Weber 9010001 Traveler Portable Gas Grill Review
Weber has a knack for making the best of their best ideas and using it to reinvent or upgrade some of their best grills. This shows up with the Weber Traveler 9010001 portable gas grill that was repositioned to compete and in many ways exceed the shoulder-to-shoulder competition with this type of collapsible grill.
This starts with putting the grill on a cart base that can be collapsed down into a grill you can wheel with you easily. The length is just right that you can pull it with one hand and it will track behind you gracefully, all that weight that tips the scales at just under 50 pounds. The cart itself was specifically designed for one-hand collapse, which adds to the convenience. Especially when you are packing up camp or need to leave the beach in a hurry.
The propane burner element has an impressive 13,000 BTU per hour heat rating, which is more than hot enough to sear off steaks and chops with ease. Yet it’s also engineered to burn efficiently, which makes it one of the most capable portable grills for low heat applications. Adding to that is the hinged lid that comes standard. This lets you trap the heat it produces for doing things like grilling bone-in cuts of chicken.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Like everything in the Weber lineup, close attention was paid to the material build quality. If is rife with high-quality stainless steel and aluminum construction. The cart base is sturdy by design and the one-hand collapsibility works as intended.
One additional feather in the cap of the Weber Traveler is that it has porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates. This is a departure from the chrome-plated or stainless steel grill grates that Weber often stubbornly insists on using in a lot of their grills. This gives you grates that absorb heat for a great sear, while also having non-stick properties, all while being very easy to clean.
Grilling Performance
The Weber Traveler was designed to be one of the best portable gas grills on the market, and it comes pretty close to being just that. This starts with a robust 13,000 BTU primary burner element made from commercial-grade stainless steel. Not only does it produce a lot of heat at a full flame, but it also burns efficiently, which means you get a richer, cleaner-burning fire when it’s set to low heat.
Of course, the full heating capabilities of the Weber Traveler are aided by the cast iron grill grates which are designed to absorb copious amounts of heat energy for doing things like searing steaks and chops. Weber then coated the grates with a nonstick porcelain layer that gives them a sleek black look, while also reducing the chances of meat sticking. It also makes them easy to keep clean, so you don’t have to worry transfer from one grilling session to the next.
The lid on the Weber Traveler can be very helpful depending on what you plan to grill. It helps trap in the heat of the grill to make the most out of the thermal potential of low flames. It even does a great job of helping to melt a slice of cheese on top of a hamburger patty. Though it is a little bit shallow, which can be an issue if you want to grill a taller piece of meat such as half a chicken or beer can chicken. Though this is a minor complaint, to say the least.
Grilling Areas
The porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates on the Weber Traveler gas grill offer up to 320 inches of cooking area. This is more than enough to let you grill a meal for a typical family of four all at one time.
Special Features
The one-handed collapse and setup are particularly handy for a portable gas grill like this. It lets you keep the other hand free for grabbing things, loading, and unloading, or just opening a door.
The lid is handy for holding in the heat in low flame grilling applications. It also has an accurate built-in thermometer, which isn’t always the case with some of the competitors in this niche.
The porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates might not seem like a “Special Feature” on a competitor’s grill. Though Weber has been very stubborn over the years about building their grills with sticky chrome-plated or stainless steel grill grates. The use of high-quality porcelain coating on heat-retaining cast iron is a refreshing change for them and really creates a great sear on steak or chops.
The way the one-pound propane cylinder connects under the right-hand side table might not seem like a big deal, but it is very handy. Especially when some of the competitors in this niche just have the one-pound propane cylinder dangling off the side of the grill by a small hardware fastener.
Ease to Clean
The Weber Traveler is relatively easy to clean. The porcelain coating on the grill grates makes them easy to scrape down. The grease tray underneath is easy to pull out and pour off. If it does get a little long in the tooth, you can replace it with a heavy-duty aluminum foil baking tray of the same size for around a dollar.
If you cook a lot of greasy food, or you like to use foil packs of wood chips for added smoke, make sure to take an extra 30 seconds or so to carefully wipe down the probe of the lid thermometer. This will keep grease and soot from fouling it to maintain accuracy.
Warranty
The Weber Traveler comes with a five-year comprehensive warranty. This is the top of the line for portable gas grills in this niche and a strong statement about Weber’s commitment to material build quality.
Conclusion
The Weber Traveler is one of the best portable gas grills on today’s market. It was designed to be easy to use and highly portable. Cleaning it is a breeze as the porcelain-coated cast iron grill grates help keep food from sticking, while also making them easy to scrape down.
