Char-Broil 20602107 Patio Bistro TRU-Infrared Electric Grill, Black

I started to put this together by myself and definitely was easier once I had a second set of hands to hold some things in place. This does require some basic tools, so be prepared with a screwdriver, pliers, and socket wrench. It came packed really well, which was good since my box was torn, dented, and wet when I picked it up. It's HEAVY too, for a small person like myself. But since it came in many pieces, getting it out of the box was no problem. The instructions for assembly are just pictures/diagrams and not super detailed. All holes lined up though, so no issues there. I cleaned the grates before cooking, and definitely recommend cranking it up to 450 and letting the chemical smell burn off for a while. I could still smell it after 30 minutes and didn't want my food to take that on. After that, we cooked up some turkey burgers in no time. There do seem to be some hot spots on the grill, so we'll have to figure out what areas get the most heat- definitely not evenly distributed. When you open the cover to check the food, the temperature drops about 100 degrees and takes a few minutes to get back up to temp. I can't complain about how it cooks though - the food has been delicious. We did some NY Strip the second night and they turned out perfectly cooked as well. I was surprised at the glossy finish on the cooking surface, and am a little worried about cleaning it with a brush- not sure how well the coating will hold up. I'll probably just bring it to the sink and use a mildly abrasive sponge instead. I do like the portability of the grate for ease of cleaning. We easily fit 4 quarter pound burgers on the cooking surface with space left over so you can cook for a small group on this. I bought this for my vacation home, where we're too far from a grocery store for charcoal or propane to have to worry about either, and I think this is a good option and great value for the money!

Excellent product at an excellent price. Just bought one; I had one several years ago and left it behind when making a long household move - and regretted that decision. Cooks nicely, gets hot and less likely than gas to incinerate your food. This grill is very well made and assembly was nice. The one mistake I made was due to not reading directions carefully. A gas grill in this price range would not be as solid or stable - would likely have very thin steel vs this one. Things to know: 1. It doesn’t heat up as fast as gas grills, so takes a little longer, especially in cool weather. 2. Drips do evaporate and give a grill flavor, but more liquid makes its way to the grease cup than for a gas grill, so check and empty it often. 3. Very important to keep it shut as best possible for better flavor and heat retention. 4. Need to be more careful to cover and/or store inside than for a gas grill since it’s electric. Obviously needs to be unplugged after use!!! All in all, a great value and now priced well below the price I paid in the past!

So far.. first use and temp just creeps up, maxed at 400 with lid shut and drops as soon as you open the lid. It takes forever to get back up to temp.. the only support I could find on here was for a gas model not electric. Every thing I’ve read is that it’s either a faulty element or control unit.. so disappointing as it was a gift. Updating as the customer support at Char-broil was very responsive. Update: After waiting a few weeks for a replacement control unit and emailing Char-broil and getting no response, I called again today. They don’t have the part in stock, they don’t know when they’ll have it, and told me I should just keep calling back to check if it came in… I asked if they would send a new grill or give me a refund they said I’d have to talk to Amazon. ***CUSTOMER NO SERVICE** Amazon won’t refund as it’s a few months old. Update: out of the blue a control unit showed up to my mom’s house. So I replaced it and it’s still just creeps up in temp and god help you if you open the lid, you’ll have to start heating all over.. moral of the story…get a George Forman grill if you want electric!

V. happy with my purchase. I've only used it twice but the grill works great. I can get the temperature upto 500 degrees farenheit and did a good job grilling sausages, burgers, chicken wings, corn, etc. Funnily enough, the grill gives off a pleasant smell that makes you hungry when it heats up - or maybe I was hungry when I started the grill! Can it heat up faster than a gas powered grill - no, but it is still fast enough.

Hard to clean, great concept but too much work later cleaning and it has to be cleaned.