Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill Review: Big Flavor from a Small Package?

There’s a certain magic to the sizzle and smoke of charcoal grilling, an elemental ritual that connects us to our food in a way gas grills never quite can. For years, that ritual for me was confined to my backyard, tethered to a large, cumbersome kettle grill that might as well have been cemented to the patio. The problem? Some of the best moments in life—a spontaneous beach trip, a lazy afternoon at the park, or a weekend camping trip—are tailor-made for grilling. I grew tired of settling for cold sandwiches or expensive takeout when what I really craved was the smoky char of a freshly grilled burger. The challenge was finding a grill that was portable enough not to be a burden, yet capable enough to deliver a genuine, satisfying barbecue experience. Lugging a 40-pound behemoth was out of the question, and disposable grills felt wasteful and flimsy. I needed a real solution—a compact, lightweight, and dependable grill that could travel with me. This is the exact predicament that leads so many of us to search for a product like the Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill.

What to Consider Before Buying a Portable Charcoal Grill

A portable charcoal grill is more than just a piece of cooking equipment; it’s a key solution for unlocking culinary freedom and creating memorable experiences anywhere you go. It transforms a simple outdoor gathering into a cookout. The main benefit is its ability to deliver that authentic, smoky charcoal flavor in a compact, travel-friendly package. Whether you’re living in an apartment with a small balcony, heading to a tailgate party, or setting up camp by a lake, these grills provide a powerful and enjoyable cooking experience without the space commitment or immobility of their full-sized counterparts.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing space or mobility constraints. This includes city dwellers in apartments or condos, college students, couples, or small families who love the outdoors. It’s for the adventurer who wants to grill freshly caught fish by the river, the sports fan who wants to be the hero of the tailgate, or the backyard chef who simply doesn’t need a massive grilling surface for their everyday needs. Conversely, this type of grill might not be suitable for those who frequently host large parties or need to cook for more than 4-5 people at once. If you’re looking for a permanent backyard fixture with advanced features like side tables, warming racks, and massive cooking surfaces, a larger kettle or cart-style grill would be a better investment.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: Pay close attention to the cooking surface area, usually measured in square inches. A 14-inch diameter grill, like the Gas One model, typically offers around 150 square inches of space. This is generally enough to cook about six to eight standard-sized burgers at once. Also, consider the overall footprint and weight; a truly portable grill should be lightweight (under 10 pounds) and compact enough to fit easily in a car trunk.
• Capacity/Performance: Performance in a charcoal grill is all about airflow. Look for models with adjustable vents, preferably on both the bottom (intake) and the lid (exhaust). This dual-venting system is critical for controlling temperature, allowing you to go from a high-heat sear for steaks to a lower, slower cook for chicken. The depth of the charcoal bowl also matters, as it determines how much fuel you can use and how long you can maintain heat.
• Materials & Durability: The body of the grill is paramount. Many budget-friendly options use powder-coated or painted steel, which offers decent protection against the elements. Higher-end models often feature a porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, which is more resistant to rust, cracking, and burn-through over the long term. Also, inspect the quality of the cooking grate—chrome-plated is standard, but heavier-gauge steel is more durable.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Portability isn’t just about size and weight; it’s also about convenience. Features like a lid that locks for secure transport can be a game-changer, preventing messy ash spills in your vehicle. An integrated ash catcher simplifies cleanup significantly, a crucial feature when you’re away from home. Consider how easy the grill is to assemble and disassemble for storage.

Making the right choice ensures you get a grill that’s not just a purchase, but a reliable companion for all your outdoor adventures.

While the Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill is an excellent choice for many, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: A Vibrant and Promising Arrival

Upon unboxing the Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill, the first thing that struck me was its vibrant, glossy red finish. It’s a fun, eye-catching color that immediately sets it apart from the sea of standard black grills. It felt incredibly lightweight, tipping the scales at just 4 pounds, confirming its promise of ultimate portability. The powder-coated metal of the bowl and lid felt reasonably sturdy for the price point, more substantial than I had anticipated. Assembly was straightforward and, as one user noted, took us “literally 10 minutes.” It involved attaching the handle, the dual vent covers, and the three legs with the provided nuts and bolts. However, during this process, I encountered the one immediate point of concern that many others have flagged: the legs. While they screw in easily, the threaded inserts they attach to feel like the weakest link in the design. Even so, my initial feeling was one of excitement; it looked like the perfect little grilling machine for spontaneous adventures. You can see its full feature set and user reviews to get a better sense of its compact design.

Deep Dive: Performance, Portability, and Pitfalls

A grill’s true worth is only revealed in the heat of the moment—literally. We put the Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill through its paces over several weeks, taking it from a backyard patio test to a local park cookout to see how it handled in the real world. Our testing focused on its core promises: build quality, cooking performance, and, most importantly, portability.

Assembly and Build Quality: A Tale of Two Halves

The assembly process is the first interaction you have with the grill, and it perfectly encapsulates the product’s overall story: a well-designed core hampered by a few critical weak points. The main components—the fire bowl, lid, and cooking grate—are surprisingly well-made. The powder-coated finish is thick and even, and after several high-heat sessions, it showed no signs of chipping or fading, confirming one user’s comment that it’s a “beautiful and a thick coating.” The handle and vent hardware are basic but functional. Where the experience falters is with the legs. The legs themselves are hollow metal tubes, and they attach to the bowl via screws that go into threaded inserts pressed into the legs. This is the Achilles’ heel of the Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill.

We found that if you overtighten the screws even slightly, the insert can break free and spin uselessly inside the leg, or worse, pull out entirely. This was a recurring theme in user feedback. One user stated, “the outer part of the hollow legs keep falling off everytime I pick up my grill even tho its screwed in.” Another advised, “Legs are cheap don’t try to tighten!” and ended up using epoxy to secure them. We took this advice to heart, tightening them just enough to be snug. Even so, the grill never felt perfectly stable. It stood its ground on a flat patio, but on the slightly uneven grass of a park, it required careful placement. This is a significant trade-off for its incredible lightness and low price. While the core cooking vessel is solid, be prepared to handle the legs with care or even consider a minor DIY modification to make them more secure if you plan on frequent use. It’s a fixable flaw, but a flaw nonetheless.

Cooking Performance and Heat Management

This is where the grill truly shines and exceeded our expectations. For such an affordable and compact unit, its cooking capabilities are fantastic. The 150-square-inch cooking grate provided ample room for a meal for three; we comfortably fit six thick burgers, a dozen chicken wings, and later, four large ears of corn with room to spare. Many users echoed this, with one noting, “The amount of food you can grill at once is awesome.” The key to its performance is the dual venting system, a feature often found on more expensive grills. The bottom vent controls the amount of oxygen feeding the coals, directly impacting their temperature. The top vent manages heat and smoke circulation within the dome. This level of control is what separates real grilling from simply cooking over a fire.

During our first test, we opened both vents fully to get a chimney of charcoal roaring hot. We seared thick-cut pork chops for a few minutes per side, achieving beautiful grill marks and a delicious crust. Then, by partially closing both vents, we were able to lower the temperature enough to finish cooking them through without burning the exterior. The heat distribution was impressively even across the entire grate, a sentiment confirmed by a user who said, “it heats up all on the grill equally.” We learned, as another user advised, not to overfill the charcoal bowl. A single layer of quality briquettes is more than enough to provide consistent heat for over an hour. Whether we were cooking burgers, hot dogs, or vegetable skewers, the Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill delivered juicy, flavorful results that rivaled those from much larger, more expensive grills.

Portability and Convenience in the Field

The ultimate test for a portable grill is, of course, taking it on the road. This is the area where the Gas One grill’s design choices, both good and bad, become most apparent. Its 4-pound weight is a revelation. Carrying it from the car to a picnic spot felt effortless, more like carrying a small tote bag than a piece of cooking equipment. The true star of the show, however, is the 3-point locking lid. Three simple clips securely fasten the lid to the bowl, a feature that we cannot overstate the importance of. After our cookout, once the coals had cooled, we locked the lid down and transported the entire unit back home without a single speck of ash or soot escaping into the car. This is a game-changing feature for anyone who has ever dealt with the messy aftermath of transporting a dirty grill.

The built-in ash catcher, a simple tray that sits below the bottom vent, also proved its worth. It effectively caught stray embers and ash, making final cleanup much tidier. Because of its small size, cleaning the entire grill is a breeze. The cooking grate fits easily into a standard kitchen sink for a quick scrub. One happy owner summed it up perfectly: “Once you’re done? Give it a quick clean and throw under the kitchen sink.” Despite our reservations about the leg stability, in practice, the grill’s incredible lightness and thoughtful transport features make it an absolute joy to use for beach days, camping, and park picnics. The convenience a feature that really sets it apart in the portable grilling market, especially at its price point.

What Other Users Are Saying

After our own extensive testing, we dug into a wide range of user experiences to see how our findings aligned with the broader public consensus. The sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, especially when viewed through the lens of the grill’s remarkably low price. Many users, particularly those new to grilling or living in small spaces, were thrilled. One young adult, who purchased it for their first apartment, was “amazed by the price and the quality,” calling it a “great deal.” Another praised its practicality for small-scale grilling, stating it’s “muy bueno para asar carne para pocas personas” (very good for grilling meat for a few people).

However, our primary concern about the leg stability was the most common complaint by a wide margin. Numerous reviews mention the issue of the threaded inserts failing. One detailed account explained, “One of the legs just slipped out of the cap type housing… the leg can pop off.” This confirms that our experience wasn’t an anomaly and that users should be prepared for this potential issue. Another less common but notable complaint involved quality control, with one user reporting their grill “arrived missing parts,” including vents, bolts, and the handle. Despite these drawbacks, the prevailing opinion is that the grill’s performance and portability far outweigh its flaws, best summarized by the simple but effective review: “Can’t beat it for the price!”

How Does the Gas One Grill Compare to the Competition?

The Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill operates in a crowded market. While it carves out a strong identity based on value and portability, it’s essential to see how it stacks up against some well-known alternatives.

1. Cuisinart 14″ Portable Charcoal Grill

The Cuisinart CCG-190 is perhaps the most direct competitor to the Gas One grill. It shares the same 14-inch diameter, 150-square-inch cooking surface, dual-venting system, and a three-point lid-locking mechanism for secure transport. It is, for all intents and purposes, a very similar product. Where they may differ is in brand reputation and minor variations in material gauge and finish. The Cuisinart often comes in at a slightly higher price point. If you’re a buyer who feels more comfortable with the established Cuisinart brand name and are willing to potentially pay a small premium for it, this is a solid alternative. However, feature-for-feature, the Gas One offers nearly identical functionality, often for less money.

2. Weber Smokey Joe 14 Inch Portable Grill

The Weber Smokey Joe is the icon of portable charcoal grilling, and it represents a step up in build quality and durability. Its primary advantage is the porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, which is far more resistant to rust and burnout than the powder-coated finish on the Gas One. Weber’s build quality is legendary, and the Smokey Joe feels more substantial and durable in hand. The trade-off comes in features and price. The standard Smokey Joe lacks the convenient lid locks found on the Gas One, making transport messier. It’s also typically more expensive. The choice comes down to priorities: if you prioritize long-term durability and brand reputation over locking features and the lowest possible price, the Weber Smokey Joe is the superior investment.

3. Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill

This isn’t a direct competitor but rather the logical next step for someone who wants to graduate from portable grilling to a full-fledged backyard setup. The Weber Original Kettle is the quintessential backyard grill, offering a massive 363 square inches of cooking space—more than double that of the Gas One. It’s designed for permanence, with a sturdier stand, wheels for mobility around a patio, and Weber’s patented One-Touch cleaning system. It is not portable in the “take it to the beach” sense. We include it here as a benchmark. If you find yourself loving the charcoal experience provided by the Gas One but constantly wishing you had more space to cook for a crowd, the 22-inch Weber Kettle is the undisputed king of backyard charcoal grilling.

The Final Verdict: Is the Gas One Grill Right for You?

After extensive use and careful consideration, our verdict on the Gas One 14-inch Portable Barbecue Grill is overwhelmingly positive, with one important caveat. This grill is an exceptional value, offering a combination of portability, cooking performance, and thoughtful features like the locking lid and dual vents that are hard to find at this price. It’s the perfect companion for anyone who wants to enjoy authentic charcoal grilling on the go—be it at a campsite, a tailgate, or on a small apartment balcony. It makes grilling accessible, fun, and affordable. We were consistently impressed with the delicious results it produced, proving that you don’t need a huge, expensive machine to make great barbecue.

The significant caveat, of course, is the flimsy leg design. It’s a clear cost-cutting measure that detracts from an otherwise excellent product. If you’re willing to be gentle during assembly and use, or you’re handy enough to apply a simple fix like epoxy, this weakness can be managed. For its intended purpose—occasional, portable grilling—it performs brilliantly. If you’re in the market for an ultra-portable, easy-to-use charcoal grill that won’t break the bank, we wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s an incredible gateway into the world of charcoal grilling and a reliable tool for any outdoor adventure. If you’re ready to start your journey, you can check the latest price and availability on this fantastic portable grill today.