Weber
Weber Q 1200
The Q 1200 has been the default answer to 'best portable gas grill' for over a decade, and the review volume backs it up - it's one of the most-reviewed grills Weber sells. Unlike the thin folding camp grills it competes with, the Q is a real grill shrunk down: a cast aluminum cookbox that retains heat like a full-size Weber and porcelain-enameled cast iron grates that lay down legitimate sear marks on steaks and burgers. OutdoorGearLab has ranked it their top tabletop portable for years, and owner threads about balcony and tailgate setups almost always land here. Honest limitations: one U-shaped burner means no two-zone cooking, so thick cuts and bone-in chicken take lid management and patience; 189 sq in feeds about four people; it drinks 1 lb canisters, so most owners buy the adapter hose for a 20 lb tank; and the low-profile grease tray will flare if you never clean it. The regulator's low-flow safety lockout (weak flames after a bottle swap) is the most common owner complaint, fixable with the well-known reset ritual. Against a Blackstone 22 you're trading griddle versatility for real grill marks and a lid.
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Specifications
Pros
- ✓Heavy cast aluminum construction retains heat far better than thin portable rivals
- ✓Porcelain cast iron grates produce genuine sear marks
- ✓One of the most-reviewed and highest-rated portables on the market
- ✓Fold-out side tables and electronic ignition are rare at this size
- ✓5-year warranty and decades of parts availability
- ✓Compact enough for balconies where full-size grills are banned
Cons
- ✗Single burner rules out two-zone or indirect cooking
- ✗189 sq in maxes out around four people
- ✗Burns through 1 lb canisters fast - the tank adapter hose is a near-mandatory extra
- ✗Regulator low-flow lockout after canister swaps is a common owner annoyance
- ✗At $279 it costs more than some full-size 4-burner grills
Owner Insightssummarized from owner discussions
The Q 1200 is the small gas grill people buy for balconies, RVs and campsites, and the owners who like it really like it. One new owner said he could not go back to cooking indoors. The tall lid is the feature that earns it: you can roast a whole chicken on a trivet inside it, which flat-lidded portables like the Weber Traveler cannot manage, and it takes about eight burgers at a time. Owners report seven and ten years out of the same unit, so it is not disposable gear.
The recurring problem is fuel delivery. Across many separate owners the story is the same: gas stops reaching the burner, the regulator seems to lock out, and the usual fixes of new hose, new tank and slow valve opening do not reliably help. One owner threw out an old one over it and had the replacement do the same thing within two weeks. The pattern most owners eventually notice is that it almost always involves the 20 lb tank adapter, while the small 1 lb canisters keep working, and that the gap widens in cold weather. The other complaint worth knowing is heat. Plenty of owners say it takes too long to get hot and will not sear, and the most credible answer from other owners is that the burner tube holes clog with grease and need clearing with a brush or needle, after which it runs hot again. That is genuinely a maintenance issue rather than a design flaw, but it catches people out.
It suits one or two people with limited space who want a real grill rather than a folding camp unit, particularly anyone who wants to roast as well as grill. It does not suit someone who wants two-zone cooking, since the single loop burner gives you one heat across the whole grate and owners doing wings describe fighting uneven results. Check your building's rules before buying for a balcony, because many multi-family buildings prohibit propane and the electric Q is the alternative. And if you are buying, look used first: lightly used units turn up regularly at $100 to $200.
What owners like
- +The tall lid is the thing that separates it from flat-lidded portables. Owners cook a whole chicken in it on a trivet, using a quarter-sheet pan with a baking rack, and report room to spare. Buyers cross-shopping the Weber Traveler are specifically warned that its squat lid will not do that.
- +It holds more than its footprint suggests. Owners report fitting around eight modest burger patties on the grate, which covers a small family or a couple with guests.
- +When the burner is clean it does get properly hot. The most-endorsed answer to owners complaining about weak searing is that the burner tube holes are clogged, and that clearing them with a stiff brush or a sewing needle restores a blue flame and full heat.
- +It lasts. Owners report seven and ten years of service on the same unit, with the only ongoing maintenance being keeping the cooking surface clean and ignoring the grease crud that builds up below it.
- +The used market is generous. Owners routinely find lightly used ones for $100 to $200, which is where most buyers in these threads are told to look before paying retail for a small grill.
Common complaints
- −Gas simply refusing to flow is the dominant complaint, and it recurs across many separate owners. Reports include flames dying within three minutes, no gas reaching the burner at all after only three uses, and a regulator shutting down completely after two weeks. Replacing the grill does not always fix it, and one owner's replacement developed the same fault within a fortnight.
- −The fault clusters around the 20 lb tank adapter. Owners repeatedly describe a grill that runs perfectly on 1 lb canisters and will not light at all on a big tank, even after new hoses, new tanks and new connectors.
- −Cold weather makes the tank problem worse. One ten-year owner found he could not get it hot enough to cook on a 20 lb tank in winter, while the small 16 oz canisters worked fine in freezing temperatures.
- −Getting a real crust is hard even when everything works. Owners report decent grill marks but no proper sear at full heat, and some resort to aftermarket sear grates, which does help.
- −There is no indirect zone. A single loop burner means one heat setting across the whole grate. An owner using it in an RV described fighting uneven heat on wings and wanting basic indirect cooking he simply cannot do on it.
- −The grates and drip area get greasy fast and need real cleaning, not a brush pass. Owners recommend pulling them and soaking in a bin of hot water and dish soap.
- −The official compact stand is a poor match. Owners report the latches never feeling locked to the grill's base, and Weber lists that stand for the 1000 and 2000 series rather than this one. Owners who move to a 20 lb tank tend to buy a third-party stand instead.
Common Questions
Why has my grill stopped getting gas?
Can I run it off a 20 lb tank?
It takes forever to heat up and will not sear. Is that normal?
Can I do indirect cooking on it?
Will it work on my apartment balcony?
Is buying one used a good idea?
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