Weber Q grills comparison post so that you know how the three products compare when standing side by side.
Weber Q1200 vs. Q2200 vs. Q3200 Comparison:
1. Weber Q1200 Liquid Propane Grill
The Q1200 comes ready right out of the box, no assembly is required. When you’re eager to get cooking, this can factor into the satisfaction you’ll feel when your grill finally comes, heightening your experience as a buyer.
The standard titanium might not do it for you, and that’s perfectly fine. The Q1200 comes in five other colors – black, blue, green, red, and orange – letting you match the style of your outdoor decor or simply enabling you to choose a color you like for the sake of the look of it. We can all agree that it’s nice to have options, after all.
For such a small grill, you might worry that it wouldn’t hold up well in the wind. Surprisingly, the Q1200 cooks evenly and without issues, even in windier conditions. The wind resistance makes this grill suitable to take with you anywhere from a campsite in a calm environment to the beach where the sea breeze blows all day long
The Weber 1200 portable gas grill is a no-frills, top-quality tailgate grill that comes at the price of only 200 dollars. In the realm of affordable Weber grills, the Q1200 has you covered with folding side tables, a sturdy glass-reinforced nylon frame, and instant ignition, all at a reasonable price.
All you need are disposable liquid propane cylinders and you’ll be ready to heat up four steaks worth of cooking space for a meal anywhere you go.
The Q1200 is the perfect companion for frequent travelers and individuals with small families or tight-knit social circles. While it isn’t as powerful or as spacious as the other grills on this list, it’s sturdy, cooks beautifully, and is so easy to set up that you wouldn’t need to know a thing about grills to turn it on.
The Q1200 might be the perfect partner, especially if you already have a bigger grill that you can only use in your backyard.
Benefits
- Portability: Out of all the Weber grills on our list, the Q1200 is the most compact and portable of the three. Because the grill only weighs about 30 pounds, it’s incredibly easy to pick up and take with you anywhere. If you’re looking for motorhome or RV grills when in a small space and always on the move, this grill is probably going to end up becoming your best friend.
- Affordability: You’ve probably google-searched something like the best gas BBQ grills under $300 if you’re working on a budget. Long lists can overwhelm you, though, so trust us when we tell you that this is the grill that caters to a budget best. The low price allows you the money to put towards other accessories as well, such as the foldable cart, protective cover, and compatible griddle to make your Q1200 into a grill and griddle combo.
- Straightforward Cleaning: Since this grill is so small, cleaning is a stress-free task. All you’ll need are some disinfecting wipes to wipe down the sides and lid after every grill, and you’ll keep that baby clean for its entire lifespan. Best of all, the porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates are dishwasher safe, so you won’t need to frustrate yourself with excessive scrubbing.
Reservations
- Size: While the smaller size offers benefits like easy cleaning and portability, it also, unfortunately, means a lot less area to cook. One stainless steel burner heats 189 square inches of cooking space, which is the smallest cooking area out of every grill on this list. Luckily, the 8,500 BTU burner and the dome lid ensure even cooking to make whatever meal you make in the little Weber come out grilled to perfection.
- Grease Smoke: Purchasing the vinyl cover does protect the grill from the outside elements, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get full protection from imperfections. Over time, the smoke may discolor the sides of your grill’s lid, but it won’t be immediately noticeable. This grease smoke, unfortunately, won’t be something you can just scrub off, and if it bothers you a great deal, you may have to resort to painting the lid of your grill.
- Thermometer Accuracy: Another problem the Q1200 may give you after extended use is a less accurate thermometer. While the burners will remain working without issue, the built-in thermometer will display lower heat than reality, which might cause you to crank up your infinite burner control and overcook your meat. After you’ve had your Q1200 for a while, you may want to keep a separate thermometer on hand.
2. Weber Q2200 Liquid Propane Grill
With a steel burner that puts out 12,000 BTU, you know that you’re going to get fast heat. Not only is this grill capable of getting up to 450 Fahrenheit in as little as six minutes, it only takes 30 seconds to get back up to heat if you need to open the lid. Your worry of escaping heat will be no more knowing that your grill will have no problem picking back up right where it left off.
For extra 70 dollars, you get nearly 100 more square inches of cooking space – 280 square inches to be exact, as opposed to the Q1200’s 189 square inches. This extra space, combined with the compact nature of the Q2200, means the grill is suitable as a BBQ grill for one person or a small crowd. The folding tables are more extensive, the grip handles are more substantial, and the lid is higher, all for your convenience
The Weber Q2200 is incredibly similar to the Weber Q1200 portable LP gas grill but remodeled into something that brings a little extra to the table. With all the same desirable features, like the electronic ignition, removable catch pan, and rust-resistant aluminum construction, you get extra space and more bang for your buck.
The Q2200 deserves its spot on the list of best Weber grills because, at 270 dollars, Weber shows you that an extra 70 bucks can make all the difference.
The Weber Q2200 may be the perfect middle ground between the other two grills on the list, offering a pleasing amount of space while still being small enough to transport. If you loved the idea of the Q1200 or have one yourself, the Q2200 is a worthy upgrade.
Benefits
- Tall Lid: A taller lid means the ability to accommodate larger meats. Have you ever wanted to cook a roast on a camping trip? Well, you’ve finally found the grill for you. The nature of the dome shape also means that the heat circulates evenly while the lid is closed, giving you thoroughly cooked meat every time you grill.
- Sturdy Construction: Even though this product still falls under the category of a baby Weber grill, it doesn’t mean it falls under the category of weak construction. Not only does the aluminum body hold up well against rust, wind, and hail, but the side tables are even more durable than they might seem at first glance. The side handles and cradles in the front and rear also add to the secure feeling of this particular Weber grill.
- Portable & Spacious: At only 40 pounds, the Q2200 offers similar portability to the Q1200 but with the addition of that extra cooking space. Whether using this as a grill for apartment balcony cooking, grilling on a camping trip, or taking it with you to a friend’s place, you’ll still be able to haul it around without breaking your back.
Reservations
- Heavy on the Cart: While the grill itself is high-grade construction, the cart you can purchase for it is essentially the same model as the cart that matches the Q1200. Unfortunately, that means that the extra weight of the Q2200 makes the cart wobblier than the Q1200 would. Thankfully, the bottom on this grill doesn’t become scorching hot, making this one of the best tabletop barbeque grills when you don’t feel like the cart is the safest surface to trust with your grill.
- Little New Features: You might end up underwhelmed by the Q2200 if you’re expecting a dramatic difference from the Q1200. Anyone who does less analysis than us might even just chalk the Q2200 up to, “same as the Q1200 but bigger,” and while we have the evidence to tell you that isn’t the whole truth, it is part of it. There isn’t much of a difference between the two, but if you nitpick as much as we do, we guarantee you will see the differences.
3. Weber Q3200 Liquid Propane Grill
Pushing the button to ignite the grill means starting up two burners that add up to a total of 21,700 BTU, making this an insanely powerful little grill. The heat covers 393 square inches of cooking area and fits about 14 burger patties. Having two burners doesn’t just allow for extra space but ensures that everything in that extra space cooks up to your expectations.
While the other two grills on our list run on disposable liquid propane cylinders, an adapter hose can connect them to a 20-pound propane tank. Unfortunately, the tank has no protection outside of these little grills, but the Q2300 comes made to house a propane tank since it doesn’t run on cylinders. Behind the perforated screen on the cart, a bracket sits to hold the propane tank, securing your fuel source in an easy-to-reach place.
If 393 square inches of cooking space didn’t already make you as glad as could be, the Q2300 comes with a warming rack that offers 75 square inches of space for food that you want to keep warm while you continue grilling.
When the sun goes down, and you want to keep grilling, you won’t need to worry about busting out a flashlight. Lights on the handles of your grill ensure that you’ll be able to see what you’re doing in darker outdoor environments, enabling you to grill the night away
The Weber Q3200 is quite a masterpiece, the big grill of small grills, so to speak. At 420 dollars, this mini Weber BBQ stands on an open cart, runs on two stainless steel burners, and comes with several extra features that you won’t get from the previous two grills.
Even if the Q3200 isn’t portable or lightweight, the heat quality and the construction are top-of-the-line, making this grill worthy to end our list of camping gas barbecue reviews. For a grill that stands the test of time and looks as lovely as it cooks, the Q3200 might be your perfect match.
Benefits
- Outstanding Heat: 21,700 BTU is a lot of responsibility for such a small machine, but this grill handles that heat well. The porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates provide exceptional heat uniformity and excellent heat retention to tackle the massive high-temperature output. The grill can climb up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit without giving you much issue.
- High Quality: While this grill is like the other Q models, with stainless steel burners, an aluminum body, and a glass-reinforced nylon frame, the construction is sensational. Not only is this grill sturdy and resistant to winds up to 50 miles per hour, but the Q3200 also stands up to corrosion incredibly well. Some sources even confess that after five years of use, there aren’t any visible signs of corrosion at all.
Reservations
- Not Portable: Despite all of the Q3200’s beauty, its most fatal flaw is that you can’t take this grill with you anywhere because it isn’t a lightweight portable gas barbeque like the others on this list. The grill itself does not detach from the cart, so while it’s easy to tuck away in the corner of your patio or garage, it’s not ideal for camping trips. For the best cheap portable grill or the best folding BBQ, you’ll want to consider either the Q1200 or the Q2200 instead.
- Long Assembly: While the Q1200 comes ready out of the box and the Q2200 takes barely any work to assemble, the Q2300 has significantly more parts and will take about an hour to put together on your own. The work may be tiring and discouraging, but it will be worth it in the end. Luckily, if you order this grill from Amazon, the manufacturer offers the option of a free expert assembly so that you can have someone else come out and assemble the grill for you if you can’t do it on your own.
Insights and Takeaways
Just as every coin has two sides, each grill will offer its highs and lows. The Q1200 is perfect for taking with you anywhere but is better suited for a single individual or a couple. The Q2200 is ideal for camping trips with a circle of friends but shakes on its cart and may not seem sensational in comparison to its minuscule counterpart.
The Q3200 offers powerful heat and restaurant-worthy cooking, but you can forget about taking it anywhere you can’t roll it.
When it comes to choosing one out of the three, we would have to go with the Q3200. Portability issues aside, what you want most of all from a grill is high-performance capabilities. It doesn’t matter where you can take your grill if it doesn’t cook well, after all.
If being able to take your grill out with you is a dealbreaker, we would suggest the Q2200, which offers more space than the Q1200 and the same portable nature, even if it isn’t as high-grade as the Q3200. Overall, Weber is a highly trusted brand, so whichever of these grills you choose, you can be sure you’re getting a quality product.
