The Weber Q 2200 Gas Barbecue allows you to grill on the road while still being big enough for normal home usage.
We bought the Weber Q 2200 so that our reviewer could put it through its paces in her kitchen. Continue reading for our complete product review.
Key Specification
- Product Name: Q 2200 Gas Grill
- Weight: 43.5 lbs.
- Product Dimensions: 51.4 x 15.5 x 19 in.
- BTU per hour: 12,000
- Fuel source: Liquid propane
- Cooking area: 280 square inches
- Warranty: 5-year limited
What We Enjoy
- Extremely simple to set up and use
- Large kitchen area
- Grates made of heavy-duty porcelain-enameled cast iron
- Side tables that fold up large
What We Dislike
- A little hefty for a portable barbecue.
- The catch pan did not fit correctly.
There are numerous different grills on the market that can meet all of your cooking demands, from charcoal to gas to pellet barbecues. Gas grills, in particular, are fantastic since they allow you to manage the heat setting while cooking.
Few barbecues on the market today have the same great reputation as the Weber Q 2200 Gas Grill. This little liquid propane barbecue has virtually universal acclaim from tens of thousands of reviews, which made me wonder: What’s so great about it?
To see what all the excitement was about, I put the Weber Q 2200 to the test, grilling multiple meals on my back deck and even testing it on the fly. Here’s what I had to say.
Setup is quite straightforward.
You can set up the Weber Q 2200 Grill in minutes if you have a Phillips-head screwdriver and a can-do attitude. After removing the grill and its components from the box, I used the provided pins to secure the lid and screwed on the grill’s handle and thermometer. The control valve and ignition button easily slide into place, and the ignition even includes the required AAA battery. All that remains is to install the grates on the grill and slide the catch pan into position.
Everything went swimmingly until it came to the catch pan—because nothing is ever that simple, right? The pan is lightweight metal with a recessed section in the middle to accommodate a disposable tin. It’s meant to fit under the grill body, but the pan that came with my grill was just a little too large and wouldn’t fit into the grooves. I tried everything—rotating it, twisting it, inserting it from the other side—but it just wouldn’t fit.
I’m not sure whether it was because the pan was slightly too large or because the grill’s legs were bent, but I ended up trimming a few centimeters off each side of the tray using snips. That did the work, and the pan slipped effortlessly into place. I was interested whether this was a typical problem with the grill, and after reading hundreds of reviews, I couldn’t find any mention of other people experiencing the same issue. It seems to have been a one-time occurrence, and the fix was easy enough that it didn’t upset me too much.
Sleek and robust design
If I do say so myself, the Weber Q 2200 is a lovely small grill. It features a brown lid with the Q series emblem on top and is constructed of cast aluminum with a reinforced nylon frame. It comes with two porcelain-enameled cast iron grates that are incredibly heavy-duty—in fact, they account for the bulk of the grill’s weight—and provide 280 square inches of cooking surface, which could easily hold eight hamburgers. For further flexibility, the firm now produces cast iron griddles (available on Amazon).
The meat was cooked to perfection in about 10 minutes, and I was blown away by the 12,000 BTU burner on the grill.
One of the grill’s main selling features is its two fold-out side tables, which measure 12.5 x 13.5 inches apiece. They’re the ideal location to put a plate, condiments, and grilling equipment, and I used them almost every time I barbecued.
This grill is lacking in features. The only buttons on the grill are the endless control burner valve (which easily turns to regulate the gas production) and the electronic ignition (which starts the grill with a single push). The Q 2200 runs on liquid propane, and I utilized throwaway 1-pound canisters I had lying in my basement. (I’m not sure where those came from, but they worked!) These portable canisters are simple to connect to the port on the right side of the grill, but if you want to use a 20-pound liquid propane tank, Weber sells an aftermarket hose adapter separately (view at Amazon).
Performance: A pleasure to use
I couldn’t help but check out the Weber Q 2200 the day I received it, like a child on Christmas. I had some leftover ground beef in the fridge and decided to make a burger for supper. The grill was remarkably simple to use—a blue flame instantly flared up all around the stainless steel burner, which rings the bottom of the grill body, with a click of the ignition button.
Long reading the grill reviews, I noted that numerous people commented that it might take a while to heat up, so I closed the lid and walked inside to prepare my burger. I examined the grill five minutes later and was pleasantly delighted to see that the lid thermometer had already reached 400 degrees. That was hot enough for me, so I tossed my burger on the grill and waited for it to cook. The meat was cooked to perfection in about 10 minutes, and I was blown away by the 12,000 BTU burner on the grill. My partner and I used the grill to cook hot dogs, steak, and veggies throughout the following week, and it worked just as well, leaving lovely char marks on our meals and functioning without any grill flare-ups.
If you want to cook at really high temperatures—I’m talking about 500 degrees Fahrenheit—you may have difficulty reaching there with just one burner.
My partner occurred to have an off-site event at work when I was testing the grill. Instead of buying pizza for lunch, he and his colleagues decided to have a parking lot barbeque, and I volunteered to let them use the Weber to put its mobility to the test. He loaded the grill into the bed of his truck, and although he was shocked by its weight (more than 40 pounds), he loved how robust and durable it felt. He was able to effortlessly cook for himself and four employees using the grill, and they all agreed that the burgers and hot dogs were delicious.
Throughout my tests, I was able to easily obtain temperatures ranging from 450 to 500 degrees using this portable grill, which was sufficient for my purposes. However, if you want to cook at really high temperatures—I’m talking about 500 degrees Fahrenheit—you may have difficulty reaching there with just one burner.
Disposable grease pans for cleaning
The Weber Q 2200, like any other gas grill, requires cleaning after each use, but it’s a simple process. After the grill had cooled somewhat, I used my wire brush to clean the food and oil off the grates. Everything fell easily off the porcelain-enameled cast iron, particularly because the grates were still heated.
It was merely a question of checking the drip pan from there. The disposable tray only needed to be emptied once throughout the weeks I used it, and I simply coated it with heavy-duty aluminum foil as a substitute tray. If you like the excellent fit of Weber’s disposable tin trays (see on Amazon), you may obtain replacements for a reasonable price.
Price: Expensive, but well worth it
The Weber Q 2200 Gas Grill has an MSRP of $269, making it one of the most costly portable gas barbecues available. It is, nevertheless, one of the biggest and most powerful on the market. Given its exceptionally durable build and big cooking surface, I believe it’s an excellent investment for anybody who often barbecues on the go—or for those seeking for a basic but competent grill for their backyard.
Weber Q 1400 Electric Grill: The Weber Q 1400 Electric Grill, which is part of the same Qbseries as the Q 2200, was also evaluated. The two grills have fairly similar designs, since they both have the same form and cast iron grates, as well as the handy grease management system. The main differences are in size and fuel—the Q 1400 operates on electricity, so you’ll need to cook near an electrical outlet while using it. It also features a smaller cook surface of 189 square inches and lacks the Q 2200’s side tables.
Final Decision
The buzz is justified.
The Weber Q 2200 Gas Grill should be a top candidate if you’re looking for a portable gas grill that works just as well on the move as it does in the backyard—you can’t match its large cooking surface, remarkable power, and robust design.
