Char-Broil X200 Grill2Go review: Fast gas grilling on the go
The Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 is an excellent portable gas BBQ for speedy meals
Pros
- Fast heat-up time
- Easy to transport
- Fuel-efficient
Cons
- Gas canisters can be tricky to get hold of
- Runs very hot
- Expensive for a portable
The Char-Broil Grill2Go is a single burner, portable gas BBQ ideal for keen campers and travellers. It’s a far cry from the classic kettle-style grill; instead, it has a rugged, industrial-style design with two carry handles and a lockable lid. As with all portable grills, the Grill2Go is suitable for cooking a variety of meals outdoors, from steak and burgers to vegetables.
More unusually, the Grill2Go is an infrared grill, which means it uses heat emitted by a hot piece of metal from within the grill, rather than the conventional method of using a naked flame. What this means for your dinner is incredibly fast heat-up times, fiercely high temperatures and fairly even cooking across the grill plate, making the Grill2Go an excellent portable choice for most people.
Char-Broil X200 Grill2Go review: What do you get for the money?
The Grill2Go costs £200 and comes mostly pre-built, with only the need to slot a few bits together. In the box you’ll find the main body of the BBQ with a hinged, lockable lid, as well as a removable stainless-steel grill, a metal drip tray and the attachment required for the portable propane gas cylinders used to power the BBQ. There’s no cover included but you can pick up a dedicated carry bag with lots of additional storage for around £60
It has a rugged, robust design, which certainly looks the part but isn’t all style over substance. There’s a lid-mounted thermometer on top, which tracks the BBQ’s internal temperature up to 350ºC, as well as two locks at the front to keep the lid in place during transit. Two chunky carry handles on either side make it supremely easy and safe to carry, and underneath the main body are a set of four chunky feet that keep the barbecue nice and stable while you’re cooking.
Gas is attached using the attachment at the side, and this is also where you’ll find the ignition button for easy lighting. The Grill2Go X200 can be used with disposable liquid propane/butane cartridges up to 500g with a screw-in EN417 valve, such as these Coleman C500 canisters or equivalent.
Under the lid, the grill looks quite different from most standard gas BBQs. It’s made up of a stainless-steel cooking grate that sits on top of a corrugated emitter plate, and this sits above a long, single gas burner. The latter heats the plate, which in turn radiates that infrared heat to cook your food.
It’s worth noting that, while this BBQ is ostensibly portable, it isn’t exactly ultra-compact, measuring 60 x 40 x 35cm (WDH). However, a good chunk of this (44 x 28cm) is grill surface, meaning you can comfortably fit enough burgers or hot dogs for three people. The Grill2Go weighs 9.7kg – again, it isn’t the lightest thing, but making it light enough for most people to carry from car to floor or table.
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Char-Broil X200 Grill2Go review: What’s good about it?
As well as being reasonably portable, the chunky, low-to-the-ground design of the Grill2Go means it’s impressively sturdy on grass, mud and concrete. The disposable gas canisters are easy to fit and igniting the burner was quick and simple.
In testing, it heated in double quick time, too, with the BBQ reaching its maximum temperature of 350ºC in around five minutes according to the mounted thermometer. It should be noted, however, that this was the general temperature of the BBQ with the lid down, rather than the grill itself.
I also found the grill to be surprisingly fuel-efficient. A single 500g disposable gas canister lasted approximately two hours on the highest flame setting, meaning you should be able to get several days of use out of it while camping, as you rarely need to crank the flame all the way up for decent heat output.
When it came to cooking food, the Grill2Go did so exceptionally quickly. The high heat of the grill was particularly good for steak and I was able to get a perfect medium-rare inside with a slightly charred, crisp outside.
Char-Broil X200 Grill2Go review: What could be better?
The flip side to this was that, despite being able to control the BBQ’s flame via a dial, I still found it ran very hot, even on a low setting. This meant that for certain foods that require low and slow heat – chicken thighs and some vegetables, for example – it charred the outside too quickly before the inside had time to cook through properly. This wasn’t the case with flattened chicken breasts, however, and if you’re the sort of person who prefers a slight char on their veggies, it might not be a huge problem to you.
Another small issue I found is that the Coleman-style disposable gas canisters suitable for use with the Grill2Go can be quite tricky to get hold of from mainstream shops. You’ll have more luck online or in specialist camping stores but if you’re ever caught short while you’re out camping – especially if you often camp in France – you could have a hard time hunting them down. You can buy an adapter for use with standard LPG gas tanks, but this will cost you an additional £28.
The Grill2Go is also a fairly expensive choice at £200. While it’s certainly robust and very efficient at what it does, the price might be a touch high for the occasional camper.
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Char-Broil X200 Grill2Go review: Should you buy it?
While it isn’t the cheapest portable BBQ you can buy, its excellent performance goes some way to justifying its high price. With plenty of grill space, impressively fast heat-up times and a robust design, the Grill2Go is an excellent portable BBQ for camping enthusiasts.
It’s fuel-efficient, even with the flame cranked up high, and when you’re done it’s simple to pack up and transport – especially if you opt for the carry case – and you can even store additional canisters and tools inside the lid if need be.