Cuisinart Entertaining Grill Review

Standout Features:

Dual Zone temperature control between 90 - 260°C
Fully removable, dishwasher safe plates
Quick heat up speeds
Optional oil drainage system
Built in guard to avoid drips and spills

Summer is in full swing and lockdown measures are easing, it’s definitely a cause for celebration. And what better way to celebrate than having your nearest and dearest round for a dinner party to remember. One way to make it memorable is through the Cuisinart Entertaining Grill. This versatile grill is all you need to create your favourites from classic BBQ food to Mexican fajitas and Japanese Teppanaki.

After using it for over a month I wanted to share my thoughts on the Entertaining Grill and why I think it’s the perfect appliance for hosting dinner parties and entertaining loved ones throughout the year once things are truly back to normal.

Design:

Firstly, the Grill is huge (H 16 x W 50 x D 42.5cm) and will comfortably cook multiple ingredients at once on it’s extra-large cooking surface. The removable cooking plate also has a non-stick coating and can be wiped clean or even thrown in the dishwasher. I absolutely love the Midnight Grey colour, which is in line with Cuisinart’s Style collection.

The front panel is where the dual temperature controls are located which can heat the two sections of the cooking plate independently, from 90° to 260° Celsius. One of the knobs had unfortunately fallen off in the box but thankfully it clicked back into place and worked perfectly. The knobs have clear markings on them and have indicators that blink red when the appropriate side of the plate is heating up to the desired temperature. The light will then stay on when the selected temperature is reached.

The base has a sturdy feel to it and doesn’t get hot or move around thanks to rubber pads on the bottom. It doesn’t feel hot when grilling full heat. I haven’t had any issues using it on my kitchen countertops.

The plastic drip tray can be detached from the front of the appliance and is easy to clean and has a large capacity that can catch all unwanted oils and grease.

The teppanyaki style cooking plate is firmly secured by release buttons on both sides and has a splash guard design at the back which is very effective at preventing hot oils from hitting surrounding surfaces.

Performance:

Having used the Grill several times, I have found the cooking plate consistently heats up quickly and evenly. I have also found both sides of the plate heat up to their set temperatures correctly and I haven’t noticed any impairments in this regard. I’ve found it takes around 10 minutes to reach the maximum temperature of 260° C and this is more than enough temperature to cook everything from root vegetables to sausages, eggs, chicken, beef fillet, pancakes, and more.

It’s been great cooking on the Grill on the dining table with guests around as it creates a sense of excitement and is certainly a talking point. I’ve used it to cook teppanyaki on numerous occasions because it does a fantastic job of creating flavour on chicken and vegetables. It’s also been great for cooking breakfast items like pancakes, bacon, sausages and eggs, all at the same time! It does take a bit of experimentation to get the temperatures suitable for what you’re cooking but once you’ve used it a few times you get the hang of it. The included Recipe Book has some fantastic recipes in it and I look forward to giving them all a try.

The drip tray does an effective job at collecting the unwanted grease and fat whilst also being easy to clean along with the cooking plate. The included Scraping Tool is also really useful for taking off any stubborn stains on the plate without scratching the non-stick coating.

Overall:

All in all, the Entertaining Grill is a fabulous appliance for creating a bit of magic at dinner parties and gatherings where you want a bit of pizzazz alongside delicious food. Far from being a gimmick product, it is a really useful appliance if you like hosting people and cooking an array of foods.

My only issues are that it is quite a big appliance and you need a very large surface space for it to be a permanent feature in your kitchen or dining space. If you haven’t got a space for it you will need the storage space as well so it is worth checking the dimensions are suitable for your space and bearing this in mind. The other issue is that its not designed for outdoor use, as it is a corded appliance. This feature would have made it much more versatile, though I assume it is suitable to use in a covered garden veranda, but this isn’t mentioned in the manual. The dial knobs could also be more sturdy and match the high-quality build of the rest of the appliance as one of them did come off during delivery.

Aside from this, the Cuisinart Entertaining Grill is a fantastic appliance and I highly recommend it for wowing guests and family alike.