One of the most thrilling outdoor activities you should try at least once in your life is road trips. What could be more fun than a vacation that also serves as a grilling or barbeque event? For that, you need a portable grill that is up to the task so you can fully enjoy yourself and make the journey more enjoyable.
You may read a review of the best portable stand-up propane barbecue in this post, which is great for this use.
Coleman RoadTrip 285 Propane Grill
Main Features
- Two wheels to enhance portability.
- Easy to fold for compatibility.
- Has side tables that slide outwards.
- Removable and easily cleanable water pan for trapping dripping grease.
- The grates are coated with porcelain and made of cast iron.
- An electric ignition system.
- Fueled using canisters of liquid propane.
- Three 20,000 BTU per hour burners.
- Cooking space of 285 sq. inches.
- It measures 30.2 by 19.2 by 16.1 inches.
Advantages
- High grilling power.
- Spacious cooking area.
- It ignites using the push button.
- Easy to carry around.
- Ease of assembly.
Disadvantages
- Less powered than grills of larger sizes.
- Lacks sturdiness
Our Opinion
After checking out this grill with our team of experts, here is our take. First, if your main aim is to get a portable grill that offers a great cooking experience during your picnics and trips, the Coleman RoadTrip 285 Propane Grill is your go-to equipment.
The grill was branded a crowd-pleaser for a reason. It’s the perfect grill to use when you are away from home and feel the need to cook something good for your travel partners and friends. The manufacturer, Coleman, is often applauded for creating efficient and good-quality camping equipment, and they didn’t disappoint with this portable grill.
Another reason why we liked it is due to user-friendliness. The grill gives you an easy time while assembling it and using it. The most satisfying part is its foldability which enhances its portability even in smaller vehicles. The foldable stand creates a great cooking platform that protects you from straining your back when making meals.
You can make up to 14 burgers on the large cooking space that has three burners. The grill’s fuel consumption is highly commendable as you’ll only require a propane cylinder weighing one pound to last at least one session.
Adding versatility and reliability to the abovementioned likable features, the grill assures you of a fully satisfying camping session or picnic. It offers you a homely atmosphere away from home.
Coleman RoadTrip 285 Review in Details
With all the new brands of grilling equipment cropping in the market, we understand that finding the most suitable one can pose a challenge. For that reason, our team compiled the following thorough and unbiased review to assist you in making more informed decisions during your purchase.
The reviewed context contains the grill’s cooking performance, specifications, key features, and overall details that offer you clear insights. We’ll also inform you of its cons and the pros to guide you better on your choices.
Things We Like
- Interchangeable cooktops- You can interchange the original grill grates made of cast iron for stove griddles or grates when making different meals. The latter are bought separately, and they create a cooking space for you to experiment with the additional dishes and recipes.
- Sizeable grilling space- The grill has a cooking space that’s big enough to accommodate a sizable amount of food. It also comes with three burners whose temperature adjustments are independent.
- Improved grilling control- With three burners on the grilling zone, the equipment has the ability to release about 20,000 BTUs. Compared to most brands of its size, the Coleman Roadtrip 285 offers great control over temperature. You can adjust the burners independently until you get a precise temperature.
- Portability– The primary idea of manufacturing this grill was to offer campers and picnic lovers a homely experience during their traveling cookouts. That explains why the propane grill has all the desirable features that suit the events. From a foldable stand with wheelers, a large handle to its compact size, the grill gives you all the right reasons to take it to camp or a picnic.
Things We Don’t Like
- It’s not Strong Enough– Compared to full-sized grills, the Coleman Roadtrip 285 lacks the sturdiness to withstand many cooking sessions. Its legs can wobble after using it for some time. Some people experience broken side tables and handle after some time.
- Low-temperature ranges- Unlike most full-size equipment, the grill does not heat up past a certain range. This may cause inconveniences when cooking foods that require extreme temperatures. But when your main concern is portability, it’s easy to overlook this downside and only cook the recipes that do well under moderate heat.
Performance
The Coleman Roadtrip Grill ranks among the highest-performing portable equipment. The first notable feature is its ease of assembly (covered later in the review). It’s also low on fuel consumption, as you only need a cylinder weighing 1 pound to ignite the burners and keep them running for a certain period. With the 20,000 BTUs of grilling power, the cooking grates also heat up well enough to maintain the set temperature throughout the grilling session.
To start the grill, you only have to press the ignition button and use a thermometer to monitor the temperature.
The grill’s cooking performance is further enhanced by switching the cooktops from the common iron grate to the detachable stove grate or grill. It also comes with side tables for easy storage of utensils, sauces, and other cooking aids.
Finally, you need not worry about cleaning up because that’s the easiest part of using the Coleman Roadtrip grill. There’s a water pan that traps excess grease. While cleaning, you only have to remove it, wash and return it to its place to capture more.
Specifications
TABLE {as per the instructions given}
Build Quality
A portable grill needs to be of good quality as it regularly moves to different places. Despite the wobbly legs, this grill has a great build quality compared to most other equipment in its category.
The grill’s body is crafted using steel, making it strong and long-lasting. You’ll, however, need to look out for the flimsy plastic handle and be careful when pulling it.
Assembly
Assembling the grill is the easiest task of the whole process. The first step is unfolding the legs and setting the grill up on a flat surface. Next, you’ll lift the grill’s cover, ignite it, leave it to attain the required temperature, and finally, you can embark on your cookout.
Warranty
The Coleman Roadtrip grill comes with a warranty of up to 3 years, under which you’re guaranteed compensation in case of defects arising from the manufacturer’s faults.
FAQs
Can I grease without pulling out the inner parts?
The unfortunate answer to this question is no! It’s not possible to grease the grill without taking the inner parts out. You need not worry about creating a dirty mess with the grease as the porcelain water pan captures the excess liquids, and you can clean it afterward.
Does the grill come with accessory hangers?
Again, no! This equipment lacks accessory hangers, but you can use the side tables to hold small-sized utensils.
Is it okay to use a full-sized propane tank?
Yes. It’s okay to buy a full-sized propane tank with a hose add-on that releases high pressure. These additional components are convenient and pocket-friendly.
Final Thoughts
A road trip or camping session doesn’t sound complete without an outdoor cookout. The Coleman Roadtrip grill will come in handy as it has many admirable features. It is easy to assemble, clean, portable, affordable, and maintainable. It also has a sizable cooking space that can accommodate enough food for a family or group of friends.
Putting all the highlighted features into consideration, the grill is definitely the missing road trip accessory that you’ve been searching for!