Coleman Roadtrip portable grills are quite popular among outdoor enthusiasts, but even they have different variants and their respective advocates. For instance, you will find many people having a Coleman Roadtrip LXX vs. LXE debate on different camping forums.
If you have narrowed down your list of portable grills but can’t declare the winner of the Coleman Roadtrip LXX vs. LXE contest, keep on reading this comparative review.
Here, we will break down and compare both of these Coleman portable grills feature by feature so that you can decide which model is the best option for your use.
Table of Contents
Coleman Roadtrip LXX vs. LXE: A Snapshot
Coleman has been making outdoor recreational products for over a hundred years. Whether it is camping tents, sleeping bags, coolers, or portable grills, Coleman has been dealing in all sorts of products that can help campers to improve their camping experience. Since a portable grill makes the availability of fresh food possible on camping trips, Coleman has introduced many outdoor grills over the years.
Roadtrip LXX and LXE are two of the most popular portable grill options right now. They also compete against each other, and, therefore, we are dissecting them in this post.
Specifications
| Specifications | Coleman Roadtrip LXX |
Coleman Roadtrip LXE |
| Cooking Area | 285 sq inches | 285 sq inches |
| Heat Output | 22,000 BTUs | 20,000 BTUs |
| Weight | 50 pounds | 44 pounds |
| Fuel | Propane | Propane |
| Thermometer | Present | – |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years |
Coleman Roadtrip LXX Pros & Cons
Pros
- Offers versatile cooking with an interchangeable cooktop
- Sturdy construction
- Comes with a built-in thermometer
Cons
- A bit heavy on the pocket
Coleman Roadtrip LXE Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great value for money
- Comparatively lightweight
- Perfect for basic camping cooking
Cons
- Fixed grilling grates
Face to Face Comparison
The above section has given you a quick comparative overview of the two Coleman portable grills we are discussing here. For an in-depth comparison, let’s compare Roadtrip LXX and LXE feature by feature.
Cooking Area
Portable grills usually can’t offer large cooking areas due to their space-efficient size and construction. Coleman has handled this tradeoff quite smartly in its Roadtrip portable grill range. If we particularly talk about Roadtrip LXX and LXE, both offer the same cooking area of 285 sq inches. This area might not be an ideal size for backyard and lawn grills. However, it is a perfect size for a grill that you have to pack in your camping luggage.
Many times the use of portable grills seems like a hassle because you don’t have any other choice but to prepare the food in multiple sessions due to their small cooking area. However, that’s not the case with Roadtrip LXX and LXE. You can easily use their cooking area to prepare meals for 4-5 people in one go.
Verdict: Coleman Roadtrip LXX and LXE have a tie in this round because both offer the exact same square inches of cooking area.
Cooking Power
Different people use different parameters to define the cooking power of a portable grill. Some use the heating output (in BTU) to determine the cooking capacity of grills. A grill that offers 70-90 BTU per square inch heats up quickly and also maintains its cooking heat.
Others use the number of burners as the yardstick to determine a grill’s cooking power. Let’s review Roadtrip LXX and LXE for both these features.
Roadtrip LXX has a heating output of 22,000 BTU and features two burners. If we break down its heating output, it easily falls in the range of 70-80 per square inch (77 BTU, to be precise).
On the other hand, LXE offers 20,000 BTU heat output and features the same number of the burner as LXX. Its per-unit BTU rating is also in the 70-80 per square inch range (70 BTU).
Verdict: Coleman Roadtrip LXX is slightly ahead of LXE with its higher per square inch BTU rating. However, you won’t find much difference in both grills for cooking most items.
Construction and Material Use
The materials and construction of a grill determine its durability and operating life. Both of these Coleman grills are good on that front. Both LXX and LXE feature cast iron cooking grates coated with porcelain that extend their functional life. Moreover, their burners are made of stainless steel. They are sturdy enough and don’t develop corrosion with use either. Similarly, the dual sliding tables in both grills are also made of stainless steel.
The tool hooks present in these propane grills use different materials. Hooks in Roadtrip LXX are made of stainless steel. Meanwhile, a polymer is used to carve out the hooks of LXE grills.
Verdict: It is a tough run between the two, but we think Roadtrip LXX has a slight edge over Roadtrip LXE when it comes to overall material selection and construction.
Ignition
A built-in ignition in the portable grill makes its use more hassle-free. When there is built-in ignition, you don’t need matchboxes and lighters. The good news is both of these Coleman Roadtrip grills have top-quality, patented built-in ignition systems called InstaStart.
InstaStart essentially uses a piezoelectric spark to power the burners with matchless and mess-free lighting. With a propane supply connected to the grill, all you need to do is push the ignition button to light up the burners of both LXX and LXE.
Verdict: Coalman Roadtrip LXX and LXE are equally good with auto-start through their InstaStart ignitions.
Versatility
Versatility in a cooking grill is essentially defined as how you can modify it for different types of food preparations. The stock Coleman Roadtrip LXX and LXE come with grilling grates. However, LXX uses the patented Swaptop cooktops. They are interchangeable cooktops where you can place griddle or stove grates in place of grilling grates. Roadtrip LXE, on the other hand, only has its fixed grilling grates.
Verdict: It is obvious which portable grill has won this round. If you want to grill, steam, broil, simmer or poach your camping meals, you will need a Coleman Roadtrip LXX.
Portability
The market is teeming with portable grills. However, a large number of them just carry the label of “portable” without offering good hands-on portability. Coleman is a leading camping gear manufacturer that realizes the importance of the portability factor of camping equipment. Therefore, it has created Roadtrip LXX and LXE to boast portability that goes beyond their titles.
Both these Coleman grills feature the same type of folding base. They feature two rectangular crossed frames. One of them has two wheels, and the other one has a stopper/stand. When folded, this stopper becomes a handle and lets you move the grill on its wheels just like a carry-on suitcase.
Verdict: Both Coleman Roadtrip LXX and LXE offer the same degree of portability.
Accessories
Additional features and accessories improve the functionality of a portable grill without increasing its size and weight. Both Roadtrip options feature some noteworthy accessories. Apart from a removable tray for easy grease management, you get two sliding tables and tool hooks in both grills. These tables and hooks let you transform your portable grill into a small kitchen counter. You can use them to load and place your utensils and serving plates.
On top of that, Roadtrip also features a built-in thermometer so that you can use to check the doneness of the cooked food without getting into a guessing game.
Verdict: Built-in thermometer makes Coleman Roadtrip LXX the winner of this round.
Standout Features
Whether it is InstaStart or impeccable portable construction, both Roadtrip LXX and LXE have the same standout features. Nonetheless, LXX outshines LXE with one standout feature.
Swaptop Interchangeable Cooktop: You can replace the grilling grates of the LXX with griddle and stove grates to use the portable grill for more cooking methods.
Conclusion
We hope that the above comparative discussion helps you identify the most suitable portable grill option for your use.
While Coleman Roadtrip LXX is a better option among the two, you can pick either of these options for different reasons.
Use Coleman Roadtrip LXX If:
- You want versatile cooking
- You want a grill that heats up fast and maintains the cooking temperature
Use Coleman Roadtrip LXE If:
- You have a limited budget to buy the grill
- You have basic cooking requirements
Last update on 2022-02-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API