Weber Go Anywhere review: a versatile and compact BBQ for easy grilling

Should you be searching for the ultimate portable BBQ, then the Weber Go Anywhere is equipped with everything you need to cook up a storm outdoors. Wherever you are, that is, whether that be on your own patio, camping in the woods, or on the beach for a sunset picnic, the Weber Go Anywhere makes grilling easy and convenient, whilst ensuring that you can cook on the go.

The Weber Go Anywhere might just be the ultimate buy for adventurers who love to barbecue food. It's fit for couples and small families alike, whilst you can use its generous cooking space to batch cook for more people, too. It can tackle anything from joints of meat to veggies and your classic hamburgers, thanks to its handy lid. It's easy to clean once you're finished and neatly tucks together to be carried with ease, whether for a 5-minute walk to your car or a 5-mile hike home.

I've been testing a huge range of portable grills and BBQs, from the likes of Weber, Everdure, BergHOFF, and other popular brands. Read my verdict below on the Weber Go Anywhere, and keep scrolling for how this model compares to Weber's Smokey Joe, too. If you can squeeze something larger on your patio, then don't miss our complete list of the best grills for more reviews.

Weber Go Anywhere product specs

• Fuel type: Charcoal
• Dimensions: H36.9cm x W53.4cm x D31cm
• Cooking area dimensions: W42cm x D26cm
• Weight: 6.78kg

Unboxing the Weber Go Anywhere

The Weber Go Anywhere is a compact little BBQ, and this shows in the size of its box. It arrives without its feet on and with the handle detached, to make it smaller to package. Our initial thoughts of the Go Anywhere were nothing other than positive. Immediately we noticed how high quality it is, and its sizeable cooking space. It folds away both easily and neatly and overall is a tidy and succinct piece of kit. It's also surprisingly stable.

When it comes to assembly, you need only spend five or so minutes. You attach the handle to the lid and the feet to the actual BBQ. It's very simple and the instructions are straightforward. You don't need any tools to do this, other than the plastic tool that comes included.

Ease of use

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Before you begin to add charcoal and light your BBQ, you'll want to ensure that all vents are open to allow airflow whilst cooking. This includes the handle vents and the vents on each side of the bowl. After using the briquette bowl to measure how much charcoal you need and lighting the BBQ, it will take around 25 to 30 minutes to get hot and be ready to cook on. You'll want to grease the grates before cooking to avoid food getting stuck.

I tested this BBQ in my garden, four times in total. I used it to cook burgers, sausages, chicken wings, a joint of beef and corn on the cobs. Everything we cooked turned out perfectly, and within the time we imagined. This BBQ offers enough space to cook for a family if you are cooking food in batches. Once lit, the BBQ should stay hot enough to cook four, or maybe even five (depending on what you're cooking) batches of food. Otherwise, for couples it's ideal for cooking several items of food at once. You can portion the BBQ so that your meats won't interact and you can also rearrange the charcoal to indirectly cook any delicate foods you have – if you're grilling fish, for instance – or if you want to keep your food warm once it's cooked. In short: Its cooking space is impressively large thanks to the fact it's rectangular rather than circle, which most other Weber charcoal BBQs are.

Overall, cooking on this BBQ couldn't be easier. The ease of having a lid makes cooking speedy and temperature regulation easy. This makes it easy to ensure even cooking on both sides of meat, or all sides of a joint. It has a hinged lid to protect the BBQ from the weather, plus when it comes to cleaning the BBQ, it's a breeze. 

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Cooking burgers and small cuts of meat
You can fit six to eight burgers on this BBQ at any one time. It took less than 10 minutes to cook four burgers on this BBQ, and they turned out very juicy. 

Besides the burgers, we cooked some tomato and herb chipolata sausages. These are thin, so bear in mind they didn't take as long to cook as a normal sausage would. These took around 15 minutes to cook.

Our next batch of food, on the same day as cooking all of the above, was chicken wings. We managed to fit an impressive amount of these on the BBQ at once, and thanks to the use of the lid, they cooked beautifully. We left these on the BBQ for 15 minutes and they came out succulent with crispy skin, and they tasted great.

Cooking larger joints of meat
We cooked a joint of beef on this BBQ, and it was the first thing we cooked after heating it up for the second time.

First of all, the joint we bought was a little large, and with only two of us eating it we thought it would be best to half it. This way we could also cook it at different temperatures.

We popped both bits of the joint directly onto the grill, once seasoned, and popped the lid on. We left them for around six minutes and then checked on them, and flipped them over for even cooking. After another six minutes, we turned them on their side for a couple of minutes and then we decided to cut into one to see what they were looking like. The joint we cut into we took off into the kitchen to rest, and then the other one we left for an extra five minutes.

After a total cooking time of 22 minutes and 17 minutes, these were cooked and ready to rest. Admittedly, we could have cut the cooking time slightly as after being left to rest they came out slightly more well done than we'd have liked. Next time, it would have been handy to have a cooking thermometer to check the temperature without having to slice into the joint.

Nevertheless, cooking a joint on this BBQ was more than easy, with a spacious grill area and a lid to use too. The meat also tasted incredible, even though it was overcooked for us. It had a lovely crisp to it and the flavor and succulence was as if they had been cooked in the oven for hours on end. This might have changed our Sunday Roast game, to be honest. You can see below that the joint we cooked for longer is on the left, and the one we took off first is on the right of the board.

Cooking veggies
Of course, cooking on a charcoal grill isn't just about the meat. We also used this BBQ to cook corn on the cobs. Instead of cooking them wrapped in foil, we popped them directly onto the BBQ for a couple of minutes for added flavor, fast. This also proved to leave them with a grilled look, which we loved. These cooked surprisingly fast, and we used the lid to conceal heat and cook the cobs evenly through. We boiled them before – we just finished them off on the BBQ.

Cleaning the Weber Go Anywhere

Cleaning the Weber Go Anywhere is as easy as you'd hope. Dispose of the ash and then soak both grates in your sink. Scrub these lightly and then you can pop them in your dishwasher. 

There's a plate at the bottom of the BBQ which you can also wipe down, and put in your dishwasher if need be.

Since it's small, it can fit in your sink to give it a wet down and a wipe. It cleans quite easily as it's smooth. Just don't use a scourer as you might risk scratching it. You can wipe down the exterior of the BBQ, too, but it shouldn't really need it.

Storage and maintenance

This BBQ is super easy to put away, and you can keep it indoors or outside in your garden storage. Though if you are storing it outdoors, you may want to cover it or keep it in an area of your patio that's shielded from the water to avoid rusting. Ours fits in a kitchen cupboard, and we do leave it outside sometimes. We've left it out in the rain and it still looks good as new.

In terms of portability, this BBQs feet unhook from each other and fold around the top of the BBQ. The legs then sit tight on the lid, ensuring it's sealed shut to avoid any spillages.

Nothing is needed to maintain this BBQ, just ensure that you dry it all after washing to prevent rust.

How does the Weber Go Anywhere rate online?

It's unsurprising to us that the Weber Go Anywhere is highly rated online, in both the US and the UK.

On Amazon, reviewers have given it 4.8 stars out of 5. Comments include how it's brilliantly easy to use, built to last, and easy to clean.

At Walmart, customers rate it 4.6 stars out of 5. The majority of reviewers say they love how lightweight and easy to travel with it is, plus how it can make a huge range of foods.

Customers at Go Outdoors rate this BBQ very highly, with some reviewers calling it a must-have item. They say it's high-quality, great for feeding families, and even more perfect for use on the go.

How does it compare to similar models?

We've also tested the other portable BBQ sold by Weber – the Smokey Joe. So, we can compare both of them and how they cook to help you decide which one is best for you.

The Weber Go Anywhere offers a larger cooking space and it's best for taking on the go, whether that's to the beach, a camping holiday, or even for a picnic. The Smokey Joe, on the other hand, is slightly smaller in terms of cooking space as it's round instead of rectangular. And, its lid doesn't lock on so it's probably best for patio cooking, just to be safe when it comes to carting around a used BBQ. Both differ in price, with the Go Anywhere being £109.99/$71 and the Smokey Joe £99.99/$57. 

Anyone with a keen eye for design, note that the Smokey Joe comes in a range of colors, whilst the Go Anywhere is only available in black.

Should you buy the Weber Go Anywhere?

In one word: Yes! I loved using this little BBQ, and the fact it can do everything a larger charocal BBQ can but without taking up any floor space is a dream. 

I have a small patio and live with only one other person, so it offers plenty of space for us and we can use it when we have guests over for dinner. Our outside space isn't private, so we avoid leaving it outside when we're not in – it fits neatly in our kitchen cupboard. My only complaint? It doesn't come in a range of colors. I'd love it in cream, or something more colorful to make a statement atop my table.

 About this review, and the reviewer

Annie is our Deputy Ecommerce Editor at Gardeningetc and she reviews everything from hot tubs to patio cleaners and BBQs for us. Annie has a small terrace in South London and is forever looking for things to buy to maximize her outdoor space. 

Annie tested this BBQ over several months, and she cooked on it a total of four times. She cooked on it for just her and her husband-to-be three times, and once she cooked for seven people, in batches. She has reviewed three other portable BBQs in total.

Annie is allowed to keep this Weber BBQ and will be updating this review again once she has used it several more times.

For more information on how we test products, see our dedicated piece.