Description
Cuisinart CGG-059 Grillster: a tabletop propane grill built around portability
The Grillster is Cuisinart’s compact single burner gas grill in stainless steel. The listing specifies an 8,000 BTU burner, a 146 square inch enameled steel cooking grate that is dishwasher safe, push button ignition, a locking lid for transport, no assembly required, and a three year limited warranty. Amazon records it as first available in July 2016, with a 4.4 star average across 2,831 ratings and a rank around 39th in propane grills. That rating sample is one of the largest on any product covered here, which makes the score more meaningful than a high average on thirty reviews.
Everything about the design points at one use case: cooking away from the kitchen. A grill that latches shut, weighs little enough to carry in one hand, and needs no tools or assembly is aimed at camping, tailgating, a small balcony, or a rental where a full grill is not permitted. It is not a patio grill that happens to be small.
146 square inches is the real constraint
The grate is the number that decides whether this grill fits a household. One hundred and forty six square inches is roughly the area of a single sheet of letter paper and a half. In food terms that is four burgers comfortably, or two pieces of chicken plus a few vegetables. Cooking for four people means working in shifts, and cooking for six means this is the wrong grill.
For comparison, the Oklahoma Joe’s Canyon Combo lists 750 square inches of primary grate, and even a compact vertical smoker like the Char Broil Bullet gives 388 square inches. The Grillster is deliberately at the other end of that scale, and the entire propane grills section is worth scanning if capacity matters more than portability.
8,000 BTU on one burner
Eight thousand BTU per hour is modest in absolute terms, but BTU is a fuel consumption rating rather than a temperature rating, and what matters is BTU relative to the area being heated. Spread across 146 square inches that is a reasonable heat density, and Cuisinart states the grill reaches temperatures over 600 degrees Fahrenheit. That figure comes from the manufacturer, and it is plausible for a small covered grate with a lid, since a small enclosed volume heats efficiently.
A single burner does mean no two zone cooking. There is no cool side to move food to when the outside is browning faster than the inside is cooking, so thicker cuts need the burner turned down and the lid kept closed rather than moved sideways. That is a technique adjustment rather than a defect, but it is the practical difference between one burner and three.
Three specification fields that do not add up
This listing contradicts itself in three places, and all three are worth naming rather than smoothing over.
Weight. The specification field gives 13 pounds. The feature bullet says the grill weighs just 10 pounds. Both cannot be right. Thirteen pounds is the more conservative figure and is the one to plan around if the grill is going into a backpack or a bike pannier.
Dimensions. The specification field gives 12 inches deep by 20.5 wide by 10.2 high. The feature bullet gives a 19 by 11.5 by 10 inch build. Those are close enough to be the same object measured with and without handles or lid latch, but they are not identical, so anyone measuring a storage space or a car trunk should use the larger set.
Wattage. The listing records 2,344 watts on a propane grill that has no electrical connection beyond a piezo igniter. That number is the 8,000 BTU per hour rating converted into watts, since 8,000 BTU per hour is approximately 2,344 watts of thermal power. It is a unit conversion sitting in the wrong field, not an electrical requirement. No outlet is needed to run this grill.
What the listing does not say about fuel
The specification block names propane as the power source but does not state the gas connection type, whether the grill takes a small disposable canister or needs a hose and regulator for a larger tank, or whether any fuel is included. On a portable grill that is the most consequential missing detail, because the canister type determines both the running cost and whether the grill can legally travel with fuel attached. Confirm it with the seller before ordering, particularly if the plan involves flying or a campsite with specific fuel rules.
Cleaning, and the dishwasher safe grate
The enameled steel grate lifting out and going into a dishwasher is a genuinely useful feature on a grill this size, and it is one of the reasons the Grillster reviews well. Cleaning a grill at a campsite with no hot water is unpleasant, and a grate that can be bagged and dealt with at home solves that. Enamel over steel does chip if it is dropped or scraped hard with metal tools, and a chip exposes the steel underneath, so treat it like the coated cooking surface it is.
The locking lid deserves a mention for the same reason. A lid that latches means the grate, any leftover ash and any grease stay inside during transport rather than in the back of a car.
Who it suits
This suits campers, tailgaters, balcony cooks, and anyone who wants a real gas grill without dedicating patio space to one. Under 15 pounds, no assembly, push button ignition and a dishwasher safe grate make it about as low friction as outdoor cooking gets, and a three year warranty is generous for the category.
It is the wrong grill for a household that regularly cooks for more than two or three people, and it is the wrong grill for anyone who wants indirect cooking or smoke. Cooks who mostly grill indoors would be better served by an electric unit such as the Tefal OptiGrill or something else from the electric grills range, and anyone wanting real charcoal flavor at home should look at a Weber Performer instead.