Cuisinart CGG-306 Chef’s Style Stainless Tabletop Grill Review
Portable grills sometimes come with the stigma that they are cheap and often overly simple. Some people go shopping for one that costs as little as possible, so they won’t feel bad when it lands in the dumpster.
However, there is another class of portable grills that go the other direction, in offering a high-quality unit that’s designed to last for years. The Cuisinart CGG-306 Chef’s Style Stainless Tabletop Grill falls into this class of grill nicely.
The majority of it is made from high-quality stainless steel, with strong welds and firm fasteners. It also only weighs 22 pounds, which makes it easy to move this large portable grill from point A to point B. The lid also locks firmly while it is in transit. The legs also fold up nicely to make it easy to move and store.
While it was originally designed to sit on a tabletop or outdoor counter, Cuisinart also made sure that it was compatible with their CFGS-150 stand. This accessory stand costs a little bit more to provide you with a sturdy traditional grill.
The Cuisinart CGG-306 also has a very large slide out drippings tray. It is big enough to handle any excess runoff, while also making it easy to clean up.
The two stainless steel propane burners produce 10,000 BTU’s of consistent heat, for a grand total of 20,000 BTU’s. This is enough firepower to handle pretty much anything you want to grill. Just make sure to give it enough time to heat up all the way. The Cuisinart CGG-306 also has a quick and easy twist-start ignition. It also comes with a 42-inch hose that is designed to easily connect to a standard propane tank. However, there isn’t a natural gas conversion kit available for it at this time.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Cuisinart didn’t cut any corners with the materials used to build the CGG-306 Chef’s Style Stainless Tabletop Grill. Pretty much all of it is stainless steel, which also gives it some eye-popping visual appeal. It really is the sort of portable grill that will catch people’s attention. It might even make for a nice conversation starter!
The Cuisinart CGG-306 is also very easy to assemble. Even if you are mechanically inept, you should be able to put it together in under half an hour.
Grilling Performance
The Cuisinart CGG-306 is bigger than most portable grills. Yet it also only weighs in at 22-pounds. It’s combined 20,000 BTUs gives you enough heat to grill just about anything that you would make on a traditional cart-based gas grill. Just make sure to give it five to seven minutes to fully preheat, before you place the meat.
One knock on the Cuisinart CGG-306 is that the lid is a little on the shallow side. If you wanted to grill something thick, like a whole chicken, you will need to butterfly it. A wrapped and tied pork roast might be pushing your luck. Just make sure the meat doesn’t touch the lid when closed.
Cuisinart also made it a point to design this gas grill to work with other things in their product line. It will easily accommodate their non-stick grill wok, which allows you to prepare vegetables for something like fajitas, while you grill the meat at the same time. It is also designed to work with their griddle platter, which also makes a really nice batch of grilled nachos!
Grilling Areas
The Cuisinart CGG-306 offers more square inches of cooking space than you typically find with other portable grills. It even stands a head above most of its direct competitors with a whopping 276 square inches of grill grate space.
This gives you more than enough cooking space to prepare food for four or more people. If you are just grilling up a big mess of brats before the game, you could draw in a lot of new friends at the tailgate!
Special Features
The large slide-out drippings tray is nice for easy cleanup, and not having to worry about an overflow, which is sometimes an issue with portable grills.
The locking lid not only helps you transport it, but it also locks firmly, so you can trust it when you lug it around.
The thermometer built into the lid might not seem that special at first. Yet most other portable gas grills in this class don’t have them. Not to mention this one is very accurate.
Ease to Clean
The grill grates can be a little sticky, depending on what you are grilling. If it’s an overly lean piece of meat, like a filet mignon, you should lightly grease the grill grates to reduce the chances of the meat sticking. This will make it a little easier to clean the grates later.
The pull-out grease tray is large, which spares you the potential mess of an overflow. It’s also easy to pour out. Just make sure you give it 20 or 30 minutes to fully cool down first.
Warranty
The Cuisinart CGG-306 comes with a 3-year warranty. This is much better than the warranties offered by most of the competitor grills in its class. It’s also a testament to Cuisinart’s belief that they are putting forth a high-quality product. Just keep in mind that the Warranty is only available if you register it within 30 days of purchase.
Conclusion
If you want a quality portable grill that will prove it’s worth your money, then you have to give a strong nod to the Cuisinart CGG-306. It’s large enough to grill a lot of food, yet light enough to be easily portable. It can even be attached to a base or used as a tabletop or tailgate grill.
