Char-Broil Patio Caddie Gas Grill

You couldn't have convinced me to own a gas grill, but I moved upstairs in an apartment whose rules were we HAD to use gas grills. I found this little gas grill to be inexpensive and small enough not to take up the whole porch so I gave it a try. I live alone, but I have made meals for two and I just love my little Patio Caddie. All summer long, I barbecue and in the 4 years I've had this grill I've filled up the tank twice! It cost about 8 dollars each time. ( I take it to the Uhaul shop and they fill it up) After summer, I put on the cover and when summer comes back I pull it off and one click starts this grill up as if it was never down. For the smoky taste, I just soak the wood pieces, place them on top wrapped in foil with a opening for the smoke to release, and the flavor of chicken and steaks is fantastic. LOOK NO FURTHER .. this is the best gas grill made!

I am a charcoal griller by nature. But, I can't use my Weber right now, so I saw the patio caddie and got one to get me through the summer. I love it! I don't like gas grills because I feel that they don't get the right heat, and it's hard to control, and this one is like that. But, that being said, to grill a steak or fish or veggies, this is great. The small footprint is super, it wasn't too bad to assemble, and it's so convenient to use. I will always recommend a "real" grill over a gas grill, but for a gas grill, I love this one.

I ordered the Char-broil Patio Caddie (grill) as a reasonably priced starting grill. I've never owned a grill before and I did not want to spend more money since I don't know if I will get into grilling or not.

Here are my impressions so far.

Assembly: I just spent 3 hours putting it together - and I promise I am not dumb when it comes to assembling things. I actually enjoy doing it and had assembled so many things in the past. This one however was a challenge with lot of doubting along the way. The instructions are "fine"; I've definitely seen better. The diagrams are not clear and makes you doubt if you are doing the right thing.

Heat: I only cooked two burgers so far and I know I lack any experience in grilling so I won't comment on that aspect. One observation though, the manual says that you need to put in on high heat for 15 minutes before using. I did that but I don't think the grill heated beyond 400-450 degrees which makes me wonder how long it would take to heat it beyond that.

As of now, after 4 hours of receiving the grill, I am satisfied with my purchase. I have been looking at grills for a while now and this is the least expensive unit with close features. My other alternative would have been a Weber Baby Q grill and I'd have had to buy a cart to place the grill on it - total cost of ~$170 compared to the $122 I spent for the caddie. If you don't mind the extra $50 (40% more) I definitely recommend the Baby Q on the basis that you won't need to do any assembly.

Great little gas grill. It's just the wife and me now and I didn't need a humungeous propane hog. The whole thing reeks of quality from it's heavy duty grill to the sturdy legs.

This grill was easy to put together which is an unusual comment coming from this klutz.

I've cooked everything from wings to burgers to steaks so far.

Outside of some difficulty with the manual's directions, this is very easy to assemble. I love the temperature gage, the easy-to-clean grill which can easily handle four good-size steaks, the dimensions which permits it to fit on a small patio and the clips on the unit's top so it doesn't slide around. My only complaint is that it is somewhat difficult to move because of the placement of the handle and the wheels.