The best portable BBQs in Australia

Portable covers a lot: a balcony BBQ that never moves, a camping stove that lives in the boot, and a beach grill that gets carried down the sand. The right one depends on which of those you actually are.

Questions to ask before buying a portable BBQ in Australia

• How will you carry the cylinder? Keep it upright and secured, with no more than 9 kg in a car. NSW prefers the boot; WA says never an enclosed boot, so use the vehicle floor with the windows down, and take it out as soon as you can (NSW Government, WorkSafe WA).
• Can you use it in a tent or caravan? No. WA’s regulator says outdoor gas appliances must only be used in the open air, and never inside tents, caravans or campervans even with the doors or windows open (WA Government).
• Can you use it on a Total Fire Ban day? In NSW, charcoal no. Gas only within 20 metres of a home or in a designated picnic area, with an adult present, nothing combustible within 2 metres and water on hand (NSW RFS). Check your own state’s rules.
• Is it certified for Australian gas? Every gas appliance sold here must be tested and certified (Gas Technical Regulators Committee). Look for the compliance plate and gas compliance mark; overseas marks such as CSA or CE aren’t enough (Energy Safe Victoria). You can look up the number on the national certificate database.
• Does it take an LCC27 cylinder? LCC27 valves replaced the old POL type from 1 April 2021. A new LCC27 BBQ needs an LCC27 cylinder, and adaptors that join it to an old POL cylinder override the safety valve; WA’s regulator has banned them (WA Building and Energy).
• Do you live in strata? By-laws are the rules for the complex, each scheme can have its own, and tenants have to follow them too (NSW Government). Read yours before you buy for a balcony.

Balcony and small courtyard

The Weber Baby Q is the Australian answer. It is not light, but it sits on a table or its own stand, roasts under its hood, and every accessory exists. The Everdure Force 2 and Weber Q2000N are the step up if you have room. Where gas is banned, the electric Weber Lumin replaces it.

Camping

Weight and packability matter more than cooking area. The Dometic Safari Chef is about four kilos and comes with a grill, a plate and a wok-style lid. The Weber Traveler folds flat and wheels like a suitcase. Charcoal campers take the Go-Anywhere or an Akorn Jr; check fire bans first. For fire-ban rules, wind and the full camping list with current prices, see the camping BBQ guide.

Beach and park

Charcoal, cheap and light: the Wanderer suitcase or the Everdure Cube. Most parks have free electric BBQs, which is worth remembering before carrying anything.

The picks

The Weber Baby Q1000N is the overall pick because it is the portable most Australians actually use for years. The Traveler is the pick for boot space. The Go-Anywhere is the charcoal portable with a lid, and the Akorn Jr the portable kamado for people who want to smoke as well as grill. The Wanderer is for the beach.

The competition

We compared seven portables; these two aren’t picks:

• Dometic Safari Chef 30: about four kilos with a grill, a plate and a wok-style lid, the lightest gas option here, but out of stock at BCF, the only shop we found it at, when we checked on 9 November 2026.
• Everdure Cube (Amazon Australia): a charcoal cube with built-in storage that looks good on a picnic table, but it does the same beach job as the Wanderer and the Go-Anywhere. Choose it for the looks.