Avora Explorer Grill

In everyday use

Folded, it's a slim black case — 17 inches across and two and a half deep — that slides behind a car seat or under the picnic gear. Open it and the legs swing down, the lid stands up behind the fire as a windbreak, and the tools clip to the inside of that lid where you can reach them. The grate gives you 16.5 by 9.5 inches of cooking surface, which the maker rates at two to three people: a couple of steaks and a row of skewers, not a whole party. At 4.5 pounds it goes on the balcony as readily as it goes to the beach.

What sets it apart

Three grate heights
The bracket slots down each side wall let you set the grate at three distances from the coals, so you can sear low and finish high without moving the fire.

A lid that works twice
Raised, it stands behind the coals and blocks the wind. It also carries the fork and spatula on sprung clips, so the tools travel with the grill instead of in the bottom of a bag.

Folds to a case
Legs fold in, lid folds down, a single latch closes it. Folded it's 44 × 27 × 6.5 cm, with a wire bail handle to carry it by.

Iron with a chrome and electrophoresis finish
The body is iron, finished with chrome and an electrophoresis surface treatment.

Two anti-scald handles
A pair of detachable handles is included for lifting the grate.

Tools in the box
A fork and a spatula come with it, along with the grill net — nothing else to buy before the first cook.

Why we chose it

Portable grills usually fail in one of two ways: they're portable and too small to be worth lighting, or they cook well and take up the whole boot. This one sits at the useful middle. The folded case is genuinely flat, the cooking area is big enough for a proper meal for two or three, and the height adjustment means it behaves like a grill rather than a hot box. We also liked that the lid was given a second job. Small design decisions like that are what separate a grill you take out often from one that stays in the cupboard.

Specifications

Gather often. Explore always.