(4.7 / 5)
So, Weber Baby Q series grill. Anybody who is aware of the grill market realizes that Weber is one of the most well known brands because they seem to always provide a quality grilling product with their long history of experience. The issue with Weber’s often comes down to pricing in comparison to other grills that have the same basic parts but lack some of Weber’s innovation in exchange for that cheaper tag. Here we have a Weber grill focused on portability that is able to bring us a bit of both worlds for a pretty strong product at the end of the day sitting affordably around $169. Of course this is a bit high for grills of a similar design but as we dive deep we see that this is not too much of an issue.
This grill has a pretty small cooking surface though that is the norm for portable gas grills. This model also comes fully assembled right out of the box which is not quite as normal but still quite common for portable grills without a stand. So yea you do need a surface to sit this baby on but you can also cook inside for some extra versatility and great grilling when ugly weather rears its head. Weber chose to use a variety of decent materials though nothing you could consider at top of the line. Overall we have a stylish versatile grill that has a bit high of a price compared to the market especially if you throw in a stand but also delivers a quality cook.
Main Characteristics
Do not get it twisted, this is not a grill built for handling the neighborhood cookout. Weber did however manage to put together a package that should make smaller families rave especially couples or anyone who lives alone with a grill that should suit singular peoples needs quite well. We start off with the cooking surface that gives you 189 square inches of cooking space that puts this grill on the lower end of portable grills while still being manageable. The space on this grill will probably limit you to only around eight burgers at a time. To having more options just look at best grills with a higher price.
You can still cook an entire meal, but this grill is best suited for serving two to three people. For the burner we have a single stainless steel burner that puts out 8,500 BTU’s of heating power which is perfectly fine for a grill such as this. More is often better in this aspect, however thanks to the size of the grill you should not have much of an issue getting up to high heat. You will need to wait ten to fifteen minutes for it to warmup before you start cooking though. The grill grate of choice here is porcelain enameled cast iron which does not have the looks of stainless steel, but you still do not have to worry much about meals sticking thanks to the enameling.
Pro’s
- Very nice stylish and well built grill that combines quality and looks
- Works great indoors or outdoors with the capability to also work with a separately sold griddle attachment
- Extremely portable without worrying about travel thanks to the quality of the build
Con’s
- You will probably want to purchase a cover and stand separately which hike up the total cost to well beyond your average portable gas grill
- You pay for the nice design with lower quality materials at some areas than you will find in other portable gas grills
Design
This are will be the highlight of this grill for most people as it looks great and is also pretty sturdy, which is one of the most important parts for any portable grill. This combo makes it a great grill for bringing over to your friends house or tailgate to show anyone who will listen how proper grilling is done. With the hood down it looks like an extravagant crock pot of sorts, but when you open it up, it reveals two surfaces for prep and storage that lock out at the sides. The cast aluminum construction allows this grill to be both durable and light weight sitting at around 27 pounds. Silver and black are the colors of choice and we have a nice large grip handle, though it does have some led in it so make sure you wash your hands after handling. We also have ergonomic side handles for easy maneuverability. Finally the strong front and rear cradles help make this grill a pretty impressive package in more ways than one.
Special Features
This is usually a popular are for most Weber grills however this one is a bit light on innovations with the focus towards making a stylish and sturdy portable grill, though we do have a few special spots that are worth a mention. First off we have to mention the split grate setup that allows you to use half as a griddle if you purchase the add on for some nice versatility. As is somewhat common nowadays in gas grilling we have simple to use push button ignition starting. In conjunction with that we have Weber’s infinite control burner valve that allows you to get precise heating for evenly cooked meals.
Warranty
This is not a big part of most portable grills, but this deserves a mention since Weber offers five years of coverage for the majority of this grills functionality. Not a deal breaker but nice to have some extra confidence in your purchase life.
Image Credit: Amazon.com
Weber Q1000 Grill
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Summary
The two word definition for this grill model could possibly be focused portability because Weber checks all of the boxes you need for a portable grill. It is light and versatile though you do not have a ton of grill space. Instead the focus is on bringing the user a durable and versatile grill that allows you to cook small meals with high efficiency and that is all most people want in a portable grill. You do have the issues with the pricing and needing a raised surface if you aren't willing to purchase a stand. When we get to the nitty gritty we see that this is about the best you can find in portable grilling as long as you are willing to pay for it.