For four people, the No. 1 BBQ grill is Coleman's Cool Spider Pro/L. Its grate is 2,040cm², a size the maker says suits four or more; the legs adjust between 40cm and 70cm, and the price sits in the middle of the seven. For light weight and price, I picked the LOGOS Tube Grill L, and for tabletop, the Uniflame Unicera TG-III.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
Read grill size by grate area, not by the width of the body. A narrow grate cuts directly into how much meat and vegetables go on at once. So I first secure a grate of headcount × about 500cm², and look at height and weight after that.
Key points
- For the official headcount guide, Coleman says 4 or more and the Unicera TG-III says 4 to 5
- Price per 100cm² of grate runs JPY 555 to JPY 1,500. The lowest is the LOGOS Tube Grill L, and the highest is the Captain Stag American Easy Grill type 2 with lid
- Height in use is 19 to 28cm for the two tabletop models and 68 to 70cm for the ones with legs. Coleman and the Captain Stag with lid can switch between two heights
What is in this article (15 items)
- For 4 people, aim for a grill surface of 2,000cm²
- How I chose
- Quick table of 7 BBQ grills: grate area and height
- Why this order
- No. 1 Coleman Cool Spider Pro/L
- No. 2 LOGOS Tube Grill L
- No. 3 Uniflame UF Tough Grill SUS-600
- No. 4 Weber Compact Kettle 47cm with thermometer
- No. 5 Uniflame Unicera TG-III
- No. 6 Captain Stag American Easy Grill type 2
- No. 7 Captain Stag V-type Smart Grill
- Weight, packed size and price per grate area
- BBQ grill heat changes with the air reaching the charcoal
- Who is it for?
- FAQ
For 4 people, aim for a grill surface of 2,000cm²
Coleman's Cool Spider Pro/L has a grate of about 30 × 68cm, or 2,040cm². That is a size usable for a BBQ for four or more. The tabletop V-type Smart Grill is 816cm², a 2.5x gap.
I lined up 7 grills. They are current charcoal models: 5 with legs and 2 tabletop. The numbers are from each maker's official Japanese page.
How I chose
The first thing I looked at was grate area. Coleman's 2,040cm² divided by its official 4 people is 510cm² per person. Using that as a yardstick, I worked out how many people each grill serves.
Next was height: whether you grill standing or on a table. Over half a year of camping, you set up and put away a grill dozens of times a year. So where ranks were close, I decided by weight, packed size and price per 100cm² of grate.
Quick table of 7 BBQ grills: grate area and height
| Model | Grate area | Height in use | Official price |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Coleman Cool Spider Pro/L | 2,040cm² | 40 / 70cm | JPY 15,950 |
| No. 2 LOGOS Tube Grill L | 1,785cm² | 70cm | JPY 9,900 |
| No. 3 Uniflame UF Tough Grill SUS-600 | 2,400cm² | 68cm | JPY 20,900 |
| No. 4 Weber Compact Kettle 47cm with thermometer | 1,548cm² | Total height 87.9cm | JPY 17,990 |
| No. 6 Captain Stag American Easy Grill type 2 | 1,320cm² | Grilling surface 43.5 / 69cm | JPY 19,800 |
| No. 7 Captain Stag V-type Smart Grill | 816cm² | 28cm (tabletop) | JPY 11,000 |
Weber's height is the total height with the lid closed.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Coleman Cool Spider Pro/L (Red)
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 11,957 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 17,110 between shops. Prices change daily.
Why this order
| Rank | Model | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coleman | A 2,040cm² grate the maker says suits four or more, with legs that adjust between 40cm and 70cm |
| 2 | LOGOS | The lightest with legs at about 3.8kg, but the grate is 255cm² narrower than No. 1 and there is only one height |
| 3 | UF Tough Grill | The widest grate of the 7 grills at 2,400cm², but its weight of about 7.7kg and JPY 20,900 price are both the highest |
| 4 | Weber | It has a lid and thermometer, but the cooking area is 1,548cm², 492cm² narrower than No. 1 |
| 5 | Unicera TG-III | The maker says it suits 4 to 5 people on a tabletop, but the height is 19cm, so it is a seated-grilling shape only |
| 6 | Easy Grill type 2 | It has a lid and 2 height settings, but the price per 100cm² of grate, JPY 1,500, is the highest |
| 7 | V-type Smart Grill | The lightest at about 2kg, but the grate is 816cm², enough for 1.6 people |
No. 1 Coleman Cool Spider Pro/L
Why this rank: the grate the maker says suits four or more comes with two leg heights and four grate heights. The charcoal tray pulls out, so it is easy to add charcoal while you are grilling.
This part is a weak point. Even folded it is 73cm long and takes space in a car trunk. It suits families of about four who want to grill both standing and sitting.
No. 2 LOGOS Tube Grill L
Why this rank: price. JPY 555 per 100cm² of grate was the lowest number in the table below. Divided by the 510cm² yardstick, it serves 3.5 people. The fire bed slides left and right, and hooking it moves the fire about 2cm closer to the grate for more heat.
This part is a weak point. The height is a single 70cm. It does not fit sitting around it in low chairs. It suits families who grill standing, a few times a year.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
LOGOS Tube Grill L
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 8,910 (as of 10/14). Prices change daily.
No. 3 Uniflame UF Tough Grill SUS-600
Why this rank: the grate is the widest of the seven. Two 30 × 40cm grates make 2,400cm², or 4.7 people by the yardstick. The body is stainless steel, and shifting the leg insertion points prevents side-to-side wobble.
This part is a weak point. Weight and price. It is 1.7kg heavier than Coleman and JPY 4,950 more. If you often gather 5 or more around it, I would move it up to No. 1.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Uniflame UF Tough Grill SUS-600
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 20,900 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 90,000 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 4 Weber Compact Kettle 47cm with thermometer
Why this rank: a thermometer on the lid is found only on this one of the seven. The bowl and lid come with a 10-year warranty.
This part is a weak point. By the yardstick, the cooking area covers only 3 people. It suits people who want to cook large cuts of meat with the lid on.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Weber Compact Kettle Charcoal Grill 47cm with thermometer
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 17,988 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 37,980 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 5 Uniflame Unicera TG-III
Why this rank: for tabletop, this is my pick. It is just right for 4 to 5 people and folds to 31.5 × 16.5 × 8.5cm thick. The ceramic panels inside heat up and pass far-infrared heat to the grate.
This part is a weak point. The height in use is 19cm, which does not suit standing to grill. It suits people who sit around a table and grill.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Uniflame Unicera TG-III
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 13,200 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 59,400 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 6 Captain Stag American Easy Grill type 2
Why this rank: it has a lid, and the grilling surface height switches between 43.5cm and 69cm. The air vents are in three places: lid, body and the bottom of the body.
This part is a weak point. The round grate is 41cm across, or 2.6 people by the yardstick. It is 228cm² narrower than the Weber, which also has a lid, and JPY 1,810 more. It suits 2 to 3 people who want lid cooking even at the low height.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Captain Stag American Easy Grill type 2 UG-60
Lowest price on Rakuten: JPY 12,074 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by up to JPY 13,961 between shops. Prices change daily.
No. 7 Captain Stag V-type Smart Grill
Why this rank: at about 2kg it is the lightest of the seven. It folds to 4cm thick and fits in the included bag.
This part is a weak point. The grate is 32 × 25.5cm, so it will not be the main grill for four. It suits solo or two. It also works as a second grill next to a big one.
Weight, packed size and price per grate area
| Model | Weight | Packed size | Per 100cm² of grate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coleman | About 6kg | 73×34×15cm | JPY 782 |
| LOGOS | About 3.8kg | 72×35×16cm | JPY 555 |
| UF Tough Grill | About 7.7kg | 60×46×13.5cm | JPY 871 |
| Easy Grill type 2 | About 5.5kg | 46×46×20cm | JPY 1,500 |
| V-type Smart Grill | About 2kg | 47×35×4cm | JPY 1,348 |
I looked at boxes to carry meat and drinks in the cooler box capacity and cold-keeping comparison.
BBQ grill heat changes with the air reaching the charcoal
Air is what decides it. Coleman explains that mesh on the sides improves airflow and raises combustion efficiency. LOGOS says it made the bottom uneven so it keeps airflow even without a grate for the charcoal (a lattice that holds it). The Unicera draws air up from its V-shaped bottom.
Models with lids can restrict that air. Weber explains that opening and closing the lid's damper (the air window) adjusts the amount of air circulating and the temperature.
Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency warns that burning a grill in poorly ventilated places such as inside a tent can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, and urges use outdoors in a well-ventilated place. LOGOS writes that ash and leftover charcoal should be disposed of at a designated place or taken home.
Who is it for?
It suits families of about four who want to lay out meat and vegetables across the whole grate. A guide is headcount × about 500cm² of grate. The No. 1 Cool Spider Pro/L has a 2,040cm² grate and two leg heights.
If you grill with a grate on a fire pit, you can also choose from the 12 fire pit comparison. If you use a grill only once or twice a year at a facility that lends them, trying a loaner first is also an option.
FAQ
How big a BBQ grill do I need for 4 people?
About 2,000cm² of grate. Coleman's grate, usable for four or more, was 2,040cm².
What is the difference between tabletop and stand-type (with legs) grills?
The difference is the height in use. The two tabletop grills are 19 to 28cm tall and you grill seated; the ones with legs are 68 to 70cm and you grill standing.
How big a BBQ grill do I need for 2 to 3 people?
About 1,000 to 1,500cm² of grate. I calculated from about 510cm² per person, taken from Coleman's grate.
Aren't gas grills compared?
Iwatani's Aburiya II is a different kind of tool that grills with cassette gas, so I did not include it in the ranking. I put its successor, the Aburi no Takumi, in the Aburi no Takumi review.
Gear in this article
Ads & images: Rakuten IchibaSources (11 official pages)
- Coleman official online shop: Cool Spider Pro/L (Red)
- LOGOS official: LOGOS Tube Grill L
- Uniflame official: UF Tough Grill SUS-600
- Uniflame official: Unicera TG-III
- Weber Japan official: Compact Kettle Charcoal Grill 47cm / with thermometer
- Weber Japan official blog: The Compact Kettle is easy to use and easy to store (damper explanation)
- Captain Stag official: American Easy Grill type 2 UG-60
- Captain Stag official online store: American Easy Grill type 2
- Captain Stag official online store: V-type Smart Grill UG-48
- Iwatani official: Cassette Gas Robata Grill Aburiya II
- Consumer Affairs Agency: The holiday season is here! Enjoy leisure safely (Apr 27, 2023)
