Weber Traveler gas barbecue review: a portable BBQ you can use at home and take on holiday

Looking for an uncomplicated upgrade to your old grill? Read on, because the Weber Traveler gas barbecue is the ideal choice for families and fairweather grillers alike. 

Barbecue reviews usually lean toward super-complex models: those that can grill, roast, bake and even smoke your food. Extras like rotisserie motors and WiFi connectivity can complicate things even further, leaving most confused and clueless when all you really want it to do is grill a burger.

In this brave new world of multitasking grills, the Weber Traveler gas barbecue is a breath of fresh air. Over the years I've been fortunate enough to own or test out a number of different outdoor cookers. From charcoal and gas barbecues, to wood pellet-fuelled grills and pizza ovens – I enjoy cooking on every one of them, each with their particular charms and benefits.

However, there are those lazy moments – whether you're feeding family and friends or you'd rather have not be glued to the grill – when simplicity always wins. And that is the Weber Traveler gas barbecue in a nutshell.

I tested the grill over a week and a half, cooking up a pretty wide selection of dishes so keep reading to find out how I fared with the Weber Traveler gas barbecue. If, however, you're looking for a few more options, head to our best BBQ guide for the lowdown on the top grills on the market today. 

Weber Traveler gas barbecue product specifications

• Fuel type: Disposable gas cartridge
• Burners: 1 
• Dimensions: H94.5 x W110.8 x D58.4cm (assembled)
• Weight: 28.1kg (assembled)
• Oven temperature: Up to 260˚C
• Grill size: 2065 cm sq
• Extras: three tool hooks and a sturdy side prep table
• Use: Outdoor use only

Weber Traveler gas barbecue: first impressions and assembly

The Weber Traveler gas barbecue arrives in a fairly large box – sufficiently big and bulky to require two people to carry it wherever you decide to assemble it. Once assembled, you can move it wherever you want to because, hey, it's portable!

Assembly only requires one person, and quite frankly, it couldn't be easier. You can use the instructions provided, or – and I would recommend this – you can download the ingenious Bilt app which provides moving 3D assembly instructions for all of Weber's grills. 

Both the app and the instructions state that it will take 10 minutes for one person to build it – I suspect that's if you choose to assemble it while sipping on a cocktail or tending to some unruly toddlers, because I easily managed it in half that time.

There are ten super simple steps to assembly. Start by sliding an axle through the base and securing it in place, attaching the wheels, fastening and covering them with mini hubcaps. Next you undo a plastic latch to unlock the grill, raise it up, slide in the drip tray and then pop the cast iron grill plates above the burner. That's it!

Honestly, it's so simple even a child could do it (suffice to say, you should absolutely NOT let a child do it...)

In terms of the design, the Weber Traveler is a bit like a hybrid of a barbecue and buggy or pushchair. Sharing that clever, failsafe design through and through.

The side table comes with a sticker showing instructions on how to raise and lower the grill. This is quite handy when you've just bought it as there are some safety elements built in so that it doesn't collapse easily – but this all becomes second nature after a few attempts.

Simply unlock the safety latch, put one foot on the foot stand and raise it up. You lower it back down by gripping the table handle and releasing the lever underneath - all the time with one foot on the foot stand to stabilize it – then you lower it down. 

As it lowers, the automatic lock secures the lid in place and all that's left for you to do is to fasten the cart using the safety latch again.

The barbecue itself is wide but not very deep, with the prep table on the right-hand side, which I guess may be a bit annoying for the left-handed population. The controls are also on the right, which sit just below the table top. The lid is domed and features a clear temperature gauge giving you greater control over the heat within.

At the base of grill you'll find the drip tray drawer, which slides out easily, and for which you can buy Weber drip tray liners that fit snugly inside to help with the clean up afterwards.

When its folded up, the Weber Traveler gas barbecue doesn't take up a great deal of space so there isn't an outdoor cover available as, quite frankly, you won't need one - you can easily pop it in your shed or garage when you're done. 

If you plan to bring the Weber Traveler gas barbecue with you somewhere in your car, there's also the option to buy a Cargo Protector bag, which is useful as it has grime resistant fabric and will protect the enameled dome from any scratching.

Weber Traveler gas barbecue – getting started

The Weber Traveler gas barbecue takes those mini barrel-shaped disposable gas canisters – or to use their official name, EN417 cartridges. Weber has their own branded version but there are other generic versions available and they will work just as well. Gas is gas after all. There's also the option to buy a separate adapter allowing you to use a larger gas canister when you're at home.

As with any best gas BBQ, the Weber lights instantly. Weber recommends you leave the lid closed and whack up the heat to high until the temperature gauge shows 500˚F/260˚C (or roughly 10 to 15 minutes).

Cooking on the Weber Traveler gas barbecue

Don't let the word 'portable' make you think that you're sacrificing on grill space for portability. The Weber Traveler gas barbecue features a deceptively large grilling surface, with room for around 15 burgers at one time. 

This would come in particularly handy if you bring it camping, as you could grill bacon and sausages, while simultaneously frying eggs on a pan beside them. 

Much like an indoor gas hob, the heat is controlled using a knob – turn counterclockwise to go high, clockwise to go low. Close the lid to retain the heat and to slow cook or open the lid and dial up the heat to sear meat and vegetables.

Over the time I was testing the grill, I cooked a (pretty enormous) tomahawk steak on it, as well as a whole seabass and fillets of salmon, delicious corn on the cob, charred bell peppers and crispy edged sliced halloumi. 

Again if you're used to cooking on gas – indoors or out – it won't be hard to master cooking on the Weber Traveler gas barbecue. It cooked everything I threw at it brilliantly and I could easily see myself bring this on our next family camping trip, provided we had the space in our car once we fit everything else in.

How easy is it to clean the Weber Traveler gas barbecue?

Cleaning the Weber Traveler is pretty straightforward. Leave it to cool completely after use. Then the next time you want to use it, preheat the grill, then the leftover bits from any previous use can be removed easily. 

Brush the grates with a bristled barbecue cleaning brush and then – using an old barbecue trick that I learned from an Australian – rub the plates with half an onion on a skewer. This will clean and season the grill plates. 

Remove the drip tray and scoop out the grease and debris, then return it to the grill. Finally, a quick wipe down with a soapy cloth (once it's cooled), and you're ready to go.

How does the Weber Traveler gas barbecue rate?

With regards to its portability, you can certainly move it around like a cart thanks to the sturdy wheels, but at just over 28kg in weight, you certainly couldn't call it light. 

As for packability – in a car, say – it's not very small either. You'd have to have a pretty big car boot or trunk, especially if you're including your luggage and/or camping gear in there, too. 

I discovered that the domed lid is removable, though Weber doesn't mention this in the instructions. It's secured in place using similar pins to those used for the wheels. Removing this might make packing the car a lot easier but this will leave the burner exposed so you would obviously need to protect it, so that it doesn't damage in transit. All of this is at your own risk though as any damage would naturally invalidate the warranty. 

As for warranties, the cookbox and lid are covered for five years for rust or burn through, the stainless-steel burner tube and cast iron grill plates are covered for three years and the remaining parts and components are covered for two. Just remember to register it with Weber after you buy it.

And how do I rate it? Well, if all you want is a barbecue on which you can cook straightforward meals for you and the family, then look no further. The Weber Traveler gas barbecue is for you. 

That's not to say that you can't try your hand at cooking more sophisticated dishes on it, but sometimes all you want is a simple, uncomplicated solution on which to cook a meal so you can get back to spending time outdoors with your loved ones. And the Weber Traveler gas barbecue is just that.

Where to buy the Weber Traveler gas barbecue

You can buy the Traveler from Weber directly or at John Lewis & Partners. As it's brand new and it's a Weber  - which is always a popular brand for quality - the Traveler does tend to be selling out online. However, anywhere it's in stock will pull through in our handy widget below, but you can take a look at where to buy barbecues in stock with our guide. 

About this review and our reviewer

Ginevra Benedetti is Associate Editor across the homes titles at Future. This means that she spends her days writing about all areas of the home, inside and out, as well as reviewing gadgets and appliances to ensure that you get the best products for your needs. 

She lives in a Victorian terrace with a 40ft long garden that backs onto a peaceful council allotment, so thankfully not that many neighbours are disturbed by her six-year-old’s endless trampoline antics. 

As with all our reviews, the Weber Traveler portable barbecue has been tested first-hand in her garden, using it just as you would so you know exactly what you are buying.