Coleman RoadTrip 225 Portable Propane Grill

Exactly what I wanted when I bought it – small & portable, but still has plenty of BTU, and is easy to clean. I really like that it gets hot fast, and that there is a center section of grill surface where the burners are protected from runoff, so I can cook fatty things without burning the meat in flames. Daddy likey!

Easiest grill I’ve ever cleaned. The instructions say to put water in the drip pan, the drip pan is the entire inside around the elements. It just lifts right out and is easy to dump, and just wipes clean. The cast iron grill is solid in the center over the burner elements so nothing can fall through the grill onto the elements, keeping them clean as well, and providing a grill pan surface in the center of the grill that nothing can fall through. It got quite hot quite fast but the outer edge was cooler than I would prefer, but that’s how most any gas grill is. It is enameled cast iron so you can’t use metal spatulas, tongs or wire brushes ets on it, so I used the silicone tipped tongs, and sharp ended wooden Spatula, silicone Spatula and long wooden Chef’s chopsticks. I used a Lodge Cast Iron brush and some salt to brush it down, then added water and brushed some more and then it wiped clean. You don’t need to season it. The grill plates are dishwasher safe but it is easy enough to clean before you put it away. You just wipe down inside the lid and the inside is clean. I used to have to wipe up all the drippings and grease in my previous portable Grills before putting in the car. The grates cool pretty quickly. It’s way lighter than an all cast iron hibachi like Lodge makes. The experience isn’t quite as good as raw cast iron, but since it’s Portable the ease of cleaning is by far worth the difference, especially for long road trips etc. I used a 40″ plastic hooked bungee cord to wrap around it and keep the lid closed. Just tie an overhand knot or two in it to make it the right size. The regulator is supposed to be unscrewed before putting it away so it has a long grip to unscrew it with making it much more compact than smaller cheaper Grills that have the regulator attached way inside the grill. I put the regulator in a small soft bag, and the utensils in a fabric shopping bag wrapped with a plastic hooked bungee and put it on the grill plates then bungee it closed. The whole thing fits in a standard Ikea bag to make it easy to carry. The burners are inner ring and outer ring, not left and right, which is quite perfect for this grill since the inner would just heat the center plate slightly, since the grill plates are divided into 2/3 on one side and 1/3 on the other. I like the ridge divider between the two, as I can avoid cross contamination easier. Great grill, I like the fact that the legs are long stationary rails that you don’t have to fold. The cast iron, though enameled, still cooks better than anything not cast iron, and is clean and oil free unlike raw cast iron

I like the heavy cast grate that is in two peices, which makes it easier to carry as opposed to one large heavier peice. Also, the heavy grate retains heat longer, so you don’t get that big temperature drop when opening the lid. I like the grate being solid directly over the burners, thus protecting the burners from greasy drips. I like that it doesn’t put out excessive heat around the outside of the unit. Mine sits on a wooden work bench in th garage, and I put a silicon mat under the grill just as a precaution. I do all my grilling in the garage, year round, with the garage door wide open for ventilation. I also use my electric smoker the same way. A few reviews said the grill didn’t get hot enough. I turned both burners on high and in 8 minutes the interior temp was 600. Four fifty is all you need for most grilling. I like the juice/grease pan that runs all around the interior of the grill. It lifts out easily and cleanup is easy whether you add water to it or not. I would like to have a temperature gauge on the lid, and plan on installing one. I researched the heck out of all the grills on Amazon, plus other sources, and settled on this Coleman 225 table top. I am very pleased with this grill.

Cooks great and cleaning is simple. I recommend this product.