A small grill that you will want to keep
Written: Jul 26 '04
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Pros: Inexpensive, easy assembly, even cooking, easy cleaning
Cons: Grilling surface not very durable, drip pan can slosh and spill.
The Bottom Line: The bottom line with any grill is fast, even cooking. Combine that with ease of use and cleaning, and this is grill is a winner.
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| sduncanae's Full Review: Coleman RoadTrip Party Grill 9946-707 |
I have owned many grills in my life, from simple Hibachis to large propane gas grills. I’ve gone from charcoal to gas and back again, but it seems like there is a fatal flaw with almost every grill. Charcoal is nice and hot with even cooking, but a mess to get started and clean up. Propane grills can heat unevenly and tend to corrode and clog up. This is not to say there are not excellent specimens of both varieties, and if taken care of will give you years of good service. This grill, however, has the least compromises of any I have ever owned.
Overview
The Coleman Road Trip Deluxe Party Grill is a free-standing propane grill that uses standard 16 ounce propane cylinders. It has a non-stick cooking surface that can accommodate small steaks or burgers for up to four people. What makes this grill unique is that the base is made entirely of plastic and relies on the fact that you put two cups of water in the drip pan to insulate the grill from it’s burner and catch grease. Don’t mistake this for the other, larger, Coleman Road Trip grills. This model is very different and is actually made in Italy.
Easy to Assemble
Unlike a large gas grill, assembling the Party Grill takes only minutes. Once the curved legs are inserted in the base, it’s a simple matter to attach the bottom shelf and feet. There are three small plastic keys that must be installed to hold the back-splash / windshield in place, and they take some force. The drip pan, grill surface and back-splash are then simply set in place. There is a warming rack I have chosen not to use.
Grill Surface and Drip Pan
The drip pan sits directly below the grill surface, and the burner comes up through a circular hole in the middle - like a bunt pan. The aluminum grill surface is oblong in shape and has holes in various locations to allow grease to drip and for some flame to reach the food. The non-stick coating on the grill is a little lightweight, and I am afraid it will be the first thing to wear out on this unit.
Cooking with the Party Grill
As mentioned above, you add about 2 cups of water to the drip pan before lighting the grill. For this reason, you do not want to move the grill once water is in the pan or it can slosh out – complete with floating grease. Like most small grills, a little heat goes a long way. I usually light the grill and set it almost as low as possible to pre-heat the cooking surface. A few minutes and a shot of PAM and I am ready to cook. Unlike some big grills, there are no overly cold or hot spots. When cooking four steaks, they all cook evenly although I usually flip them end-to-end when I turn them. Anything larger than about four 12 ounce steaks will begin to crowd this grill. Cooking time is as fast as any big grill, with the exception that there is no hood or lid on this unit to do oven-broiling type cooking.
Clean Up
After cooling, the grill simply lifts off and can be carried to the kitchen sink for washing. The drip pan is a little trickier. You can:
a) Carefully lift the pan out of the grill and dump the water and grease into the shrubbery, or
b) Let the grill sit in the sun until the water has evaporated and then wipe / scrape / wash the remainder.
Be careful washing the drip pan – it contains sharp edges. The plastic base and burner assembly can be cleaned with soap and water or a non-toxic spray cleaner. In normal operation, the base hardly gets soiled at all. The back splash also will need cleaning after a few uses.
Summary
I don’t know if I would call this a portable grill. The legs are not easily removed, and the drip pan requires special attention. It's not really a party grill, either, since it can only cook for about four people. But for the patio, deck or balcony, it is a space-saving, gas-sipping, easy to use and clean grill with a small footprint. It’s the only one I’ve found that I didn’t want to get rid of after one season.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 49
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Epinions.com ID:
sduncanae
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Member: Steve Duncan
Location: Washington County, OR, USA
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 0 members
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