Grill
Every portable grill publishes its size, and the number that decides whether it feeds two people or four is the cooking area. This guide puts five grills sold in the US side by side, from a flat-folding stainless model to a cast iron tabletop grill.
Five grills, compared on packed form and cooking area.
The Cuisinart CCG190: a 14 in kettle with a 196 sq in chrome-plated grate, dual adjustable vents and three lid locks for transport, at a stated 4 lb. It is around $40.
The Zarkind ICP-A003: a foldable stainless tabletop grill with a flat-fold structure, a fitted oxford carry bag, and tool-free assembly in under a minute. It is around $40.
The Minxchen KJ-2026: a 17 in foldable stainless grill with a 17.3 × 11.4 in grilling area and five side vents, around $18.
The Royal Gourmet CD1519: 303 sq in, with a front charcoal access door, three-level fire grates and two air dampers, around $100.
The Oklahoma Joe’s Rambler: 218 sq in in heavy-duty steel with cast iron grates and a height-adjustable charcoal tray, around $175.
Check what your building actually permits. Rules on charcoal on balconies vary by state, city and lease, and this is the one part of the decision a product page cannot help with.
Where rules, smoke and clearance decide everything before cooking does.
Where portability and safe transport of fuel are the questions.
Where a compact model with a lid gives more capability than its size suggests.
Where storage between uses matters as much as the cooking.
| Your situation | The option | The check |
|---|---|---|
| Flat with restrictions | Electric | Read the lease first |
| Permitted outdoor space | Compact charcoal or gas | Clearance distances |
| Car boot | Portable model | Transporting fuel safely |
| Very tight balcony | Smallest safe option | Clearance over capacity |
Compact grills live outdoors in small spaces where they cannot easily be sheltered, and that is what finishes them. Salt air, standing rainwater and ash left in the base all attack thin metal quickly, and a portable model takes knocks in transport as well.
Balconies are the highest-risk grill setting.
Prices quoted in this text were read on October 31, 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
14 in portable charcoal kettle with a 196 sq in chrome-plated grate, dual adjustable vents, three lid locks for transport, an enamel-coated firebox and an ash base, at a stated 4 lb
The 14-inch Cuisinart kettle under a second reference — same price, same specification, a different catalog weight.
Best for: The same job as its twin — buy whichever of the two references is cheaper on the day
≈ $36
Foldable stainless steel tabletop charcoal grill with a flat-fold structure, an included fitted oxford carry bag, tool-free assembly in under a minute, ventilation holes on both sides and reinforced legs
The only grill here that folds flat and ships with a fitted oxford bag, packed to 8.27 in (210 mm) thick.
Best for: Carrying — a hike, a beach, a car boot already full, where packed size decides it
≈ $40
17 in foldable stainless steel charcoal grill with a 17.3 × 11.4 in (45.9 × 27.4 cm) grilling area, five side vents, a split design and no assembly required
A foldable stainless grill with a 17.3 × 11.4 in area and five side vents, for twenty dollars.
Best for: Direct grilling at a picnic table — burgers, sausages and skewers, over open coals
≈ $22
303 sq in portable charcoal grill with a front charcoal access door, 3-level adjustable fire grates, two air dampers (one on the body and one on the lid), porcelain-enamelled steel wire cooking grates and a chrome-plated warming rack
The only grill here with a front charcoal door, three fire-grate heights and a damper on body and lid both.
Best for: A long cook away from home — refuel through the door, move the fire, control both vents
≈ $100
218 sq in tabletop charcoal grill in heavy-duty steel with thick cast iron grates, a height-adjustable charcoal tray, a professional temperature gauge with glow-in-the-dark accents, a rubber-gripped lid handle, a full-size removable ash pan and a 2-year warranty
The only grill here with a warranty — two years on all parts — plus cast iron grates and a glowing gauge.
Best for: A grill that travels by car and is kept for years — the only one here with a warranty behind it
≈ $198
Roughly 9.8 × 9.8 in (25 × 25 cm) feeds two, and 17.7 × 11.8 in (45 × 30 cm) feeds four. Overall dimensions tell you what fits in the car; only the grate tells you what fits on the fire.
That depends entirely on your building and your local rules, which vary widely and often prohibit charcoal on balconies. Check your tenancy or building regulations before buying — it is not a question we can answer for you.
Less than on a kettle, because portables are used for fast direct cooking. The Cuisinart here is a 14 in kettle with dual adjustable vents and three lid locks, which is the exception.
Check your lease and building rules first, since many prohibit certain types outright. That answer comes before any choice of model.
Electric, because it produces no combustion products. Charcoal and gas are frequently restricted or banned on balconies.
Never in an enclosed or partly enclosed space. Carbon monoxide gives no warning and is lethal, which is why the rules exist.
Follow the manufacturer’s stated distances and any building rules. On a balcony clearance is usually the binding constraint, not cooking area.
It is the commonest source of dispute in shared buildings. Considering where the smoke goes is part of using one responsibly.
A compact model that packs down, with attention to transporting fuel safely and to where you may legally light it.
Good for: The same job as its twin — buy whichever of the two references is cheaper on the day
What it does best: Three lid locks for transport, which no other grill on this shelf offers in any form
What it does badly: Its catalog weight of 2.0 lb (0.9 kg) contradicts the maker’s own bullet of four pounds
Good for: Carrying — a hike, a beach, a car boot already full, where packed size decides it
What it does best: Folds to 210 millimeters thick and ships with a fitted oxford bag, which is the only honest answer to "portable" on this shelf
What it does badly: Publishes no cooking area, which is the one number you need to compare it with anything here
Good for: Direct grilling at a picnic table — burgers, sausages and skewers, over open coals
What it does best: Ten cents a square inch of grilling area, a ninth of what the Oklahoma Joe’s costs per inch
What it does badly: No lid at all, so there is no indirect cooking, no smoking and no way to hold a temperature
Good for: A long cook away from home — refuel through the door, move the fire, control both vents
What it does best: A front charcoal access door — the only one here, and the only way to refuel without dumping the heat
What it does badly: Publishes 303 square inches "overall" without saying how much is grate and how much is warming rack
Good for: A grill that travels by car and is kept for years — the only one here with a warranty behind it
What it does best: The only published warranty on this shelf: two years on grates, lid and all other parts
What it does badly: Twenty-two kilograms, sold as portable, which is a two-handed lift into a car boot
Lids, handles and spares from the same aisle, at the price we read. Confirm they match the pan you choose before ordering: it turns on the diameter and the part number, which the product page gives.
The pans here are drawn from the catalog of this site. Specifications come from the maker and from the Amazon product page; prices are what Keepa recorded on the date below, and both move. Order is set by declared specifications, by stated strengths against stated limits, and by price. Nothing here has been cooked with by us, and no claim to the contrary is made.
Last checked on
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
