The Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Compact Gas Grill With VersaStand is a good portable grill with above-average performance, but it’s a touch large and may wobble.
The Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Portable Gas Grill With VersaStand was acquired so that our reviewer could put it to the test. Continue reading for our complete product review.
Key Specs
- Product Name: Petite Gourmet Portable Gas Grill With VersaStand
- Weight: 17 lbs.
- Product Dimensions: 16.5 x 31.5 x 16 in.
- Color: Red, black, silver
- Total cooking area: 145 square inches
- BTU: 5,500
- Warranty: 3 years
What We Enjoy
- Design is compact.
- Surface area of sufficient size
- Transitions from tabletop to ground application
- Excellent grill lines
What We Dislike
- A little shaky
- There is no temperature gauge.
- The lid kept locking.
- A single burner
When you’re on the road, portable barbecues make life easier—and more tasty. You may take them with you when you go camping, tailgating, or to the beach. They’re also ideal for tiny patio spaces where a full-size barbecue won’t fit. Some portable grills, on the other hand, compel you to pick between size and function. That’s why I’m on a hunt for one that doesn’t. The Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Portable Gas Grill With VersaStand has a large cooking surface and strong, even heat distribution in a compact package. Can it, however, withstand the heat? I put it to the test to find out.
The setup procedure is almost non-existent.
The Cuisinart Petite Gas Grill was virtually ready to use straight away. All I had to do was remove some plastic and cardboard from the inner grates and attach the feet—they slip easily into the telescopic legs and have red arrows that show where they go—and I was ready to connect the propane.
The manufacturer claims that the grill can fit eight steaks, eight hamburgers, or six to ten chicken breasts, but that’s a stretch unless you’re squeezing them in (or they’re extremely little).
The barbecue runs on a 1-pound propane tank, which is not supplied but I had on hand. The propane tank is connected to a valve on the grill’s rear. It screws straight in and is flush with the rear of the grill, eliminating the need to rest it on the floor or tables. If you wish to expand the propane tank, you may purchase the grill and an adapter hose (both available on Amazon).
The handbook does suggest turning on the grill and letting it heat for 15 minutes before use to allow any manufacturing components to burn off and eliminate odor before cooking, so the first setup procedure is somewhat longer than repeated grilling. I let the grill heat up for approximately 10 minutes after the first usage before cooking.
Portable Grills for When You’re on the Go
Only the essentials are included.
The Cuisinart Petite Gas Grill includes a single stainless-steel burner that produces 5,500 BTUs and 145 square inches of cooking area split over porcelain enamel-coated grill grates. The manufacturer claims that the grill can fit eight steaks, eight hamburgers, or six to ten chicken breasts, but that’s a stretch unless you’re squeezing them in (or they’re extremely little). On the grill, I could easily accommodate four quarter-pound burgers.
It includes a twist-start electronic ignition and a temperature control knob with low, medium, and high indicators. The twist-start ignition is a fantastic concept in principle, but it never worked on the first attempt. Sometimes it took three attempts before the ignition would ignite the gas. I had to use a match at times to get it running. While this is a small annoyance, it does make things more difficult, particularly while camping or tailgating. You could get into problems if you don’t bring a match or a grill lighter.
Portable but hefty design
The Cuisinart Petite Gas Grill is portable, yet it is still rather large. It includes a briefcase-style handle for easy carrying, although at 17 pounds, it may be a bit hefty carrying it one-handed.
The grill is supported by a telescopic base with two legs that can be adjusted to three different heights: tabletop, mid-level, and full 30-inch grate level. While it’s stable at tabletop and mid-level heights, it became little shaky at full level. The grill wasn’t completely wobbly, but the legs shook somewhat as I was turning food.
When not in use, the legs fold and slip behind the grill, reducing its footprint and making it simpler to carry or store out of sight. The legs are simple to adjust—just press a button and pull or push them—but doing it alone proved a little difficult (though not impossible). It’s simpler with two people: one to take up the grill and one to fold the legs.
The Cuisinart Petite Gas Grill is portable, yet it is still rather large.
The lid latch was the design’s biggest issue. You can release or lock the lid using a sliding button on the grill’s face, depending on whether you’re using the grill or in the midst of travel. This is useful for carrying the grill by the handle, but every time I closed it while cooking, the latch snagged on the lock and I had to shift the locking mechanism over to release it.
Performance: Beautiful grill lines
I was worried about how well the grill would work, but it surpassed my expectations. While it took a few attempts to get it starting, once it did, everything worked perfectly. I prepared burgers, chicken thighs, and veggie kebabs, and they all turned out equally. The grill lines on the burgers and chicken thighs were gorgeous, and the vegetables were nicely browned on the exterior. The porcelain-coated grill grates allowed the food to slide easily off without sticking (and minimal to no oiling).
The fact that it just has one burner was a little disappointing. I usually cook chicken and vegetables on separate burners at the same time. While the patties are cooking, I heat up the burger buns over a low flame. With this grill, neither is feasible. There’s also no thermometer. While the flame may be set to high, medium, or low, there is no way to tell what the temperature is within the grill.
The grill lines on the burgers and chicken thighs were gorgeous, and the vegetables were nicely browned on the exterior.
Cleaning is quick and simple.
Another area where the grill shone was during the cleaning procedure. Because the grill grate is detachable, you can carry it directly to the sink if you have one. The porcelain finish was also quite non-stick, making it very simple to clean once it had cooled for a few minutes.
A reasonable asking price
The Cuisinart Petite Gas Grill costs $150, which I felt was a reasonable price for what you got. While various full-size grills are available for a comparable price, the convenience of the compact design and the telescopic legs that convert it from tabletop to ground usage make the expense worthwhile if you’re often on the road.
The Best Gas Grills for Year-Round Backyard Grilling
nomadiQ Portable Propane Gas Grill vs. Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Gas Grill
If mobility is important to you, the nomadiQ Portable Propane Gas Grill is the clear winner. Unlike the Cuisinart Petite Gas Grill, which is a touch large, the nomadiQ features a streamlined design that folds up flat and weighs just 12 pounds, as well as a comfortable carry strap. It also has two burners with separate temperature controls. The main disadvantage of the nomadiQ over the Cuisinart Petite is that it has a lid, which means you won’t get that perfectly melted cheese on top of your burger. It also lacks an adjustable height, so if you don’t have a tabletop or an elevated platform to place it on, you’ll have to set it up on the floor and lean over it. It also costs roughly $300, which is double the price of the Cuisinart Petite.
Final Decision
It serves its purpose.
The Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Portable Gas Grill With VersaStand wasn’t the portable grill of my dreams since it was a bit shaky and only had one burner, but it gets the job done if you’re looking for a great method to grill on the move.
