Saturday, August 21, 2010

Cuisinart Gas Grill Review


I love summer cooking!  Grilled chicken paired with fresh veggies from the market makes a quick and easy meal.  We've been experimenting with grilling different vegetables and trying out the Cuisinart All Foods Tabletop Gas Grill.


We have been without a grill for a couple of years now, so we were excited to be able to try this one out.  The small size was appealing because there is not much extra space in our small garage.  I was getting really sick of eating steamed veggies (from a bag of frozen) and thought this looked like a great way to add some variety.  Ross is the grill master in our house, so I'll let him tell you about his experience with this:


For as much grilling as we do and the amount of storage space we have this compact grill is a great fit.  The size means it is easy to transport whether from the garage to the patio or from home to the park.  It also heats up quickly which has made it the option of choice for last minute meals this summer.



The side trays swing out from over the grill and work well for holding platters and grilling utensils.  The stainless steel construction of the trays and lid make for an easy to clean surface.  On the lid is a handy built in thermometer.  Its very sturdy and well put together - not like many of the flimsy or top heavy camping style grills I've seen.


Having a grill again has allowed us to try new spice rubs on our meats, experiment for the first time grilling vegetables, and given Christy a break from cooking meals every now and again.  It has definitely added variety to our summertime meal plan.

Overall we have been very happy with the Cuisinart grill.  A few options to consider would be the adapter that allows you to hook up a larger propane tank (we have gone through nearly half a dozen small ones so far), the stand (if you prefer upright grilling and don't have an outdoor table), and a grill cover if you plan on leaving it out in the elements.

Note: apparently the grill used to come with a removable veggie panel.  The newer model that we received did not come with that even though it is the same model number.  Although it is listed in the Amazon description of the item, I am not sure whether or not you would receive a veggie panel should you order this item.


Here are two of my favorite ways to eat grilled vegetables:

Grilled Cabbage - cut head of cabbage into 6-8 wedges.  Wrap each wedge in foil with slices of butter and plenty of garlic salt.  Grill for about 20 minutes.  This is sooo good!  We don't eat cabbage otherwise, but this is delicious.

Grilled Asparagus - wash asparagus spears and drizzle with olive oil.  Add generous amounts of salt, pepper, and fresh minced garlic.  Place on grill for 3-4 minutes on each side until the ends begin to crisp up just a bit.

Of course there are plenty more recipes - sliced potatoes, onions, and butter wrapped in foil; veggies on a skewer; etc.  Check out Tammy's Recipes for more grilling ideas.  I want to try grilled pizza next!

Thanks Cuisinart for sending us the grill to review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

No comments:

Post a Comment