The perfect grill for anywhere, anytime

Summer is the grilling season; it is also the camping season, the picnicking season and the road-tripping season. Fortunately, we’ve found a way to combine the best of both worlds: a Weber “Go-Anywhere” Gas Grill.

We bought our portable grill years ago specifically for camping, as it wasn’t always practical to cook over an open fire. But we’ve come to love this propane-fueled barbecue for more than just overnight excursions. In fact we find ourselves using our Go-Anywhere Gas Grill just about, well, anywhere. And at anytime. For example, one day last week my husband, kids and I joined a few other families at a local park for dinner. We could have stuck to the basic picnic fare of cold fried chicken and pasta salad, but our take-along grill made it easy to cook up burgers and brats. And it was just as easy to carry the grill to the park as it would have been to carry a 12-piece bucket of drumsticks – the metal legs fold over the lid to lock it in place; a handle makes for easy carrying; and we use a small, 14.1-ounce propane cylinder to fuel it (We also have an adapter hose to hook the grill up to a larger propane tank, but that’s for when we’re stationary.).

On a recent road trip, we broke out the grill several times; fresh veggie and chicken shish kebabs are a whole lot healthier than fast food will ever be. The grill is small enough – 14.5-by-21-by-12.25 inches – to throw in the back of the car, but big enough (a 160-square-inch cooking surface) to create a meal for a family of four plus a few friends. It even works as an overflow grill for big parties – you know, when the kids need their hot dogs NOW, and the full-size barbecue is already lined with chicken, fish and steak. Plus, the Go-Anywhere Gas Grill is not a summer-only piece of gear. In winter, my husband and his co-workers fire it up right outside the ski shop for impromptu après-ski cookouts.

According to the Weber website (www.weber.com), the Go-Anywhere also comes in a charcoal-burning model. But for us, the gas grill – with its push-button igniter and no-mess fuel source – makes more sense. It sells for around $55 at most hardware and home-improvement stores.Jeanne McGovern’s e-mail address is jmcgovern@aspentimes.com