nomadiQ Portable Propane Gas Grill Review

We purchased the nomadiQ Portable Propane Gas Grill so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

There’s nothing like freshly grilled food, no matter where you are. But packing up a full-size grill or a “compact” charcoal grill just isn’t practical. While these types of grills can certainly get the job done, bringing them with you often takes more effort than it’s worth (and who wants to lug around bags of charcoal, anyway?). That’s where portable grills like the nomadiQ Portable Propane Gas Grill come in. This travel-friendly grill promises to serve up perfectly grilled food on the go with absolutely no hassle, but can it do the work? I tested it against grilling season favorites, like burgers and barbecue chicken, to find out. Here are my thoughts.

Setup Process: Gas it and go

The nomadiQ Portable Propane Gas Grill is pretty much ready to go right out of the box. All I had to do was remove the parts from the plastic packing material, attach the propane hose to the grill, and then attach the other end of the hose to a propane tank. Within three minutes, I was heating up the grill, ready to throw on some burgers and see how this compact grill could perform for a hungry group of four.

Keep in mind that you do need a small (1-pound) camping propane tank to operate the grill, so you’ll have to purchase one separately. If you want to use this grill with an RV low-pressure propane system, you’ll also need an adapter (sold separately).

Features: Electronic ignition with dual temperature control

The nomadiQ Portable Propane Gas Grill isn’t overly feature-rich, but it has everything you need (and nothing you don’t). It has dual burners that pump out just about 10,000 BTUs total. The burners operate independently, so you can turn on one side of the grill if you’re cooking for a small group. Or, you can set each side to its own temperature, which was really handy when I was grilling burgers—I could cook the burgers on one side while simultaneously heating up the buttered buns on the other side. Each burner is controlled by a turn knob that’s simple and intuitive to operate.

The propane tank is connected to the grill with a dual hose that feeds to both sides of the grill, and it’s all operated by a convenient electric push-to-start ignition switch that’s easily accessible and worked really well every time. Overall, the whole setup is really user-friendly.

Design: Intuitive and user-friendly

It’s true what they say: Good things come in small packages. This grill fits 226 square inches of grilling space into a compact, 12-pound design that’s sleek and easy to travel with. Unlike other portable grills that are designed to look like full-size grills (just smaller), this grill is expertly designed for travel. It folds up vertically, really minimizing its footprint, so it can comfortably fit in a fully packed car. I was able to slide it in on the floor behind the back seats and the front seat with no issues whatsoever.

It sets up (and closes back down) in less than a minute. All I had to do was turn the legs into the open and locked position, open the knobs on each side of the grill, and fold the grill surface down, and I was ready to go. The legs help distribute the grill’s weight evenly and hold it steadily in place. The grill didn’t bob or wobble at all, even when I set it up on the back of a truck tailgate with a ridged lining. 

The legs also double as drip pan holders—they have notches that slide into the legs, so those stay in place when you’re grilling, too. The layout of the grill plates themselves is ideal for cooking as much food as possible; when you’re done cooking, the grates easily lift up so you can wipe near the burners.

The grill has an easy-grip handle, so you can quite literally carry it around with you, but it also comes with a comfort strap that you can hook up to the grill so you can throw it over your shoulder and free up your hands to carry other travel necessities. 

Performance: Stands up to any grill

As far as performance goes, the nomadiQ can go head to head with any other grill of its caliber. It may be smaller than most, but you don’t have to sacrifice performance for size. The grill threw out an even flame and cooked burgers and chicken evenly and quickly, no matter where they were placed on the grill. The food stuck to the grill at times, but a little bit of extra oil on the grill plates mostly solved that problem, so it wasn’t a minimal issue. And it was easy to control the flame with the dial knob, so I could quickly adjust it when I needed to.

The only downside was that there’s no cover, so I didn’t get that perfectly melted cheese on top of my cheeseburgers. 

Cleaning: Wipe and go

The nomadiQ has cast iron grill plates that are fairly easy to clean. Stuck-on food didn’t come off as easily as it does with nonstick surfaces, but you can fully remove the grill plates from the grill, so if you’re somewhere with running water, you can wash them separately.

It did get a little messy near the burners—the grease drips right down from the grill plates, and while some of it found its way into the drip pans, a lot remained on the grill’s inner surface—so it took some extra cleaning in this area, but it was nothing that a damp sponge or wet wipe couldn’t handle.

Price: Might make you raise an eyebrow

With its price tag of about $300, the nomadiQ Portable Gas Grill is one of the most expensive portable grills out there. While that might make you raise an eyebrow as you wonder, “Is it really worth it?” I vote a resounding yes. While you may have to shell out a little more cash than with other options, the sleek foldable design, dual temperature zones, and convenient carrying handle and strap make it stand out from the rest.

Competition: You've got options

If you’re not quite convinced that the nomadiQ Portable Gas Grill is the one for you, there are some other travel-friendly grills to choose from.

Weber Q 2400 Electric Grill: If you don’t want to deal with gas propane tanks, the Weber Q 2400 is an electric option that delivers about 1,500 watts of power over 280 square feet of grilling space. The design isn’t as travel-friendly as the nomadiQ’s, but if you don’t want to carry propane around—or you can't use a gas grill where you’re going—it’s another good option. It retails for around $319.

Coleman Classic Propane Stove: A more budget-friendly pick, the Coleman Classic Propane Stove has two adjustable burners that throw out 20,000 BTUs. It’s ideal for the more adventurous traveler: It has wind-block side panels and a pressure regulator that keeps the heat steady even in extreme temperatures. It retails for around $45.