For many people keen to start cooking on vacation or on road trips, tabletop grill sets tend to be some of the most popular. I’m with them! It just so happens that Cuisinart provides a fantastic range of portable grills that are well worth your consideration if this sounds like your cup of tea.
The CGG180T Petit Gourmet is one of the best-looking tabletop grills from the brand, but as we all know, looks aren’t everything. It’s well-known for being super portable as well as impressively powerful, especially given the price it normally retails for. It even snaps down into its own little briefcase, which means you should find it nice and easy to carry this unit back and forth to wherever you need to be.
More About The Cuisinart CGG180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill
This is a smart, user-friendly fully portable grill which is easy to assemble, easy to use at short notice, easy to pick up and move – and which has quite a funky appearance, in a great shade of red!
The Petit Gourmet is designed and built to be one of the most convenient grills in its marketplace. It has generally favorable reviews from its customer base and certainly stands up well in comparison to competitors – I’ll dive a bit more into my own findings soon enough, but it’s good to see that the model remains popular with the target audience.
This type of grill isn’t always ideal for everyone – we all have different preferences when it comes to outdoor grilling, after all – but let’s dig into the specs and stats before you go away with any kind of opinion or thirst to purchase!
Specifications and Essential Facts
- Manufacturer: Cuisinart
- Fuel: Propane Gas
- Weight: 2.2lbs
- Build: Heavy Duty (steel)
- Dimensions: 12.2 inches x 18 inches x 12 inches – grill surface area extends to 145 square inches
- Burners: 1
- Power: Up to 5,500 BTU
- Added Features: Porcelain enameled grate, legs made of aluminum with stabilizing feet, lid and lockable latch, briefcase style carrying handle.
What are the Best Features / Main Selling Points of the Cuisinart CGG180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill?
As the name implies, the Petit Gourmet is indeed small and compact. It has a bright stylish exterior and convenient folding legs, which though not detachable, do mean that the overall size of the product when folded up, is still easy to store for transportation in most family cars.
This product can also of course be used at home in the garden or on a balcony, all you require is a stable, safe, heatproof surface, and you can start cooking very quickly! Once the propane gas is attached, and you switch the grill on, it heats up quickly, and you can heat it with the lid down, which speeds things up further!
It is stated that you can also cook with the lid down, so if speed is essential, that may sometimes be worth considering. Your guests won’t have the mouth watering response to the wonderful cooking smells coming from the direction of the grill, but in some instances, you may feel speed is a priority. Also, if it starts to rain, this could be a very handy feature!
Users have said that this product is simple and quick to assemble. It is also simple and easy to clean with a dripping catcher to collect the unused oil and residue.
The carrying handle is a brilliant touch – and this is seriously one of the lightest grills I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. While it only has the single burner, too, it’s impressively powerful.
What are the Benefits of Using the Cuisinart CGG180T Petit Gourmet Portable Tabletop Gas Grill?
In terms of size, this grill is ideal for couples, an individual or someone catering for a family or small group of people. If you want to cook for more people, you probably need to think about looking into tiered grilling – where you need to stagger what gets cooked and when.
The information produced to promote this grill states that it will easily cook up to eight burgers simultaneously, or eight steaks – that’s a lot of meat for a grill this size, and it does live up to its promises.
You’re likely to get a better quality cook on a bigger range of meat with larger grills, but I have no complaints otherwise.
This grill is easy to clean and wiping down the outside is always a good idea, after cooking and prior to packing it away, ensuring it is completely dry beforehand. This will keep it in tip-top condition!
I especially like the fact that you can just pack it up and pick it up by handle – it’s just like a miniature briefcase!
Does the Cuisinart CGG180T Petit Gourmet Have Any Drawbacks?
There are only a handful of issues that arise from using the Petit Gourmet – and honestly, they will largely revolve around your own personal standards and demands. Some users have reported that the oil collector is a little too small, and that it fills up too quickly. Of course, this really does depend on how much you use it!
Some users also claim that there are a few issues with the hardware quality. However, these problems seem to be few and far between. What I’ve found with Cuisinart is that their product quality tends to be spot-on – and that if you do have any issues, the customer service team will always be on hand to support you.
Some may find that the Petit Gourmet is less powerful than they expect – but there is a tradeoff between portability and power. If you are likely to be cooking for smaller groups, then it’s unlikely this unit will cause you any headaches or concerns.
Plus – check out that funky red sheen – hard to resist, isn’t it?
Conclusion – Should I Buy The Cuisinart CGG180T Petit Gourmet?
The Petit Gourmet is another triumph from Cuisinart, providing a brilliant slant on the tabletop grill market that I think is worth a closer look. It’s seriously powerful for the size and for the available burner, making it a wonderful resource for any road trippers who still want great quality food on the go.
And why wouldn’t you?
Cuisinart also offers this line of grills at a very affordable price – and there may not be a lighter grill on the market right now, meaning it’s well worth investing in if you’re sick of straining yourself getting your cooker in and out of the car.
This grill might not be ideal for anyone who is looking for a big family cookout grill, but all the same, you’ll get great-tasting food for a receptive audience with very little footprint here. If you really don’t like the red hues, then there’s a silver alternative available, too – take a look and see what you think.
Cuisinart products tend to be very well-made, which I think is confidence enough for you to choose the Petite Gourmet as an absolute priority. Consider who you’re cooking for, and where you’re likely to take your grill – and that should dictate your purchase.
