Elevate Your Mobile Grilling Game

Summertime goes hand in hand with a few things, and chief among them might be hitting the road and grilling all the things. But grilling while out and about can be a pain — hauling charcoal and a big ol’ grill around in the back of your car is not ideal, and finding a grill nobody’s using at your campsite or picnic area can just be a crapshoot. (Trust me, nobody appreciates being circled by a group of grill-hungry sharks as they grill up their own meal.) Plus, many of the grills deemed “portable” are really small, so unless you’re only cooking for a couple of people, you’ll be stuck flipping burgers for a long time.
Also, if you’re accustomed to grilling with gas on your grill at home, it can be a bit challenging (although certainly not impossible!) to suddenly work with charcoal. And, really, isn’t part of the joy of grilling in the summer supposed to be that it’s easy to just toss a few things on and eat up?

I had a chance to check out a pretty revolutionary new product called the Elevate Grill. It’s the largest portable gas grill on the market, with dual 12-inch cooking spaces — that can hold a whole lot of hot dogs, kebabs, burgers, you name it. It folds up easily into a slim silhouette, and it truly holds just about everything — propane canister, both grates, grease pans (which are removable and dishwasher safe, but will not leak out when you’re carrying them home after your cookout), and even provides 14,000 BTUs of grilling power (which means it can cook, for real). It features automatic ignition (no lighter necessary!) and a handle to facilitate portability.
I recently hit the beach with my husband, my friend Sarah, and my Elevate Grill in tow, and here are our thoughts:

Elevate Grill: Portable Gas Grill Review

 It’s awesome for …

• grilling in a set, remote location, like camping (if you’re able to park somewhat nearby).
• preparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian food separately (or separating other ingredients for dietary restrictions).
• cooking items that require different temperatures (one on each side).
• grilling for a crowd (286 square inches of cooking surface!).
• setting up and feeding folks quickly — even when you first receive it, there’s no assembly required (unless you count putting the plates in as assembly).
• easy clean up.

It’s alright for …

• grilling in a more remote location that requires a short (<1 mile walk) — it weighs a little over 20 pounds, so holding that single handle can get a bit heavy before long.

It’s not great for …

• backpacking — carrying it for long distances is difficult.
• super quick stops, because while it sets up and gets going very quickly, you do need to give it at least 20 minutes or so to cool down enough to carry.

We’d love to see …

• an over-the-shoulder bag (or backpack!) to make carrying it longer distances a bit easier. Even just a strap would be very helpful.
• additional plates. There’s an optional griddle plate available (which would be AWESOME for pancakes and eggs!), but it’s currently in short supply and only available by phone order, and some sort of skillet with edges would really add to the versatility (although I would imagine it would make folding it up nicely a challenge).

At $249.99, it might not be an impulse purchase, but if you want to grill in the great outdoors a few times over the summer, it might be just the right addition to your culinary arsenal.
And just think about the possibilities for tailgating …
Do you like to grill on the go? There’s something pretty special about putting together a hot, delicious meal when you’re nowhere near a kitchen. —Kristen