Nomad Portable Grill Review: Pricey but Almost Perfect

The Nomad moveable grill is to grills what the Yeti is to coolers: higher in each method, but costly. That each firms hail from Texas is a coincidence. Probably.

The Nomad is a brand new tackle what a transportable grill needs to be, and even might be. It’s refreshingly low-tech and compact, it cooks phenomenally effectively, and in contrast to many “portable” grills, it could possibly genuinely go wherever. It’s as near an ideal moveable grill as something I’ve examined.

Wandering Grill

I’ve examined plenty of moveable grills over time, and the Nomad is hands-down the best-built moveable grill I’ve ever used.

From the perforated, anodized-aluminum shell to the cast-aluminum grill bins inside, every thing in regards to the Nomad feels strong and effectively made. The heavy-duty handles and latches are robust. Even the grilling floor is held solidly in place with high-temperature-resistant magnets.

The design of the Nomad is totally different than most grills. It’s basically a suitcase, which suggests you possibly can carry it with one hand. The strong building does not make it mild—it is 28 kilos with one grill grate, 31 kilos in case you choose to purchase a second—but it is not awkward and unwieldy like our present top-pick moveable charcoal grill, Weber’s Jumbo Joe ($89).

When collapsed in suitcase carrying place, the Nomad appears to be like like a cross between one thing Jason Bourne would use as a carry-on and a few sort of dwell animal cage. I advised one one that requested about it that my youngsters had a pet wolverine. For a second, I believe they believed me.

Once you get the place you are going together with your Nomad, you possibly can set it up on any flat floor. Thanks to the engineering behind the grill, it by no means will get scorching sufficient to hurt wooden, steel, stone, or sand. I’d not put it on a plastic desk, but it ought to work high-quality in all places out of your truck tailgate to your native park’s picnic desk. While flat on the bottom is essentially the most awkward technique to cook dinner on the Nomad, it additionally works.

The Nomad can be pleasingly low-tech. There aren’t any Bluetooth temp sensors, apps, or the rest. This is grilling of the old fashioned, relying in your expertise and expertise. The Nomad does have a built-in thermometer on the left aspect of the “top.” but there isn’t a digital something right here. Thankfully.

Outer Space

For typical high-temp grilling, the Nomad folds open, supplying you with two sides to grill on. The catch is that the grill for the second aspect is offered individually and can set you again one other $130. If you get the additional grill grate, you will have complete of 425 sq. inches of cooking floor. Nomad claims that is sufficient for 30 burgers. I didn’t check the second grill grate, but cooking single-sided there was sufficient room for 12 burgers at a few quarter-pound every.

The different factor to notice is that the grill floor is cambered, which signifies that in case you get each grills, you will must flip one over earlier than closing it up. Nomad additionally factors out you can cook dinner with the grill floor flipped over, making it one thing like a veggie basket.