Review topics: ["size","color","weight","handle","fit","quality","looks","use","design","results","heat","grill","temperature","tank","space","bbq","burgers","lid","accessory","dogs","cooks","option","unit","sear","spots","family","surprise","food","tray","smoke"].
Reviews
Great product, very limited accessories
"I bought this grill for my husband for camping. We love the grill itself, as it functions really well. We are however saddened to see that the accessories made for the travel q series are only made for the 285 and pro series. We have been trying to find a griddle plate and travel cart with no luck. It seems the only accessory available is the pizza stone. We would love to be able to use it as a griddle, bbq, pizza oven, and be able to free up space on the picnic table when camping."
— Verified B. (3/5)
Nice portable BBQ, Poor heat output.
"I bought the TraveIQ 240 a few weeks ago and have been very disappointed with its performance. Due to the burner design the right side of the grill has very low heat output and is almost unusable. Overall the heat output across the whole grill is disappointing, needless to say I am returning it and will be looking into other portable grill options."
— Verified B. (1/5)
Not happy with customer service
"We bought one and within a few months it mainly stopped working. It is a nice size and so we decided to try our luck with another one but this time no carrying bag came with it and the customer service line is always busy and there seems to be no help regarding if I can get a replacement bag. So beware if you need help you might have to wait but it is a nice travel size bbq."
— Verified B. (3/5)
TQ240 portable(?) BBQ
"I purchased the TravelQ 240 to replace an old cast-aluminum grill I have used for the last 25 years that fit beautifully into a Rubbermaid container (to keep the rest of my camping gear clean). The new Napoleon unit, albeit described as a portable grill, is not as small as one would think. The handles are quite large and protrude far out from the basic case, as does the propane connection and temperature control. The front handle is huge and does make it easy to carry, but I wish it was smaller to take up less space (remember -- this is supposed to be a portable grill, but it takes up so much space in my car compared to the rest of my camping items). Disappointing that the propane regulator is built into the unit and not just a screw-in afterwards (to keep things ""portable and small""), and it not easily replaceable (ever had one fail? You get quite the flame from un-regulated propane). It does heat up slowly and you need to give it time to warm up the cast iron grills, otherwise you get uneven temperatures on what you are cooking. I solved the slow-heat up by filling some of the back openings with tin foil. I also added a small BBQ temperature gauge (a $2 item I wish was included in this model by default). It doesn't have to be fancy and chromed like the 285 -- just a small gauge drilled into the lid (took 30 seconds to install). Opening the lid for 20-30 seconds drops the temperature by 50 degreed F, so you need to be quick when you flip your items. I have read a post that indicates there was not one put on here on purpose. A quote from Customer Service: ""these models are not meant to reach extremely high heat, this portable grill is meant more for grilling"". In this case, the temp guage would just be used to tell when this is finally up-to-temperature (a 5-10 minute process) The JETFIRE ignition never works on the first try for me. To work-around this, I turn on the propane and wait 2-5 seconds. Turn the unit off and on again in one motion and then it starts. The bottom is flat, so juices that would normally flow into the tray do so sparingly, leaving the bottom of the grill a nice mess to clean. It is easy enough to clean, but I wish the bottom had a deeper slope into the tray at the bottom. The tray in the bottom is removable and quite large -- very nice -- but also a non-standard size for the tinfoil trays - you need to purchase a Napoleon-specific version to fit properly (sad). Overall, this is a nice grill otherwise and I am happy I purchased it. Could there be improvements? Yes. Things I would change: 1) add a small temperature gauge 2) make the openings in the back variable (so they can be closed a little to aid in heating things up (especially on winter or windy days) 3) make the regulator external/removable to the case and lessen the size of the side controls 4) lessen the size of the front handle, or make it foldable somehow? (this is supposed to be a small portable unit after-all, but takes up too much space in my camping car). 5) cast a deeper slope into the bottom sheet metal to allow better drainage into the tinfoil tray 6) make the bottom drip tray a standard size 7) adjustable vents to control heat escape better"
— Verified B. (4/5)
Love It Perfect For Outings
"We bought this for camping, going away for weekends and it's perfect, great size, easy to use, even temperature. Then we soon realized it was great when we have the whole family over as we never had enough grill space."
— Verified B. (5/5)
Great for Roughing it whilst camping.
"found this beauty for a steel and it works fantastic."
— Verified B. (5/5)
EXTREMELY IMPREDDED
"My buddy brought one on an overnight fishing trip. He fired it up and made the quickest and best-tasting burgers. So the next morning I took over and fired it up. Quick start, even temps, and easy cleanup. It's a great little grill. On my list to get."
— Verified B. (5/5)
Don’t bother
"I bought this “lemon” 10 days ago… the starter no longer works and it doesn’t heat up properly… do not purchase this unit … and to make matters worse… our Rona store doesn’t accept returns!"
— Verified B. (1/5)
Uneven heat/cooking spots, lacking performance
"It was a toss up between the Q240 and the Q285 and based on the reviews I made the decision to go with the Q240 and honestly I regret it. I purchased this bbq in May or June of 2023 (as I’ve always wanted a portable Napoleon after hearing great things about it from friends) as a replacement to my 3 year old portable NexGrill that evenly cooked hot even though it flared up often. After using it on a recent camping trip I’m so very disappointed in the performance of this grill. It takes a long time to heat up (blue flame and all) and the heat is extremely uneven you can really only cook on half of it (left side) plus you have to focus on the upper and lower areas, the middle section has very little heat because there is no burner tube. When cooking on the left I can get a pretty decent sear on a steak or short ribs but when cooking on the right the meat ends up looking pale and barely cooked. You constantly have to keep rotating the food around the entire grill or just use one half to cook (defeats the purpose of having 240 sq inches). I believe the Q285 has the design and performance to properly show case the quality and performance I’ve come to expect from Napoleon (I have a home Napoleon bbq). My design opinion, it would have been more balanced and pretty much perfect if the burner tube running down the middle actually produced heat rather than being hollow."
— Verified B. (1/5)
Difficulty with Propane Connection Assembly
"I recently purchased the Napoleon portable BBQ and wanted to share my experience with assembling the propane connection. While the overall quality of the product is commendable, I encountered some challenges specifically with scoring the propane into the designated slot. I found that the slot for connecting the propane tank was not as accommodating as I had expected. It was difficult to properly score the propane tank into the slot due to its design or size. Even with multiple attempts, I struggled to securely attach the tank, which was frustrating. I believe it would greatly benefit future customers if the manufacturer could address this issue by providing a slot that is easier to access and securely fit the propane tank. Perhaps a redesign or adjustment of the slot dimensions would make the assembly process more convenient and user-friendly. Despite the challenges I faced with the propane connection, I must emphasize that the Napoleon portable BBQ itself performs exceptionally well. It offers great portability and delivers delicious results when cooking outdoors. Once the propane tank is properly connected, the BBQ provides an enjoyable grilling experience. In conclusion, while the assembly of the propane connection was a bit problematic, I still highly recommend the Napoleon portable BBQ for its overall performance and quality. I hope the manufacturer takes note of this feedback and considers improving the design of the propane slot for future customers. Remember to provide an honest and constructive review to help other potential buyers make informed decisions."
— Verified B. (2/5)
