Great if you have the space: Weber Traveler review

When the word portable is used as an adjective for a barbecue, or indeed anything, what we tend to picture is a smaller version of the standard version. But the Weber Traveler barbecue measures similar dimensions to that of your full-size patio barbecue.

How does this work? Does this work? What's The Best contributor, Chris Williams, took Weber's Traveler on a camping trip to find out.

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Portability

‘It’s on a pallet’ are not the words one expects to hear from the delivery man when the allegedly portable Weber Traveler turned up. But that's exactly what was said.

In theory, the Traveler is a portable barbecue for anyone, from casual picnickers to retirees with big, fancy Volkswagen Grand California campervans. But at over one metre wide and nearly 60 centimetres deep, it seems to be the portable barbecue for anyone who has a vehicle with a boot capacious enough to transport it. We transported it in a Volvo SUV and the Traveler fit in its boot exactly.

But pure size is only half the story because while the Weber Traveler is of similar dimensions to most peoples’ backyard grills, the Traveler has a brilliant hydraulic mechanism for collapsing its stand. Put your foot on the foot stand at the base, pull a red lever that sits beneath the side table, and the whole unit eases down gently on gas struts.

Once collapsed, there’s a lock that engages automatically on the lid to prevent an open-lid disaster that would unfold if it didn’t. There’s a red tab that locks the legs shut, too. You can then lift up the barbecue and wheel it away.

As you can probably tell, the Traveler’s cart is an integral part of it, like a tortoise’s shell. While the cart makes the Traveler bigger than it would be without, it has the benefit of making the Traveler very easy to move around.

Features and usability

With an RRP of £439.95, the Traveler is quite an investment. But is it a wise one? In typical Weber fashion, the Traveler is very solid and well put together. Metal components rattle somewhat when you’re wheeling it across a gravel car park, but there is no sense that it’s being rattled to pieces.

Parked up and set up, it looks the business. The lid has a temperature gauge, which is a very welcome addition, and beneath the grill plates, you find a single burner. That pair of grill plates are cast iron and are what contribute most noticeably to the Traveler’s rather portly 28kg weight. But given how easy it is to wheel around, set up and collapse, and how solid it is, it’s far more beneficial than if they were lighter.

Because it’s a single burner, there’s just one dial. Just next to it are three plastic tool hooks. In terms of gas, because it’s a travel barbecue, the Traveler uses the little screw-in butane/propane gas canisters. You can hook it up to a big gas bottle or campervan gas supply if you want but it needs a hose adaptor, which is sold separately and is quite expensive.

Because there’s lots of power, the plates heat up within a few minutes and you’re ready to start cooking. For this, there is ample space to cater for large groups. The cooking area is more than 2000 square centimetres, which dwarfed our catering for three – it’s enough for at least a dozen medium-sized burger patties.

Crucially, it’s all useable cooking space because the burner tube wraps around the whole grill.

The aforementioned built-in temperature gauge on the lid is very useful, as is the infinitely adjustable control dial, both of which allow you to cook with more confidence. We didn’t encounter issues with anything sticking to the grill plates either. Overall, it was a stress-free barbecuing experience that produced some excellent results.

No doubt the Traveler can be used for any style of grilling, from slower, low temperature cooking to steak searing. In terms of fuel use, we didn’t get close to using a 445g gas canister. There was about a third left after cooking two courses.

Verdict

Is Weber’s Traveler a worthwhile investment? If you own a hatchback or a saloon car and you intend to take it places, then no it isn’t because it simply won’t fit in the boot. You could squeeze it in by folding the seats down but then it hardly seems portable at that point. But if you own an estate car or family SUV or a campervan then you should seriously consider the Traveler, because it’s a brilliant travel kitchen capable of being your home barbecue as well.

It’s the inclusion of important features and performance that impressed us most. There are no useless frills, just simple parts that work flawlessly and will last if you take care of them.

How does the Traveler stack up against competitors? Char Broil’s All-Star 120 B-Gas portable barbecue is cheaper at £379.99 and has the same power output. With the stand, it also weighs about the same, but the cooking area is smaller (43cm diameter circular plate) and you have to remove the barbecue from the stand to move it because the stand doesn’t fold away. The Weber Traveler is superior in our eyes.

How we tested it

The Traveler had a proper day out with us. It made up a crucial part of our camping kitchen, with the other part being the amenities found in our Volkswagen Grand California campervan.

With the Traveler, we cooked the all-important burger patties and, as an impromptu addition, toasting bread for bruschetta. These two are simple items for barbecuing but cooking burger patties is something easily ruined by feeble and uneven burners.

What to read next:

The best BBQs to use in your garden this summer

The best hybrid BBQs for your next summer soirée

The best gas BBQs to buy for amazing al fresco cooking

Chris Williams is a contributor for What's The Best. He also writes for CAR, Parkers, and Live For The Outdoors.

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