For me, camping and barbecues go hand in hand. Nothing beats getting back from a long day enjoying the great outdoors and firing up my camping barbecue.
What? You don’t have a camping barbecue? Never fear, in this post I have rounded up some of the best camping barbecues (BBQs) you can buy for taking away on your next camping trip.
If you’re in a rush, here’s a full list of all of my favourite BBQs for taking to on your next camping trip.
Best Camping Barbecue
- Femor 3 in 1 Charcoal Smoker – Best for serious chefs
- Esbit Stainless Steel Folding Barbecue – Best folding BBQ
- Grandma Shark BBQ Grill – Great for “at site” setups
- Tripod BBQ – Best for cooking over real campfires
- Kamodo Joe Junior – Seriously cool BBQ
Best For Serious Chefs | Best Folding BBQ | Best for "At Site" Setups | Best for Real Camp Fire Cooking | Best "Seriously Cool" BBQ |
What type of camping barbecue should I buy?
Before jumping in and buying the first BBQ you see, there are a few factors it is worth considering first. The following are some of the factors I consider before buying a new camping BBQ.
Gas vs. Charcoal Barbecue
When you think of camp cooking you probably think of cooking over gas with a small pan or using a disposable barbecue, but these days there are plenty of options available to you.
My preference for barbecuing has always been to use charcoal as I prefer the smokey flavour from the fuel used. Fortunately, there are plenty of great charcoal options available, which means you don’t have to compromise just because you are in your home away from home and not your actual home.
The only additional consideration here is that charcoal will need to be transported to where you are cooking. This may require a separate bag for carrying this unless you want all your things covered in coal.
Gas on the other hand is far easier to carry as it is generally stored in canisters. However, it can be very easy to burn through a significant amount of gas without realising it as it is harder to judge how much you need or how much you are using.
Portability
How portable the barbecue is should also be a consideration here. Whilst it may be tempting to pack your Weber Gas BBQ, this is likely to be a little overkill for the campsite, as well as very restrictive (mainly in terms of car space).
If you are taking something that will remain “at the site”, this needs to be something that can be easily assembled. You will no doubt be spending long enough putting up your tent and there is nothing worse than hungry punters waiting for you to decipher the diagrams on the instructions
Finally, if you plan on barbecuing in an even more scenic setting, such as the beach, you will probably want something that can be easily carried or stored in a bag. Think ahead to your likely cooking destination before making a buying decision.
Cooking Space Required
A further consideration is the size of the cooking area for the barbecue. There’s nothing worse than ordering the fanciest looking bbq only to find that you can only just fit a couple of snags on there.
Typically the cooking area you need will depend on the number of people you are cooking for. The recommendations generally are:
- 1800 cm2 for 2-4
- 2000 cm2 for 6 people
- 2500 cm2 for 8 people
Obviously, these are only recommended sizes and will depend on how coniferous you are feeling. I’m typically a one burger and two sausages kind of guy. Take that into account when choosing how many and how hungry your patrons will be.
Sustainability
Ok so we are talking about burning fossil fuels here, so it seems rich that I am mentioning sustainability, however, it is still important to consider your impact on the environment when purchasing a barbecue.
On this basis, you will notice that I am not recommending any disposable barbecues. Let’s try and limit our carbon footprint where we can shall we?
What is the best camping barbecue?
Based on the considerations above, I have broken so down the selections into different categories to help you choose the ideal BBQ for you.
Best portable barbecue
The following barbecues have been chosen as you can take them with you to wherever you are going to have your food, without being constrained to being near your vehicle. BBQ on the beach? Yes, please. These are perfect portable camping BBQs.
1. Esbit Stainless Steel Folding Barbecue
The Esbit Stainless Steel Folding Barbecue is a great little BBQ for taking with you on your camping trip, to the beach or to the park. The Esbit is made from stainless steel, which I think looks cools and folds down into its own carry bag.
In addition to folding down into a carry bag, there is also another bag inside that you can use to store your charcoal. Now you don’t need to bring charcoal in a separate bag with you just for your fuel.
If you (like me) struggle to keep your BBQ alight in the wind, this BBQ comes with a windshield as well, so you can avoid disappointing the kids when you can’t cook the food.
You should be able to cook for around 4 on this BBQ.
2. Panorama Gifts 2 in 1 BBQ Grill
The Panorama Gifts 2 in 1 BBQ Grill With Cool Bag is a cool little BBQ that comes with an awesome carry bag. Inside the bag, there are two sections, one for the BBQ and one that is a cool bag that can be used to store drinks or to keep food cool as you trek to your BBQ spot.
This BBQ has a grill diameter of 25cm, which is suitable to cook for around 2-3 people.
If you’re after a small, light BBQ, this would make a good choice.
3. La Hacienda Camping Bowl
The La Hacienda Camping Firebowl is a grill that can also work as a fire pit. The fire bowl comes with a handy carry bag, which again makes it a great option for taking on a walk or to the beach.
As mentioned, this fire bowl works great as a fire pit as well, so later on you can have a controlled campfire and toast some marshmallows!
4. Notebook Folding Grill
The Notebook Folding Grill folds down completely flat, making it easy to carry to where you’re going to cook.
It has a cooking area of 44cm x 27.5cm, which is plenty of room for cooking your snags and burgers for around 4-5 people.
If you’re looking for a BBQ that is quick to start, this one simply unfolds and you’re pretty much good to go.
5. Uttora Barbecue Grill
The Uttora Barbecue Grill is another easy to carry barbecue, which folds down to only 6cm wide.
To cook, simply open the legs out, remove the grill and add your charcoal.
With a grill size of 35cm x 25cm you should be able to cook for between 4-5 people.
6. Gentleman’s Hardware Small Suitcase BBQ
The Gentleman’s Hardware Small Suitcase BBQ is a product with style in mind.
You might not be able to cook for a family of 5 on this BBQ, but if it is just you and a friend and you don’t want to burn unnecessary coal on a larger BBQ, this may be the product for you.
Best small charcoal barbecues
The following selection of barbecues I have chosen as they are a great size for taking to your campsite and cooking on. They are not really designed for their portability but will provide a great option rather than lugging your large home BBQ with you.
7. Uten Barbecue Grill
The Uten Barbecue Grill comes with folding legs, which significantly reduces the space to takes up in your somewhat laden vehicle when travelling to your destination.
Whilst this BBQ is compact in design, it is designed with a large cooking area, which should make it possible to cook for around 8 people.
If you’re looking for a BBQ that is compact in design with a large cooking area, the Uten Barbecue Grill would make a good choice for your next camping trip.
8. Lifestyle Explorer Stainless Steel Barrel BBQ
The Lifestyle Explorer Stainless Steel Barrel BBQ is a compact, tabletop barrel charcoal BBQ.
Due to its small size, this BBQ won’t task up too much space in the boot of your car. However, the fact that you can cook in both sections means that you have ample cooking area to use. You could also have a hot side and a warm side to ensure you can balance the cooking temperature and not burn your food.
This BBQ should allow you to cook for a hungry family of 5 with ease.
9. Portable Barrel BBQ
The Portable Barrel BBQ is built in a very similar style to the previous option, with the added bonus of a cool black colour as well.
Again, this BBQ is a convenient size for taking in your car on holiday without taking up too much space in your car. It also allows you to cook in both sections, meaning you get the benefit of a compact BBQ for transport and a large cooking area once you open it up.
You should be able to cook for around 5 people with ease on this BBQ.
10. Grandma Shark Outdoor BBQ
The Grandma Shark Outdoor BBQ is similar in design to the Uten BBQ, however, there are some nifty features that I think you will enjoy.
If you go for the option that comes with the additional stands, you will get a baking tray, seasoning rack and board as well as a rack on the bottom for storing food as well.
If you are not planning on taking tables with you on your next trip, this is a great option due to all the extra storage options.
11. Weber Smokey Joe BBQ
The final choice in this section is the Weber Smokey Joe BBQ. What this premium brand BBQ lacks in stature it makes up for in style and quality.
The cooking area on this BBQ should enable you to cook for around 5 people. This lid can be used for temperature control, working like an over to help cook your feed quicker and more evenly. Now you don’t need to worry as much that the sausages might be raw on the inside.
Best barbecue for the serious chef
The following BBQs are all seriously cool bits of kit. If you love to experiment with your cooking or know someone who thinks they’re their next Heston Blumenthal, then these BBQs will be right up your street.
Speaking of Heston…
12. Everdure by Heston Blumenthal
Everdure by Heston Blumenthal is a high quality BBQ that is also beautifully designed.
The all on one design means that you get a food prep tray as well as a storage area as well. It is also designed to be used on any surface, so you shouldn’t leave any scorch marks after using it.
The cooking area is modest, with room to cook for up to 4 people (depending on your appetite of course).
With a name like Heston’s and a cool design like this, it doesn’t come cheap. In my opinion, though, this is a seriously cool piece of kit.
13. Femor 3 in 1 Charcoal Smoker
The Femor 3 in 1 Charcoal Smoker packs a lot of functionality into a very affordable BBQ (around £60 at the time of writing).
Due to the way it is designed, you can use the bottom layer for grilling, the middle layer for oven style cooking and the top section as a smoker. You can also lift the top sections off and just use the bottom section as a BBQ. No need to pack the whole thing if you are struggling for space!
Due to the combination of the features, build quality and price, this is easily my favourite BBQ of the lot.
14. Kamodo Joe Jnr BBQ
If you’re a big fan of the egg style BBQ, then the Kamodo Joe Jnr is a great piece of kit for taking on your next camping holiday.
This BBQ allows you to grill, smoke, roast and sear all in one piece of kit. Your fellow campers will not only be jealous of the style and looks of this camping BBQ, but also the quality of cooking as well. Just imagine the looks on their faces when you have an awesome BBQ one night and then slowly roast some meat overnight for the next day. Just the thought is making my mouth water.
Again this product is high quality, high end and high price… But just look at it!
15. BergHOFF Tabletop BBQ
The BergHOFF Tabletop BBQ is a very stylish little BBQ.
With a heat resistant cork lid, you simply slip this underneath the BBQ and now you can cook pretty much anywhere without damaging the surface it is on.
That cork lid comes in handy for another reason. Simply by rotating the BBQ you can control the airflow to lower or raise the temperature as you wish.
The cooking area should allow for you to cook for between 4-5 people comfortably.
16. Lotus Grill
The Lotus Grill is a BBQ that is very fast to light, meaning you can get cooking very quickly. Unlike a traditional BBQ where you have to wait for the coals to cool down a little before cooking, the technology in the Lotus Grill means you can start cooking in only 4 minutes from starting. I think that’s pretty cool.
Rather than using direct heat from the coals, the fan technology circulates the heat generated by the coals over the full grilling surface. This reduces the fats hitting the flames and reduces the chemicals in the food from the coal.
This grill can cook for around 5 people and has a burn time of between 40 to 90 minutes, depending on the setting you use.
One downside is that due to the fan, it is a battery-powered BBQ, so you need to make sure you have it charged up before you can use it. It does have a USB charger though, so you don’t need to fiddle with batteries and inevitably realise that you don’t have enough as one of them doesn’t have enough charge (sorry, it’s a common occurrence in my house).
Best wood camping barbecue
All the camping barbecues above use charcoal as their source for cooking, but we’re out in the woods, in the wild, there are things to be burnt all around us!
The following camping BBQs use wood as their heat source, meaning you don’t need to bring your own charcoal along with you (depending on how Bear Grylls your feeling of course).
17. Novogratz Poolside Fire Pit
The Novogratz Poolside Fire Pit is primarily designed as a heat source, but it also doubles up as a BBQ. This gives you the best of both worlds, meaning you can cook some delicious burgers in the late afternoon and toast some marshmallows in the evening.
In my opinion, this is a beautiful piece of kit and it has a cooking surface that should easily give you space to cook for 6-8 people.
It is also made with weather-resistant ceramic, so can be left outside without worry of damage from the element. If you are worried, you can pop on the rain cover that comes with it.
18. Camping Integrated Folding Wood Grill Stove
The Camping Integrated Folding Wood Grill Stove is a compact camping BBQ that can actually be used with several different heat sources.
The small and compact design means that this camping BBQ will fit in your vehicle with no fuss and is easy to set up as well. This is also a BBQ that you could take with you to the beach due to its small size.
The main compromise here is that it has a small cooking area, only suited to between 2-3 people. Unless your willing to stagger your eating times and can forage for plenty of wood.
19 Tripod BBQ
The final product on my list of the best camping barbecues is the Tripod BBQ.
The previous two wood-fueled BBQs need you to use them for your heat source when cooking. The Tripod BBQ is different in that you simply position it over a heat source you already have. This means that you can set up your own campfire and then simply position this over the top of it.
Whilst it isn’t exactly going full caveman, it’s pretty close to the real thing. Cooking food over a proper wood campfire. Magic.
Camping Barbecue Accessories
Now you have bought your camping BBQ, it’s time to think of the accessories that you will need as well. Below are some of the key items you may need for campsite barbecuing.
- Firelighters – Try these Natural Eco Wood Firelighters if you don’t like the wax petroleum ones
- Charcoal – These Big K Instant Light bags are the ideal size for cooking and may avoid the need for firelighters as you simply light the bag to get it going
- BBQ Tool Set – This Aiglam 20 Piece set comes with all the tools you will need and can be carried in a very neat storage bag
- Chimney Starter – If you have ever struggled to get your charcoal started a chimney starter is a must. This Danmay Foldable BBQ Starter is ideal for camping trips as it folds down small, saving vital car/backpack space
- Lighters – Matches will down of course, but just in case, bring some lighters to make the job easier, like these E Fast Lighters
Conclusion
Thanks for reading this guide to the best camping barbecues. Hopefully, I have managed to help you make a decision as to which barbecue you are going to buy for your next camping trip.