Gas Grills Reviews: Cuisinart CGG-200 All Foods 12,000 BTU Gas Grill

Spring has finally sprung here at least in Ohio where I'm at. Hopefully your starting to see tulips or spring flowers where your at also. Its a beautiful thing after a brutal winter. All the birds are coming back and I just filled my Hummingbird feeder the other day. I'm ready!

With spring here and summer not far off its tail, its beginning to get time for people to get back outside again and enjoy life outdoors. When I was thinking of a product to review, I had chose a few things such as Tillers, Lawn Mowers, etc.... But then later in the day I was standing outside and caught a whiff of somebody grilling out what smelled like BBQ chicken.

Man did that smell good. Well needless to say, that sorta made me hungry so I went back in to the house to get myself something to eat. While I was thinking about grilling, it dawned on me like - Duh. People love to grill out and its getting time to get those grills out of winter storage.

So I thought a great product to review for you would be the Grill. As is my way of looking for the right product to review, I started looking for a grill that was not expensive, but yet has very good quality. And this grill had to be one that was not only stationary but had many other benefits for you also.




After researching for quite awhile and making sure that the grill had met all of my criteria for a very good quality, non-expensive grill, I came to settle upon the "Cuisinart CGG-200 All Foods 12,000 BTU Tabletop Propane Gas Grill."

Now before I give you all of the blessings of this fine propane grill, lets start with its features. Here's some of the cool features for you:

• Stainless steel lid and side tables

• 12,000 BTU loop burner

• Porcelain enamel coated cast iron cooking grate

• All purpose veggie platter included

• Precision temperature gauge

• TwiStart ignition system

• Removable drip tray

• Compact size and convenient carry handles

These are pretty neat features for this type grill. But theres one thing that I want to expound upon in that list. It has a 12,000 BTU loop burner. Now that's powerful. I had a 10,000 BTU air-conditioner once and it kept 2 of my rooms very cool. So at 12,000 for a portable gas grill that's really good.

A Little Understanding - BTU:

You'd think that everybody knows what BTU stands for. British Thermal Unit. Ok, so that's how they measure the strength or power of the product whatever that might be. Let's put the magnifying glass on that for a moment.

This info comes from Wikipedia...The British thermal unit (BTU or Btu) is a traditional unit of energy equal to about 1 055.05585 joules. It is approximately the amount of energy needed to heat 1 pound (0.454 kg) of water from 39 °F (3.9 °C) to 40 °F (4.4 °C) [1]. The unit is most often used in the power, steam generation, heating and air conditioning industries.

In North America, the term "BTU" is used to describe the heat value (energy content) of fuels, and also to describe the power of heating and cooling systems, such as furnaces, stoves, barbecue grills, and air conditioners.

There's much more to it than that, but this isn't math class, so I'll leave it alone at this point. Just a little understanding of that is all we needed.

This Grill's Got Performance:

The grill is designed to take a liquid propane canister ranging in size starting at 14.1 and 16.4. With the optional Cuisinart 4-foot LP adaptor hose and purchasing a 20-pound LP tank, grilling times can be extended with out having to change canisters.

With the TwiStart ignition system its one handed work for you. No more 2 hands to get a grill lit. With the twist of the ignition switch the Cuisinart CGG-200 sparks to life in seconds. With the 12,000 btu powerplant, this grill heats up to 500 degrees really quick. Due to its all stainless steel loop burner.

You might find it hard to believe that a grill can get up to that temperature. But you will find that its just the norm for this outstanding gas grill. Of course it has the built in precision temperature gauge so you can easily tell when its up to the temperature that you want.

Temperature accuracy is essential to grill different foods properly and offer your guests the correct desired doneness of meats, fish and poultry, which is where the integrated precision temperature gauge comes in. It clearly displays the internal temperature of the grill and allows you to accurately and confidently manage desired grilling temperatures for the variety of foods.

This Cuisinart portable grill is designed for versatility and exceptional grilling. It has a porcelain enamel coated cast iron grill grate. A large 240 square-inch surface to provide you with ample space for an abundance of food. Adequate for up to 8 people.

Both sides of the uniquely designed grate can be used for the different types of food you are grilling. The flat side provides maximum contact and exceptional grill lines for...

• Steaks 

• Pork Chops

• and Poultry

The other side offers better surface point grilling for more delicate foods like...

• Fish

• and Seafood

Either way because of the cast iron grate the heat distributes evenly and efficiently so your food is grilled uniformly with no hot or cold spots. I think when your friends and neighbors see this grill and see it in action (not to mention tasting your great cooking!) they'll no doubt want one as well. Pretty nice.

Versatile, Compact, with Take It Anywhere Ability:

The All Foods Cuisinart CGG-200 grill puts together the ideal size of an everyday backyard grill with the versatility and compactness of a portable cooking out machine. Because its not like most full size, multi burner grills, it doesn't take up a large portion of space on your deck or patio.

Besides the ample grilling space, this thing is easy to take on the road thanks to its compact size. Because of it's minuscule 35 pounds in weight, it's ideal for...

• Beach Parties

• Tailgating

• Camping

• Hunting

• and More
   

With it's portability, it features folding hide-away side shelves and 2 integrated handles for easy carrying, loading, and unloading.

I don't know about you but I love to go tailgating at my favorite Pro Football game or any game for that matter. This Cuisinart Grill definitely fits the bill. You'd have no problem taking this to the park either because it weighs only 35 pounds. It seems it's a perfect fit for most all activities. Now let's dig our chops into...

The Juicy Design Features:

• Durable 430 stainless steel grill lid with insulated double wall construction keeps the elements out, maintains even temperatures and reduces heat loss during grilling.
   

• Heat resistant 201 stainless steel lid handle makes it easy and safe to open and close grill lid to check, turn, and serve food.
   

• Dual stainless steel folding side tables (each measuring 10 by 10 inches) are strong enough to hold your largest, heaviest trays of food, grill tools, or accessories.
   

• Dependable cast aluminum grill lid end-caps secure a tight fit and reliable finish to the grill.
   

• Porcelain enamel-coated cast iron cooking grate offers a long-lasting grilling surface that provides strength, durability, and structure to the most heavily abused part of your grill.
   

• Heavy-duty porcelain enamel coated flame tamer provides a solid metal plate designed with enough thickness to withstand the high temperatures emitted by the burner and the juicy, fatty drippings from your food.
   

• Sturdy one-piece welded grill base constructed of porcelain enamel coated steel. This base elevates the grill and holds everything together at an appropriate grilling height. Connects directly to the optional Cuisinart Folding Grill Stand without reassembly.
   

That's another nice thing about this Cuisinart is it's many reasonably priced options that can be used with it. This grill is so superior for it's size, I think at this point we can call it..."The Little Grill That Could!"  

Is It Easy To Keep Clean?

The All Foods Gas Grill features Cuisinart’s unique Versatile Modular Grill Surface System. Which is a series of interchangeable specialized grill surfaces suited to frequently grilled foods, such as veggies, breads & pizzas, and delicate foods. The panels mate securely to the cooking surface, yet remove quickly and easily for cleaning, storage and theres a removable drip tray.

So What's The Size of It?

The gas grill requires a propane tank for operation (not included) and measures approximately 19-4/5 by 27-4/5 by 12-4/5 inches. And weighs approx. 35 pounds.

I See All The Pro's About It, But Whats The Con's?

True! Nothing is perfect. I'll tell you the best place to see the pro's and con's is at Amazon. There are over 64 reviews from people that have bought this Cuisinart grill. In fact it has an overall rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. Let's have a look at some of their pro's about the Cuisinart CGG-200 grill first, then we'll see some of their con's about it.

• The grill starts immediately (push and turn to light the burner) and the heat comes on quick; the temperature gauge on the top is very accurate and allows superior cooking capabilities, which is the best part of this grill. i cooked chicken the first night i got the grill, and it came out perfectly.
   
• This grill heats very quickly, and the surface of the grate is evenly heated. The size is more than adequate for an average size family. I recommend reading more of the reviews for more info and helpful tips! I could not be more pleased with this purchase.
   
• When I fired it up I immediately noticed that it preheated very fast. It was up to 500 degrees in just a few minutes. I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked on my first meal of chicken. I found cleanup to be easy as the grate easily removes. I would recommend this grill to anyone that wants an easy to use, great looking grill that I am sure will last for many years.
   

Those reviews were from all 5 star ratings. And some of the con's about it...

• I ordered this unit after the other reviews noted how hot it was. That is just nonsense. It took me so long to get a good grill mark on the outside of a inch thick steak that it wound up being well done. I hate well done meat and bought this thing because I thought it would put out the BTU's. Nothing I did could make it perform any better. (My emphasis.....this guy got stung by 8 other comments in disagreement to his review. This is the only 1 star rating review out of 64.)
   
• Unit arrived with the clips that hold the burner cover in place broken, probably in shipment. Very flimsy design for their intended purpose. Fully expect them to break again because of the continued reheating of these parts when in use and also from the movement in the back of my truck. Cuisinart promptly replaced the parts and admitted to the problem, but I expect to be calling them again. (My Emphasis.....this review written in July 2010 is one of only two 2 star rating reviews out of 64.)
   
• If you are planning to use small propane cans with this grill then its OK and it works fine. However, I bought extended hose made by Cuisinart specially designed to use this grill with 20lb propane gas tank. After connecting this hose to the grill and 20lb propane tank ( I tried 2 of these tanks) I could not get high flame or enough heat to BBQ at all - temperature was 250F with 30 minutes waiting before I shut it off. (My Emphasis.....This review is one of only 3 reviews with 3 stars rating. There were 4 comments to this review offering a workable solution. Heres 1 of them.....Most propane tanks have a safety put in to reduce the outgoing gas flow if it senses the gas is flowing out too quickly. The result is a reduced gas flow to the grill. The way to reset the safety is to disconect the hose from the tank with the tank turned off, then reconnect everything and turn on the valve very slowly so the gas will fill the line and build up enough pressure to keep the safety from turning on. Then once the line is filled with gas you can open it up more if needed. This is almost always the problem with the symptoms you describe.)
   

There you have it. The pro's and con's of the Cuisinart CGG-200 Portable Tabletop Propane Gas Grill. To read more of them you can do so here......Amazon

What's in the Box?

The Cuisinart All Foods grill comes disassembled into the following parts: lid and firebox; grill leg assembly; cooking grate; drip tray; screws and washers.

Does it have a Warranty?

• Yes. It comes with a 3-year manufacturer warranty.
   

How Much Should You Expect To Pay?

In my research I found that Amazon consistently sells this Cuisinart grill for under $200. Currently Amazon's price is *$178.48. (*At the time of this writing) Also a very nice feature of the purchase of this grill from Amazon is there is a Rebate Offer. Here is what they say:

• Receive a $20 Omaha Steaks reward gift card via phone or online rebate when you purchase qualifying Cuisinart grills. Offer valid through August 31, 2012.
   

Thinking about those Omaha Steaks on that grill is making me hungry right now. Oh, and I almost forgot to say anything about the Free Shipping. That's standard operating procedure with Amazon. Nice feature. There is also a downloadable instruction manual in PDF format for the grill.

Also Amazon says there is gift wrapping available for this product to.  This grill would make a great Fathers Day gift, or Mothers Day gift for that matter, or birthday gift as well.

Where Can You Buy "The Little Grill that Could?"

As per the great features stated above and the best place I've found to get it is at Amazon. With their reasonable price, Free Shipping plus the Omaha Steaks Rebate Offer, and Gift Wrapping if you choose, it's a no-brainer. Click here to buy it at Amazon.  

Note: Amazon says this item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.. See Amazon for more details...Click here.

Hope you enjoyed my review of the Cuisinart CGG-200 Portable Propane Gas Grill.  Have a delicious summer.  Thanks.