Why You Can Trust CNET Weber Traveler Review: Is the Premium Portable Grill a Good Buy?
Weber's collapsible outdoor cooker is engineered for adventure. But is it worth the $400 tag?
Weber's $400 Traveler grill is ready for summer adventure.
When it comes to small and portable grills, Weber has all the right moves. The $229 Weber Q has topped my list of best small grills three years running, and it didn't appear another grill would topple it soon. Unless, perhaps, that grill came from Weber itself. The top-rated producer of grills and grill gear added a larger, collapsible and semi-portable grill called the Traveler to its portable grill lineup in 2021.
The sleek, foldable, gas grill snaps up like one of those urban grocery pushcarts. When collapsed, the Traveler can be rolled around on two wheels but it still features a substantial 320 square inches of grilling capacity. It currently retails for $399 on Weber's website. I got my hands on the Traveler to see how Weber's latest portable grill stacks up against the field. Here's my hood-to-wheels review of the Weber Traveler portable gas grill.
Assembly and setup
Right out of the box the Weber Traveler was off to a great start. Setting up this grill took -- I kid you not -- no more than eight minutes from cutting open the packaging to literal ignition. To get grilling, you simply stick a dowel through the legs, fix the wheels onto both sides, stand it up, plop down the cast iron grill grates and peel off a few instructional stickers. Ta-da!
I didn't spend more than eight minutes putting the grill together.
Mobility
If you've seen Weber's marketing video for the Traveler, it leads you to believe the grill is extremely portable with images of would-be adventurers dragging the collapsible grill on hiking trails, over rock formations, and the like. I should start by saying that all feels like a bit of a stretch. While the Traveler does fold up easily and can be dragged around without too much effort, it is still rather heavy -- 47 pounds to be exact -- especially with the grill grates inside. I personally wouldn't want to drag or carry this grill on a hike or even a long walk.
The big draw is that the Traveler is essentially a full-sized grill with legs that folds up to be no more than a foot wide and is something you can slide into the trunk or even the backseat of your car with relative ease. It's portable in the sense that it's easy to move from one semi-permanent location to another but, at that weight, it's not the right grill for a beach day or to take on a wander in the woods.
The foldable Traveler can slide into the trunk or even the backseat of your car with relative ease
How well did it grill?
Once assembled, it was time to give the Weber a go at its most important duty. At 1,300 BTUs, the Weber has a good punch of power for a portable grill so I expected some serious heat. The ignitor worked and the grill lit on the first attempt. The internal temp quickly rose to just about 500 degrees F with the lid closed but didn't exceed that temp. Worth noting that 500 is a good mark to hit for high-heat grilling -- things like steaks, burgers and in my case, tuna. The tuna steaks and sausages I plunked down on the grill grates got a nice sear with pretty grill marks in about 10 minutes (five on each side).
Next, I wanted to see how well I could control the temperature for lower-slower grilling candidates. There's just one knob to control the fuel output and while the temp did drop when I lowered it, it was difficult to precisely control the temp one way or the other. That's not uncommon with grills but if you're looking for pinpoint low-and-slow cooking, this might not be the product for you.
There were also some noticeable cold spots on the grill, mostly around the edges. Again, not uncommon for gas or charcoal grills but I thought these cold spots were maybe just a little more pronounced than with the Weber Q. In fairness, the Q grill has a smaller grilling surface which could account for the difference
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At 1,300 BTUs, the Weber has a good punch of power for a portable grill.
Grill size
Speaking of size, at 320 square inches of grilling space, this has more than enough capacity for any grilling situation I find myself in. If you're cooking for more than 10 people you may have to grill in batches but for a portable grill, 320 is more than suitable to cook at least 10 burgers or pieces of chicken at once. Weber says it holds 15 burgers at once but I suspect that would be a tight fit.
Cleanup
The Traveler is not much easier or more difficult to clean than your standard gas grill. There's a drip tray to catch the worst of it and you can easily remove the grill grates to clean the inside of the firebox or hull of the grill. The grates are best taken to the sink or a hose for rinsing. Be aware they are cast iron and on the heavy side.
Final verdict
If you're seeking a grill with more capacity than a traditional portable grill but more mobility than a typical full-sized grill, the Weber Traveler is a solid buy and represents good value at $399. It's a sturdily built unit that comes together in a snap and is completely user-friendly. If you've never grilled a single day in your life, I still don't think you have any problems assembling and operating the Traveler. In my testing, the grill heated quickly (hit 500 degrees F in minutes) and stayed hot. Controlling the temperature -- while not perfectly precise -- was no real issue for me and shouldn't be a hindrance for the type of grilling most people do. While it's billed as a portable model, the Traveler is large enough to be your permanent, everyday home grill.
On the flip side, the Traveler is less portable than the brand would have you believe in its flashy promotional videos. It's heavier than any other portable grill I've tested and I would categorize the Traveler as a semi-portable grill and not a truly portable grill. Still, if you want a grill that feels permanent while it is engaged but can still be moved quickly from one part of the house to another or lugged by car to a campsite or park barbecue, the Weber Traveler is as good -- and easy -- as grilling gets.
This review was originally published in May 2021.