The Petit Gourmet is the ultralight solo-and-pair option, built for maximum portability over cooking capacity. At 17 pounds with integrated VersaStand legs that fold away, it is among the easiest grills to carry one-handed, and its single 5,500 BTU burner cooks evenly for two or three people at a tailgate or picnic. The plastic legs and finicky lid latch undercut its durability for daily use, and it does not grill very hot, but as a grab-and-go grill near $100 it nails its narrow job.
Full review
Real-World Performance
The Petit Gourmet is engineered around portability, and its cooking matches that brief. The single 5,500 BTU burner heats a 145-square-inch grate that, as OutdoorGearLab observed, grills evenly and efficiently with just a slightly warmer spot directly over the burner head. For two or three people at a picnic, tailgate, or campsite, it puts out competent, even heat.
What it does not do is grill especially hot. OutdoorGearLab scored its output power just 4 of 10 and summed it up bluntly: it does not grill super hot. This is a grill for cooking a few burgers or dogs at moderate temperature, not for steakhouse searing or feeding a crowd, and buyers who understand that constraint are generally happy with the results.
The 145-square-inch grate reinforces the small-batch nature of the grill. It comfortably handles food for two or three people at a time, and trying to push beyond that means cooking in shifts. Within its intended scope, though, the even heat distribution that OutdoorGearLab observed makes for predictable results: lay out a few patties or skewers, and they cook at a similar pace with only a marginally warmer patch directly above the burner to plan around.
Build Quality and Design
The standout design feature is the integrated VersaStand: the legs fold and tuck into the body, so the whole grill collapses into a compact, carry-by-the-handle package. At 17 pounds it is one of the easiest grills to move one-handed, and reviewers at JustPortableGrills confirmed it is extremely lightweight and easy to carry and will easily fit into any car trunk.
The materials, however, reflect the price. The porcelain-enameled cast iron grate cooks well, but the legs are plastic and the lid latch is the weak link. That latch is the most-cited flaw across reviews and the main reason the grill is better suited to occasional use than heavy rotation.
Where It Falls Short
Durability is the limiting factor. OutdoorGearLab found that after several uses the inside of the lid was charred black and the lid latch became fussy, and noted the plastic legs lack stability and durability if considering for uneven terrain or daily use. JustPortableGrills flagged the same latch issue, warning it has a tendency to unlatch itself when you least want it to, when you're carrying the grill.
Combined with the modest 5,500 BTU output and small grate, these flaws mean the Petit Gourmet is best treated as an occasional grab-and-go grill rather than a primary cooker. Pushed into regular service, the latch and legs are likely to disappoint over time.
How It Compares to Alternatives
The Petit Gourmet is the portability extreme of this lineup. It has far less power and cooking area than the two-burner Cuisinart CGG-306 or Coleman RoadTrip 225, cannot approach the searing heat of the Char-Broil Grill2Go X200, and offers a smaller grate than even the compact charcoal Weber Go-Anywhere. What it wins, decisively, is one-handed carry convenience and a low price.
It is the grill you choose when the priority is throwing something light in the trunk for a picnic or a couple's campsite dinner, and you are willing to give up power and capacity to get the easiest-to-carry option in the category.
Value at This Price
Around $100, the Petit Gourmet is an affordable entry into portable gas grilling, and TopTenReviews framed the value proposition precisely: it is a solid choice if you are looking for a long-lasting, affordable, easy-to-use portable gas grill that offers convenience and portability over cooking capacity and precision. You are paying for the integrated stand and ultralight carry, not for power or premium materials.
For a buyer whose use case genuinely is occasional two-person cooking, the value holds up. For anyone planning regular or higher-volume grilling, spending up to a sturdier two-burner grill is the better long-term value despite the higher upfront cost.
Setup and Portability in Practice
Portability is the Petit Gourmet's entire reason for being, and in that respect it delivers. The integrated VersaStand legs fold and tuck into the body so the grill collapses into a compact package you carry by a single handle, and at 17 pounds it is the easiest grill in this roundup to move one-handed. JustPortableGrills confirmed it is extremely lightweight and easy to carry and will easily fit into any car trunk, which is exactly the use case it targets: throw it in the trunk and set it up wherever you land.
Setup is quick thanks to a twist-start electronic ignition and the small single burner, which lights easily and reaches cooking temperature without much wait. It runs on a 1-pound disposable propane cylinder, keeping the whole kit small. The catch in daily handling is the lid latch, which reviewers found unlatches itself at the worst moment, while carrying, so experienced owners learn to support the lid by hand rather than trust the latch during transport.
Long-Term Durability and Maintenance
The Petit Gourmet's durability story is the inverse of the Weber Go-Anywhere's. Where the Weber is built to last a decade, the Cuisinart is built to be light and cheap, and that shows over time. OutdoorGearLab's testers reported that after several uses the inside of the lid was charred black and the lid latch became fussy, and that the plastic legs lack the stability and durability for uneven terrain or daily use. These are not catastrophic failures, but they are the predictable wear points of a grill optimized for weight and price.
Maintenance is otherwise simple thanks to the porcelain-enameled cast iron grate, which cleans up easily and resists rust on the cooking surface itself. The smart owner treats the Petit Gourmet gently: carrying it by the body rather than relying on the suspect latch, setting it on stable surfaces to spare the plastic legs, and storing it indoors between trips. Used that way and reserved for occasional two-person cooking, it holds up acceptably; pressed into frequent heavy service, the latch and legs will be the first to disappoint.
Who It's Best For
The Petit Gourmet is for the solo griller or couple who values one-handed portability above all and only ever cooks for two or three: think picnics, RV trips, balcony dinners, and light tailgating. Within that narrow brief, the folding VersaStand and low weight make it genuinely convenient, and the sub-$100 price makes it an easy grab-and-go addition to the trunk.
It is the wrong choice for anyone who grills frequently, cooks for groups, wants high searing heat, or needs a grill that holds up to rough handling. Those buyers should step up to the Coleman RoadTrip 225 or Cuisinart CGG-306 for capacity and durability, or the Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 for searing power. Buyers who want comparable portability with far better durability, and who do not mind charcoal, should also weigh the similarly light Weber Go-Anywhere.
Strengths
- +Extremely light at 17 lbs and easy to carry one-handed, among the most portable grills tested
- +Integrated VersaStand legs fold and tuck away for compact transport
- +Cooks evenly across its 145 sq in grate for two to three people
- +Around $100 makes it an accessible, affordable entry to portable gas grilling
- +Compact footprint fits easily in a small car trunk
Watch-outs
- −Lid latch is flimsy and becomes finicky, prone to unlatching while carrying
- −Plastic legs lack stability on uneven terrain and raise durability concerns for daily use
- −Only 5,500 BTU, so it does not grill especially hot
- −Lid interior charred and showed wear after repeated use in testing
How it compares
The smallest and lightest gas grill here, with far less power and grate area than the two-burner Cuisinart CGG-306 or Coleman RoadTrip 225. It cannot sear like the Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 and offers less cooking room than the charcoal Weber Go-Anywhere, but it is the easiest of the group to carry by hand.
Who this is for
At a glance: Solo grillers and couples who prize one-handed portability for picnics, tailgating, or RV trips and only ever cook for two or three at a time.
Why you’d buy the Cuisinart CGG-180 Petit Gourmet
- Extremely light at 17 lbs and easy to carry one-handed, among the most portable grills tested.
- Integrated VersaStand legs fold and tuck away for compact transport.
- Cooks evenly across its 145 sq in grate for two to three people.
Why you’d skip it
- Lid latch is flimsy and becomes finicky, prone to unlatching while carrying.
- Plastic legs lack stability on uneven terrain and raise durability concerns for daily use.
- Only 5,500 BTU, so it does not grill especially hot.
Rating sources
“After several uses, the inside of the lid was charred black, and the lid latch became fussy.”
“The lid latch is a little flimsy...has a tendency to unlatch itself when you least want it to—when you're carrying the grill.”
“It's a solid choice if you're looking for a long-lasting, affordable, easy-to-use portable gas grill that offers convenience and portability over cooking capacity and precision.”
Our 4.0 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
