An RVer’s Portable Grill Review: Kenyon SilKEN Touch Control

RV Life

Everyone likes to grill. But sometimes the weather outside just doesn’t cooperate. And, without a great kitchen vent system in your RV, smoke and flames from traditional grills tend to put a damper on grilling indoors. That’s where the ultra-high-end new SilKEN Portable Grill Touch Control from American manufacturer Kenyon comes into play.

Kenyon SilKEN electric grills are known for their high-quality. This model is a flameless, smokeless, 120-volt 1,300-watt grill with 155 square inches of cooking surface. It rapidly heats to 550 degrees. That makes it perfect for both RV and home use. It’s also portable, weighing just 24 pounds, and its 21-by-12 1/16-by-9 5/8-inch profile makes it easily stored inside any RV.

A Grill Like No Other

The grill is basically made up of four main parts. They include the silicone lid, removable non-stick grill, heating element, and disposable aluminum drip pan. They’re all housed in the marine-grade stainless steel body that has a carry handle at each end.

My wife and I have been using the SilKEN Touch Control at home and camping over the past month. The touch control located on the top far right of the unit is easy to use with eight heat settings. Plus, the grill is ready at whatever the temp setting in 5–7 minutes.

The temperature controls on the Kenyon SilKEN portable Touch Control. Photo: Bruce W. Smith. — Touch control has eight settings that are adjusted by touching the “+/-“ symbols. **Photo: Bruce W. Smith.**

In addition to the multiple heat seatings, this grill comes with a nifty high-temperature silicone lid. The lid makes it very efficient and ensures the perfect cooking temperature every time.

No Smoke, No Flare-ups

What makes the Kenyon SilKEN Touch Control so great is it allows you to grill anywhere you want without flare-ups and smoke. That’s because the heating element never touches the cooking grate. And the drippings never touch the element because they fall into the disposable aluminum drip pan.

Kenyon’s Quick Start guide recommends pouring 16 ounces of water to cover the bottom of the disposable drip pan. This keeps hot drippings from smoking. And as the water heats up, the evaporating liquid helps keep the food from drying out.

Pouring water into the SilKEN's portable drip pan. Photo: Bruce W. Smith. — Pouring about 16 ounces of water into the drip tray helps keep drippings from smoking—and it also helps keep food on the grill above it from drying out. **Photo: Bruce W. Smith.**

My wife loves the grill because the cooking surface is evenly heated, the temperature control is simple, and when onions and other veggies are placed on the grill, they don’t fall through the grating like they tend to do on a conventional BBQ. She also loves the silicone lid that stays cool to the touch and doesn’t burn her hand when checking on food.

The Kenyon SilKEN grill with the lid closed. Photo: Bruce W. Smith. — ***Photo: Bruce W. Smith.***

We both love how easily the grate cleans up just using a moist paper towel. Thus far we’ve cooked everything from burgers to fish to chicken to steaks, and thus far the food was cooked to near perfection.

Is it Worth the Cost?

The biggest downside of this state-of-the-art SilKEN portable electric grill is the staggering price: $1,64 8. Undoubtedly, that will instantly put off many RVers. But for those who value high-tech, high-quality products that can be used both at home and on the road, the Kenyon SilKEN Portable Grill Touch Control is worth considering. Plus, with its performance, versatility, and rugged design, it will likely be the last grill you ever purchase.