Cuisinart Chef’s Style Portable Tabletop Gas Grill

PROS
– Very solid construction, the grate itself is very heavy
– Simple and easy to use
– Large surface area
– Heats up very quickly
– Heat is dispersed very evenly; no spots with high flames or dead spots
– Very light for its size
– Comes ready for 20LB tanks, you need an adapter for 1LB tanks; which is the best configuration
– Looks great

CONS
– Not super easy to clean
– The flame guards are stainless, so after a couple of uses, it is impossible to polish them. It would have been better making them a darker, more matte colour and easier to clean

All in all, this is a great grill. It is a major step up from the single burner, inexpensive grills that work great for a year or two, and then break or break down. I expect to have it for many years.

This BBQ replaced our primary BBQ, even though it’s portable- we didn’t want a huge grill on the deck anymore. Bought the folding table that matches the set- a little unstable but mindful when using. BBQ auto ignites, which is great. The BBQ comes ready to attach to a large propane tank as well which we loved as opposed to having to buy a different attachment as they are usually made for small tanks. Also it’s nice to have two “burners” and control the heat/flame on both sides. Overall a definite win.

Me gusta la portabilidad y su buen funcionamiento.

Fun and easy to use. Heats up fast. Easy to clean. Sturdy and nice looking.

First, the “something you need to know”: The ignition mechanism works very well, always on one click (in my experience). However, when I first fired up the grill, I didn’t understand the mechanism. There’s a little blow-torch that is electrically ignited, which lights the burner. Pressing in on the knob is what sends gas to the little torch, which makes a “whooshing” noise. Then when you let the knob back out, the “whooshing” stops, and you can’t see any flame. So you think, “Oh no! This fancy grill doesn’t work!” HOWEVER, the flame is there. It’s simply quiet and colorless. You might see it at night, but not by day. You will know your burner is lit, because heat will rise up.

With that out of the way…

Yeah, every piece of this grill is stainless steel! That’s why I bought it as the replacement to my rusted-out, ubiquitous stainless-top patio grill. I had taken the previous grill as far as it could go, even replacing the burners, flame tamers, and bottom pan with stainless parts. However, the body of the grill was rusting to pieces. Enough of rusty grills!

I like that the grate is substantial and will hold some heat. I’ve only used it for grilling burgers so far, but it seems to work fine.

The grill puts out substantial heat, and the heat distribution is surprisingly uniform. I was able to fill the grill with hamburger patties and cook them in a fairly strong, cold breeze. I don’t know that my old grill would have gotten hot enough. The thermometer at the top of the Cuisinart grill registered 400 degF, despite the cold wind and the grill being completely loaded. The patties cooked quickly and evenly.

Cleanup is easy. You can literally set this grill in the yard and hose it out.

We are keeping this grill on the top of a patio serving cart, so that we can roll it around on our deck. The propane bottle fits in the shelf on the bottom.
 
The only con is a minor one: There’s not a great way to secure the propane hose, without stuffing it among burner hardware and ignition wires.

If I ever have problems with this grill, I’ll come back and write about it. This review was written March 24, 2024.