Packed size and cool-down time decide whether it travels twice · review
A foldable stainless grill with a 17.3 × 11.4 in area and five side vents, for twenty dollars.
What we would actually buy Twenty dollars, five vents — more than anything else here — and a 17.3 by 11.4 inch grilling area that works out at ten cents a square inch. It has no lid, which is the whole argument against it.
The cheapest cooking area on this shelf by a long way.
17.3 × 11.4 inches is about 197 square inches — effectively the same as the two Cuisinart grills here, which publish 196 sq in and cost twice as much.
Against the rest:
Nine times the price per inch between the two ends of this shelf.
More than the two Cuisinarts (“dual vents”), more than the Royal Gourmet (two dampers), and more than the $199 Oklahoma Joe’s, which publishes no vent count at all.
On an open grill, side vents feed the coals from the sides. Five of them give an even bed rather than a hot spot over one hole, which is a real benefit on a long narrow firebox.
What they cannot do is throttle the fire. A fire with no lid has unlimited exhaust, so closing the intakes does not slow it much — the coals keep burning from above.
Airflow control needs a lid. Which brings us to the real limit.
The honest boundary of a twenty-dollar grill. What you have is a brazier: coals below, food above, heat going straight up.
That cooks burgers, sausages, skewers, corn and fish very well — and that is most of what anyone actually grills at a picnic table.
What it cannot do:
Nothing indirect. No roasting a chicken. No holding 250 °F for ribs. No smoking. No closing the lid to finish a thick steak after searing it.
The Royal Gourmet on this shelf describes the configuration that does control a fire: two air dampers, one on the main body and the other on the top lid. An intake and an exhaust. That is the pair.
Worth something at this price. The cheap alternative in this category is painted mild steel, which blisters off around the firebox in a season and then rusts.
Minxchen claims rust-resistant, heat-resistant, scratch-proof stainless, with a food-grade stainless cooking grid and a split design so the grease and ash parts come apart to wash.
The Zarkind at $39.90 is the other stainless grill here, and it adds a fitted oxford carry bag and a flat-fold structure.
The catalog lists 50 × 50 × 50 mm (1.97 × 1.97 × 1.97 in) — a two-inch cube — for a grill whose own bullet gives a 17.3 by 11.4 inch surface.
That is a placeholder, not a measurement, so this page tells you nothing about how slim it folds. The Zarkind publishes 671 × 210 × 205 mm (26.4 × 8.27 × 8.07 in), about eight inches thick, if packed size is what you are buying for.
No weight published either, on a shelf that runs from a stated four pounds to twenty-two kilograms.
No warranty — true of seven of the eight grills here. Only the Oklahoma Joe’s publishes one.
On sale at around $18 on the American Amazon store at the time of checking.
Prices and availability are what Keepa reported on the date this page was updated; both move.
Prices quoted in this text were read on 4 October 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.
| Grilling area | 17.3 × 11.4 in (45.9 × 27.4 cm), about 197 sq in |
|---|---|
| Cost per square inch | $0.10 — the lowest on this shelf |
| Vents | Five side vents, to regulate airflow — the highest count here |
| Material | Rust-resistant, heat-resistant, scratch-proof stainless steel |
| Assembly | None — unfold the legs |
| Cleaning | A split design and a food-grade stainless cooking grid |
| Stated uses | Camping, picnics, backyard parties, RV trips |
| Lid | None |
| Thermometer | None |
| Charcoal tray height | Fixed — not adjustable |
| Carry bag | Not stated, where the Zarkind at $39.90 includes one |
| Weight | Not published by the maker |
| Catalog dimensions | The listed 50 × 50 × 50 mm (1.97 × 1.97 × 1.97 in) cannot describe a 17.3 in grill — see the FAQ |
| Warranty | Not published by the maker |
| Amazon reference | B0GKNQCBW7 |
| EAN | 0768152524002 |
Everything except direct grilling, and it is the honest limit of a twenty-dollar grill. Without a lid you have a brazier: coals underneath, food above, heat going straight up into the air. That cooks burgers, sausages, skewers, corn and fish very well, which is most of what anyone grills at a picnic table. What it cannot do is anything indirect — no roasting a chicken, no holding 250 °F for ribs, no smoking, and no finishing a thick steak after the sear. The five vents also only work in one direction: they are all intake, because there is no lid to have an exhaust in. Compare the Royal Gourmet on this shelf, which describes the pair that actually controls a fire — "one on the main body and the other on the top lid".
More intake, yes; more control, not necessarily. Minxchen publishes "five side vents to regulate airflow", which is the highest count on this shelf — the two Cuisinarts have "dual vents", the Royal Gourmet two dampers, and the $199 Oklahoma Joe’s publishes no vent count at all. On an open grill, side vents feed air to the coals from the sides, and five of them give an even bed of heat rather than a hot spot over a single hole. That is genuinely useful. What they cannot do is throttle the fire down, because a fire with no lid has unlimited exhaust: close the side vents on an open grill and the coals still burn from above. Airflow control needs a lid.
No, and it is worth naming rather than repeating. The catalog lists this grill at 50 × 50 × 50 mm (1.97 × 1.97 × 1.97 in) — a two-inch cube — for a product whose own bullet publishes a grilling surface of 17.3 × 11.4 inches. That is a placeholder rather than a measurement, so there is no way to tell from this page how slim it folds. The Zarkind on this shelf publishes a credible folded figure — 671 × 210 × 205 mm (26.4 × 8.27 × 8.07 in), so about eight inches thick — and includes a carry bag. If packed size is what you are buying for, that is the one with the numbers. No weight is published here either, where the shelf runs from a stated 4 lb Cuisinart to a 22 kg (48.5 lb) Oklahoma Joe’s.
Direct grilling at a picnic table — burgers, sausages and skewers, over open coals
Amazon reports what buyers took in the month before this page was last checked: at least 200.
The figure is a floor, rounded by Amazon, and read through Keepa — it says what buyers picked, not what a maker claims.
Specifications: the manufacturer sheet for cookware and kitchen knives and the matching Amazon product page. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure on this page names its source.
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
A 14-inch kettle with 196 square inches, dual vents and three lid locks, at a stated four pounds.
Best for: Tailgating and camping — a proper lidded kettle that travels without making a mess
≈ $40
Tabletop portable charcoal grill and smoker in solid metal with premium chrome wire mesh, a chimney in the lid, a fitted thermometer, a wood top handle, one chrome cooking grid and one charcoal pan
A lidded tabletop smoker with a chimney and a thermometer at 2948 g (104 oz), for forty-four dollars.
Best for: A tabletop smoke — a lid, a chimney and a gauge without the eleven kilograms
≈ $44
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
≈ $40
Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.
