Megamaster 6-Burner with Side Burner vs Coleman RoadTrip 285
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Quick take: The Megamaster 6-Burner with Side Burner costs $41 less; the Megamaster 6-Burner with Side Burner offers more cooking space (543.4 vs 285 sq in).
| Spec | Megamaster 6-Burner with Side Burner | Coleman RoadTrip 285 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$309 | ~$350 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Gas Grill | Gas Grill |
| Cooking Area | 543.4 sq in | 285 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | — |
| Fuel Type | Propane/Natural Gas | Propane/Natural Gas |
| Build Material | Stainless Steel Hood and Control Panel / CR Steel Firebox | Porcelain-Enameled Cast Iron Grates |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | 6 | 3 |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | Yes | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | No |
| Dimensions | 59.1 x 24.1 x 45.7 in | 30.25 x 19.19 x 16.13 in |
| Weight | — | 47.8 lbs |
| Warranty | 1 year | 3 years |
Pros & cons
Megamaster 6-Burner with Side Burner
- ✓Six burners plus a side burner at $309 is the lowest cost per burner of anything in this batch
- ✓Individually controlled burners make it easy to run hot and cool zones across a 32 in firebox
- ✓Stainless hood and control panel wipe clean and do not chip like painted steel
- ✓543.4 sq in handles a full party's worth of food in one pass
- ✓Secure-lock lid and built-in temperature gauge included at a price where both are often skipped
- ✗Cold-rolled steel firebox, not stainless or cast — this is the part that rusts out first
- ✗1-year warranty with no extended burner coverage
- ✗Liquid propane only; there is no natural gas conversion
- ✗9,000 BTU per burner over a 32 in firebox means weak searing anywhere on the grate
- ✗Megamaster publishes no assembled weight for this model, so plan the space from the footprint alone
Coleman RoadTrip 285
- ✓Three independently adjustable burners give genuine multi-zone control, which one- and two-burner portables cannot do
- ✓Collapses to a wheeled trolley and stands up on its own legs, so no table is needed at the site
- ✓Porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates hold heat far better than the thin plated grates typical of portables
- ✓Interchangeable griddle and stove swap-tops fit the same chassis, extending it past grilling
- ✓Instastart push-button ignition removes the need to carry a lighter
- ✓3-year warranty and Coleman's parts availability, longer than most portable grills carry
- ✗47.8 lbs is heavy for a portable — this is a car-camping grill, not a backpacking one
- ✗Designed around 16.4 oz disposable cylinders, which get expensive without a bulk-tank adapter
- ✗Owners repeatedly flag the water/grease tray rusting and the lid latch loosening with use
- ✗No thermometer accuracy to speak of and no temperature control beyond the burner valves
- ✗Coleman's website is aggressively bot-blocked, so spec and parts lookups have to go through retailers