Fact: one’s enjoyment of a summer day is directly proportional to the amount of cooked meats on hand.
So it helps to have a grill at your ready. Wherever you are.
Enter Gizzo a lightweight cooker that takes about 30 seconds to set up — and fits into a backpack.
Now on Kickstarter, Gizzo weighs eight pounds, stands about two feet high and can grill up to eight burgers at a time. Cool down is about 10-20 minutes.
The device (that’s a hard “g,” BTW) comes with a water-resistant backpack that has separate compartments for coal, food and heat protective gloves, along with room for your sleeping bag or tent.
There’s more to life than meat, you say. Fair. Gizzo is offering a perk where you can join their team on a week-long trip to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, where you’ll cook your very own burger on the summit. And Gizzo will donate the money from this specific perk to groups dedicated to maintaining routes at the top of the mountain.
Since it’s not shipping until August, you might need something sooner. A few other portable grills of note:
C4 Portable Grill
About the size of a U.S. Army ammo box and just as tough, the C4 is made from 12-gauge steel and has a handle and hinge constructed from stainless steel tubing. The 18-pound grill has a 12″ X 7″ cooking area that can be heated up by charcoal, wood or a combination of both. Since the box is self-contained, the fire can be snuffed by simply shutting the lid.
BioLite CampStove 2
A smokeless camp stove and device charger, now with 50% more power, an integrated battery and an LED dashboard. Burns sticks, twigs and pinecones.
Fire Sense Notebook
A slim charcoal grill that folds to one inch flat, and costs just $27. (Snow Peak does a nicer, more expensive version.)
Table BBQ from BergHOFF
The winner of a 2016 Red Dot Design Award, the tabletop charcoal grill has a carbon steel body and cork cover that can be used as a base to avoid burning whatever surface is underneath. Tough and compact, the 18-pound grill can be carried like a cooler with a handy shoulder strap.
Everdure Cube
A compact charcoal cooker that’s topped with a storage area and bamboo prep tray, the Cube is lightweight, portable and about as easy to use as you could ever ask for.
Weber Go-Anywhere
A gas or charcoal grill you can pick up by any of three glass-reinforced nylon handles.
Mon Oncle
A product of the Spanish design group RS Barcelona, the Mon Oncle is as much art as it is ‘cue. In transport, it resembles a stylish vintage suitcase (leather strap included) in grey, tan, green or sky blue. But open it up: it’s now an eye-popping portable tabletop barbecue.
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