Grills and apartments never used to be the best of friends, at least in the past.
But if you still think it’s not feasible to have a slice of one of the biggest American traditions just because of a space-crunch, we’re here to prove you wrong!
And with the summers approaching, what’s more American than setting the stage for a house party with some glowing embers, searing meat, and laughter? And how about all of this on your very own warm balcony?
We’ve got a list of some of the best grills for apartment balconies, which will mesmerize you with their outstanding performances.
Hop in, read on, and find what you’re looking for because we have something for everyone!
Kamado is one of the most renowned brands in the grill industry whose specialty lies in catering to a variety of cooking needs. If you’re familiar with the brand, you must have heard about their monster grills, which may have made you scroll further down. But not to worry as the Joe Jr is one fantastic grill that fits any balcony or patio, while also dishing out great recipes in the traditional Kamado style.
Why did we like it?
There are 3 different sizes of the Kamado Joe series, the Classic, the Big Joe, and the Joe Junior. The central difference among the models is mainly with capacity, and if you’re apprehensive about the quality of the cooking, rest assured that Kamado never falters with that.
Coming to its features, the grill is compact, and its cooking space is 148.5 square inches, and that’s enough space to cook a wholesome dinner for a family of four. And if you’re looking for the amount of food you can cook at once, it’s more than 2 steaks or over 4 burgers put together. Also, most companies won’t vouch for it, but Joe Jr can grill an entire 12-pound turkey inside its cooking space, making it one of the best balcony grills to achieve this feat.
On top of that, with an in-built thermometer, durable stainless steel construction, and a convenient ash collector, this grill will give you a lasting blend of taste and durability to complement your balcony.
What could have been better?
While we couldn’t find any fault in the grill, the only minor inconvenience that we faced was there were no added accessories such as a warming or an extra cooking rack. Also, some users commented that the grill stand arrived bent, so it seems Kamado needs to take good care of the packaging.
It’s hard to ignore Weber when you have dipped your toes in the world of grilling. Especially after introducing flavorizer bars in some of their grills, Weber seems to have hit a new high in its sale. And as the company has something for everyone, that classic, a nice old charcoal grill which they call the ‘Kettle’ still remains one of our favorites.
Why did we like it?
Weber hasn’t changed its classic Kettle model over the years, which is why it has gained a good amount of following among those who are on the lookout for small grills. Three words describe this little bird: Compact, simple, and effective. And we believe this is something that you’ve been looking for all this while.
Well, its cooking area is 363 square inches, while the grill measures around 22 inches in length. Okay, we understand it may exceed the size you’re looking for, but Weber has you covered with its even smaller 18-inch version. The ample cooking space can comfortably accommodate over 13 burgers, and its porcelain-enameled lid and cooking bowl are masters of retaining heat.
One of the best aspects of this grill is convenience. Sure, when you’re looking at a small-sized grill you’re definitely looking at something hassle-free in every sense of the word. And Kettle does that with perfect ease because its one-touch cleaning system gives you a fast and thorough washing of the grill after every cook.
Moreover, there are dampers inside with which you can control the internal temperature, leaving you with the best recipes in the least span of time. And the grill plates are also made of durable steel with easy-cleaning and heat-retaining facility, which means no more waiting in queues for the plates to heat up!
What could have been better?
We didn’t like that they missed out on the internal thermometer in this model. Sure, it’s a low-priced model, but would a thermometer really increase the production cost way too much? Another point is the lack of working space, which seems like a consistent problem with smaller grills.
We will definitely return to the classic charcoal grills shortly. But we wanted you to have a slice of the E-210 model as well, which is a gas grill perfectly compatible with your balcony. The thing about gas grills is they can give you a cooked recipe really quickly, and with all the latest technological additions, the grilled meat always retains its juiciness.
Why did we like it?
Previously, we mentioned Weber includes unique flavorizer bars in their grills that enhance any recipe by adding an aroma to the food. It’s a part of the patented GS4 technology, which is also a feature of this gas grill. It comes with 2 stainless steel burners, porcelain-enameled flavorizer bars, and an extremely efficient grease management system. This is a combination that makes cooking and post-cook cleaning a complete cakewalk.
Moreover, the 380 square inch cooking space doesn’t only hold a whole lot of food at once; its cast-iron build material also retains most of the heat. This allows you to cook several batches of food in a short amount of time, and is best suited for small house parties.
The E-210 also comes with a 114-inch tuckaway side rack, and it comes to great use when you’re preparing a whole lot of salads and sauces alongside the main courses. Also, speaking of convenience, the model is iGrill 3 compatible, which means you can control the wifi-enabled device from your smartphone just by downloading the Weber app.
What could have been better?
Well, we’d like to mention this in passing that if you have a tiny balcony, this grill won’t be of much help to you. It’s 45 inches tall and 29 inches deep, which is why we suggest this grill’s perfect for a small terrace or a patio. But this is actually a great grill that will serve all your house parties with pride, provided you have the space for it.
If the E-210 model was a bit over the top with many extra features and huge size, the Charbroil Classic 280 is the perfect minimalistic design that fits any space and suits you with all its convenient features. Trust us, other than the Kamado Joe Jr., we found the 280 to be the most compact gas grill among them all.
Why did we like it?
Frankly, we were fascinated by Char-Broil’s effective use of space in this design. While most small grills fail to combine convenience and quality, Char-Broil does it with ease. On the one hand, it comes with a decent 280 square inches of cooking space, as well as two metal side shelves which you fold in as per your convenience.
And what’s more, the grill also comes with 2 standard stainless steel burners, which means you can stretch your cooking options by setting up different temperature zones for them. And the porcelain-coated steel lid and firebox always manage to grasp most of the heat, helping you to have a decent cook in the least amount of time.
Finally, there are two other aspects of this grill which we liked. One, the push ignition button never fails to hit up a flame with a single push. And two, its oversized handle on the lid keeps your hands away from the heat, adhering to the safety standards of Char-Broil.
What could have been better?
This is a pretty basic grill, and it’s really not suited for experiments, as the lack of an internal thermometer and a proper lid depth doesn’t give much room for trying out different things. Yet, coming at a mere weight of 43 pounds, it will serve all your house party needs with ease.
Very few miniature gas grills are as compact as this 3-burner model from Master Cook. The brand doesn’t need any introduction, as it’s quite a well-known company in the grilling industry specializing in space-saving designs. Master Cook has really mastered the art of packing too many features into a space as compact as possible.
Why did we like it?
Let’s start with the compactness and the shape of the grill as we found them to be quite impressive. Its elongated rectangular structure with a lid of decent depth hides ample cooking space inside it with absolute style. The cooking space it comes with is a massive 339 square inches, and its warming racks measure 138 square inches in total. This easy setup allows you to grill over 15 burgers at a time, or 3 steak bars all at once.
The impressive feature that had us ‘grillin n chillin’ is its set of 3 burners and an integrated piezoelectric ignition system. While the 3 burners will give out a total of 30000 BTU of heat, the instant ignition system lights up the grill with a single hit. More than convenience, it saves you a whole lot of cooking time, and one thing that got us wondering was, how did they manage to pack 3 burners in this small size!
And what adds to convenience are the porcelain-enameled cooking grates, which are masters of retaining heat. And Master Cook pays equal attention to durability as this model comes with stainless steel burners and a chromium-plated control knob, dedicated to preventing rusting.
What could have been better?
To be honest, we strove really hard to find any particular issue that many users may have faced. But we failed to find any such recurring issue with this grill. It’s a compact, 3-burner grill with which you can experiment a whole lot, while it stands on its sturdy wheels either in your balcony or backyard.
Till this time, the list has mostly been about features, but for now, we’re focusing on space. Although that doesn’t mean we’re bidding goodbye to some great cooking features for that. No! As we believe everyone has the right to great grilled meat, the Fuego Element F21C is the perfect product for all those who have a severe space crunch at their homes.
Why did we like it?
First, we would like to admit this grill takes away most points with its sleek and unique design. Take our word for it, this propane grill occupies the least space out of all the ones we’ve mentioned before, and it does this with style. The narrow cylindrical apparatus packs everything inside and stands on 4 sturdy wheels, a design that brought to the company the prestigious Vesta BBQ and Spark Design Award.
But does beauty come without brains? Definitely not! With its 15 pounds porcelain-enameled cast-iron grates, you can reach up to 500 F in a mere 5 minutes, and the highest temperature you can reach with this grill is 650 F. This massive heat gives the meat fantastic sear marks and a brown-red texture that’s a trademark of the high-end grills.
And if you’re worried about its cooking space, rest assured that its 346 square inch space is enough to grill over 4 burgers at a time or more than 2 long rods of steak. The design of this grill holds everything together, and we’d like to see more such compact models in the future. And the best part is, it features all the usual features of a gas grill such as a built-in thermometer, easy cleanup system, electronic ignition, etc.
It means lack of space doesn’t have to affect the usual functional features, and that’s what makes this grill a trailblazing model.
What could have been better?
Well, the only negative aspect that we found about this grill is its unhinged lid that hangs. And we understand why they couldn’t attach a work area to the setup as that would spoil the functionality of the streamlined design. But having an arranging work surface really helps.
A list of grills isn’t complete without a Cuisinart grill shining up with all its features. While this list is about compact grills, how about one that easily fits your tabletop, let alone your balcony? Yeah, you read it right. That’s why we thought of including the CGG-200B in our list of most compact grills of the year.
Why did we like it?
Frankly, this isn’t a grill from which you can expect a very powerful performance, as it’s a tabletop grill. But we can assure you that with all its capabilities, it never fails to give you a decent grilling performance for a small family gathering or a mid-week house party. With its 12000 BTU heating capacity and stainless steel burners, the 200 square inch cooking area will let you cook a decent barbeque for about 4 people.
And if you underestimate the grill because of its small size, we think you’d be missing out on an extremely portable and useful model. It features an easy-start ignition system that eliminates the need for matches, whereas the cast-iron cooking grates are easily washable and have a decent heat-retaining capacity. What’s more, Cuisinart didn’t forget to include the internal thermometer on the cover, just in case the temperatures get out of control.
And not just for balconies, you can simply pack this little bird for a random weekend picnic. Being a gas grill, it works excellent with 14.1 or 16.4 propane canisters or a 20-pound tank with a hose. So, win-win for all!
What could have been better?
Everything was going fine with this grill until we looked at its bottom. And it was a mess! There’s a grease catcher where the bottom fails to drain out grease out of the hole, and the result is the grease clogs around the screws. We hope Cuisinart fixes this cleanup mechanism real quick.
We promised to get back to you with some charcoal grills, and here we are with the E06614 model from Char-Griller. We thought to include something for the traditionalists out there, and Kamado style grilling is something that intrigues anyone inclined towards cooking.
Why did we like it?
Apart from the Joe Jr charcoal grill, the E06614 is another small-sized grill that caters to the famous Japanese Kamado style grilling. For those who don’t know, it’s a cooking style where the same meat is simmered by maintaining delicate heating temperatures.
The result is a delicious, juicy plate of meat and an aroma brimming with the flavors of all the added spices. Char-Griller has got you covered with its Kamado style grills to bring home that nostalgic mouth-watering taste.
Coming to its other features, the model sports a 153 square inch cooking area with cast iron grates. This space is more than enough for a small housewarming party, or for cooking a hearty meal of four. And because of even heating, you can grill more with less charcoal, while the triple wall steel covering doesn’t allow any heat to escape the cooking chamber.
Other than this, the standard grill features such as a heat gauge, convenient carrying handles, an in-built thermometer, are coupled with air dampers. They come to great use for precise temperature control, as Kamado grilling demands slow cooking at a constant temperature for long.
What could have been better?
While they made a highly-functional grill for the price, its ash-catching mechanism is unnecessarily complicated. Its hanging tab connects to the wiring at the bottom of the body, and if you tamper with the tab, the whole bottom piece is welded far out of the center. So, yeah, cleanup is a bit of a hassle.
Before we even start with the review of this wood pellet grill, we can see some raised eyebrows out there. Yeah, we’re fully aware that it’s a pellet grill, but we assure you it would easily fit your balcony, patio, and definitely your terrace. Just read on, and you’ll find so much more about this grill than what meets the eye.
Why did we like it?
To begin with, this is one of the most premium grills we’ve reviewed thus far. Add to this some ingenious technology and a compact shape, and you get the best space-saving pellet grill out there. We’re really not kidding!
So, let’s start with the added technology first. It features Sense-mate, a thermal sensor that allows you to monitor the grill temperature constantly, and with the additional meat probe, you can always check the exact state of the meat. Moreover, its 219 square inch cooking area will easily pack over 6 burgers or 6 racks of steak, while its heat-retaining grates grill the meat to searing temperatures in around 30 minutes.
And the most intriguing aspect of this grill, much like the E 220 model of Weber, is its wifi-enabled system. As it’s compatible with both Android and Apple phones, you can monitor the entire cooking process from afar (of course, within the wifi radius!). With this grill, the party is wherever you want it to be, and you could finally bid goodbye to that bickering anxiety of reaching perfect temperatures. Your phone will go ‘Ting’ when it does.
What could have been better?
Well, the only fact that upset us about this piece is its weight, which is a staggering 57 pounds. Although it’s not a dealbreaker, and the grill can easily fit anywhere in your car, carrying it is quite a hassle. But you must note, this weight doesn’t affect any functional features of the grill.
Perhaps, the origin of Coleman lies in making people’s lives easy. We propose this because it’s a company whose products range from tents to grills, and from furniture to airbeds. The bottom-line of all of them is the same: convenience. This is why we thought of trying out this propane grill from Coleman. Let’s see what it has to offer.
Why did we like it?
We presume when you are choosing a grill for your balcony, you may also like to take it to your backyard, or your terrace at times. For that, you need something that’s not just lightweight but also easily portable. This is where Coleman beats every other grill with its flexible collapsible design. Coming at a weight of a mere 44 pounds, toting it around your house is really a very smooth task.
Coming to its features, the dual burners that Coleman fits inside the grill are very durable and of high quality, with excellent heat control. This allows faster cooking, making it one of the ideal grills for tailgating, camping, or barbecuing. The 2 separate temperature zones, 20000 BTUs of heat, and 285 s