The 10 Best Tabletop Charcoal Grills

Editor's Notes

April 09, 2020:

For this update, we replaced three new entries, including the Char-Griller 2424, a high-end model that is now unavailable. We brought in another premium grill, the Oklahoma Joe's Rambler, to make sure we included an option for those with higher budgets.

With all the bells and whistles of full-size grills, the Oklahoma Joe's Rambler is a great choice if you're working with foods that require more cooking precision than basic models can provide. Its glow in the dark temperature gauge, air dampers, and a lid-mounted smokestack give you the heat control needed to cook steaks, chops, and ribs. It's built like a tank though, and at 48 pounds wouldn't be ideal for situations that require a lot of moving around.

We also added the Isumer Barbecue as an option for those with a lower budget. It's not the most durable, so you wouldn't want to be tossing it in your truck bed or leaving it outside overnight, but its a perfectly good option for grilling up a meal for a couple people. I was really interested in its square-grid grate, which prevents food from falling through into the coals. This design makes this grill better than most for cooking small items, like chicken skewers, or individual meat pieces, Korean barbeque-style.

Even though these grills are relatively small, they can still be extremely dangerous if safety precautions aren't observed. Charcoal can reach temperatures up to 800 degrees, so always make sure it's placed on a sturdy surface to reduce the risk of tipping over. Moreover, never transport your grill once it's lit, so make sure it can remain on that surface for a long time.