290 of 297 people found the following review helpful:
I've owned three - while my expensive grill sits un-used
I bought one of these things ten years ago and despite twice replacing it with big, traditional-looking (and very expensive) grills I keep coming back to this one. In fact, when we bought our latest one at a local fireplace/grill store, the owner just couldn't stop talking about this cheap little grill. He confided to me in a low voice that if I were to lift the lid...
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
Good, but not great
I know this grill got great reviews, and maybe I'm doing something wrong but even though I fired it up on high for at least ten minutes, I still could not get it to cook my steaks with a nice crisp charcoal exterior. The outside stayed a medium brown. I belive it's because of the "flavorizer" which sets under the grate. It does prevent flareups, but I think...
I bought one of these things ten years ago and despite twice replacing it with big, traditional-looking (and very expensive) grills I keep coming back to this one. In fact, when we bought our latest one at a local fireplace/grill store, the owner just couldn't stop talking about this cheap little grill. He confided to me in a low voice that if I were to lift the lid of his own $2500 home gas barbecue, I'd find this little gem sitting inside because it's all he uses too.
Why? It's not ease of cleaning or durability or any of that stuff (they rust out after a few years sitting on the porch). And you'd better buy a big propane bottle with an adapter hose if you don't want to those little gas cylinders to suddenly empty out on you mid-meal while you're cooking for guests... No, the reason I adore this is that it just plain grills better than anything else on the market - and we've tried a lot of them.
My wife, the culinary school grad, thinks it's the "flavorizer" that does it (the metal pan that replaces those awful lava rocks). When we grill salmon we just cover that metal pan with alderwood chips and let the smoke penetrate the fish while it grills with the lid on tight - flat out beating every restaurant or neighborbood grilled fish ever made. Friends of mine simply won't cook salmon for us.
Even though we virtually never clean the thing, it simply does the best job flavor-wise of all our grills. If you crank it up to high for 10 minutes, then grill with the top closed (never open) you get very consistent heat which is the secret to good grilling.
Some cookbook author who writes barbecue books constantly repeats the phrase "Know Your Fire" like a mantra. This fire is 100% consistent, heats up in minutes (again, no lava rocks to soak up heat) and produces superb results for us. If you know your fire, this is the fire to know.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
I've owned a Weber Go-Anywhere for a couple of years now and it's been a regular part of my outdoor cooking. Gets up to temperature quickly and is great for grilling simple stuff like salmon, chicken and sausages. The food doesn't taste *quite* as good as my mesquite-fired kettle BBQ but the Go-Anywhere also doesn't take 30 minutes to fire up.
The piezzo lighter flaked out on my Weber a couple of months after I bought it but it's pretty easy to light with a match. As another review mentioned, they do rust pretty quickly but they're really sturdy and basic. It grills as well as it did when I first bought it.
Strongly recommended for folks looking for a small, no-nonsense (or frills) gas BBQ.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
96 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
Weber Portable Gas Grill, March 24, 2000
By A Customer
I bought one of these compact units for my mother three years ago. She liked it so much and found it so easy to use that I got one for myself last summer. It is easy to clean and does a great job of cooking small quantities of food in a short time. It is easy to transport and easy on gas. It starts easily and stays lit even on windy days. I found that one end of the grill is cooler than the other which is nice for warming or holding food before serving.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
I remember in college my roomie had this old gas hibachi purchased at WalMart for about $25. It was all we could use at the apartment, so it had to be small. It cooked unevenly, never got super hot, but got us through two years of school.
Fast forward nine years later, where $50 doesn't seem like a huge sum of cash anymore. Based on some reviews here, I ordered it up. I have cooked ten meals on it - pork, chicken, burgers, fish tonight. It cooks better than ANY grill I have used before, full-size or not.
It gets pretty hot, for one. The drip pan over the pro-style burner tube vaporizes all of the fallen juices, smoking things up real good and giving food a great flavor. You just have to let it crank for 10 minutes on high to get up to temp, then adjust the temp to your liking.
You can tell out of the box the difference Weber makes in grill making. It is heavier than you would think. The burner tube is a full length unit, covering the enetire cooking area. The regulator is even better than on the portable grills you find at K Mart. The drip pan replaces those terrible, smoky, greasy lava rocks. The ignitor is a nice touch.
Some keys to good grilling though - always, always keep the lid on. Don't poke your food - lets all the juices out!
Only cons to this unit -- the disposable propane tanks get expensive, and this grill goes through them pretty quickly (if you use the grill every day, of course). And lastly, the right side of the unit cooks ever so slightly cooler then the rest of the unit (good for veggies, etc).
Best portable anywhere!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
As someone who doesnt like spending the weekends at home, I often travel and talegate before sporting events or camping out. I have had a few travel along grills in the past, and this will be the last grill I ever buy. The ease of use and cooking quality make this the best grill I have ever used.
Its compact size makes this easy to travel with and pack, and cleaning is not that hard (even after a couple of beers :). The flame heats up quickly and cooks meat evenly, so you can cook up to six hamburgers or two steaks at one time. The meat tastes great, and unlike charcoal grills cooks evenly.
If you ever camp out or talegate (or ever bar b que at all), buy this grill. Remember to take along a couple of extra propaine tanks just in case it runs out. This will make any cooking occasion better than you have had before.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Nobody has mentioned one big factor in this grill's favor. The housing is porcelain coated steel, not just painted. The porcelain is a much more durable coating. I had one of the $20 cheapies, and rust was a big problem even with the unit sitting protected from rain in my garage between uses. The Weber will outlast the others several times over -- and look a lot more presentable while doing so. In addition, the electronic lighter is a lot safer and more convenient than match lighting. No chance of burning your hand with this little grill!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
I phoned Weber Customer Service concerning the 14 oz fuel canister specification. Customer Service advised me that 16 oz canisters work just fine.
Customer Service said the 14 oz fuel canister specification is due to the "Q" grill. Weber found the heavier 16 oz fuel canister could tip over the "Q" grill. In order to avoid "confusing their customers", Weber recently changed documentation for ALL portable grills so as to specify 14 oz.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This Webber gas grill is a joy to use. It is easily portable (perfect for tailgating, picnics ...) and simple to use. You can buy the propane tanks in any department store ...I have found that one propane can... is enough for at least 3 grill times (for 2 people).
The food itself cooks well and has a nice flavoring. Dogs, burgers and ribs have all come out very well using this grill. There is enough surface area to feed about 3 adults on average.
My only complaint would be that the gas starter button is a little flimsy; you need to be careful when starting it. But this is a great product and I love using it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
I've owned this grill for one year now and it works perfectly. Heats fast and cooks well. It's a great sized grill for an individual or for a small gathering.
It is more solid and sturdy than others I've owned and used. Handles and lockable legs make it easy to carry or bring anywhere. A stay-cool handle on the lid makes it safe to check on your food without burning your hand.
A neat feature found on this small grill is the push button ignition. Be careful though, because when you press it, flames do shoot out the sides. But it is not as bad as most grills.
It is easy to clean and store inside during the winter.
I highly recommend this grill for people who don't cook for large groups, for campers and for grill lovers.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This little grill is a very nice design. It was very easy to put together and the parts seem to be very high quality with the exception of the regulator valve. The valve seems very loose but works ok. You must be very careful when screwing the propane tank on because the regulator casting threads can strip easily as the metal is soft. That hasn't happened to me, I lubricated them and am very careful when screwing the tank on. The flame did blow out when set to medium or low. It wasn't very windy out at all when this happened. My advice, just use it on high, it doesn't get as hot as a larger grill using coals, but it gets the job done. I looked at many portable grilles before buying this one. Many of them were similar but the overall higher quality of this one was worth the few extra dollars. The BIGGEST advantage of buying the Weber is that if and when you need a replacement part, you will be able to get it from Weber.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
