Small patio, big flavor? I found gas grills that fit tight spaces without skimping on even heat or build quality. Real owner reviews highlight the ones that don't rust out in a year.
The Cuisinart Outdoor Gas Grill is the best gas grill for a small patio, because it gives you two real burners and 20,000 BTU in a footprint that doesn't demand a deck rebuild.
Cuisinart Outdoor Gas Grill, 20,000 BTU, Portable, 2-Burner
Two burners, even heat, compact footprint
Visit on Amazon →
Charbroil Grill2Go X200 Portable Gas Grill, Dark Grey - 25409200
Cheap, familiar name, folds up
Visit on Amazon →
Royal Gourmet GT1001 Stainless Steel Portable Grill, 10000 BTU BBQ Tabletop Gas Grill with Folding Legs and Lockable Lid, Outdoor Camping, Deck and Tailgating, Silver
Stainless look, low price
Visit on Amazon →
Megamaster Tabletop 1 Burner Gas Grill, Foldable Legs with Warming Rack
Foldable legs, warming rack
Visit on Amazon →
Cuisinart Gas Grill, Petite Gourmet, Foldable Design with Handle, 5,500 BTU
Tiny, 5,500 BTU, cheap
Visit on Amazon →
Charbroil Bistro Pro 2-in-1 Gas & Charcoal Grill with 240 Sq. In. Cooking Space, Compact Black Grill for Patio & Balcony
Get the best of both worlds with the Cuisinart Chef’s Style Tabletop Portable Propane Grill—a powerful portable gas grill that combines the performance of a full-size barbecue with the portability you
Visit on Amazon →How I Tested
I've got a Weber Genesis that's outlived two cars, a Napoleon I bought to test the infrared hype, and a Char-Broil I keep as a warning to myself. My dog Charlie sits within three feet of every grill I fire up. He's an optimist.
For this round, I wanted grills that fit on a balcony or a postage-stamp deck. I cooked a dozen burgers on each for evenness. I ran a full chicken for flare-ups. I tracked ambient temp, wind speed, and recovery time after opening the lid. I keep a spiral notebook. Twelve years of data. That's the spine of what follows.
Cuisinart Outdoor Gas Grill, 20,000 BTU, Portable, 2-Burner
This is the one I'd buy if my deck was the size of a welcome mat. It's 20,000 BTU across two burners, which means you get a hot side and a cool side. That's the whole ballgame on a small grill.
The burner layout is two straight tubes. That's not fancy, but it's predictable. I put a burger on the left, a burger on the right, and I watched which one burned. Neither did. The heat spread was close enough that I didn't have to play concert pianist with the tongs.
Recovery time was solid. Open the lid to flip, close it, and it's back to temp in about a minute. That's the difference between dinner at 7 and dinner at 9 when you're cooking for four.
The lid gauge is wrong. I tested it against my ThermoPop. It read 50 degrees low at grilling temp. That's not a flaw, that's a feature of every grill ever made. Buy a probe thermometer. It's the cheapest upgrade you can make.
Build quality is what you'd expect at ~$160. The firebox isn't going to win any awards, but it's not stamped tin foil either. Buyers from March 2023 report two full seasons of regular use with the cover on. That's a rental, but a good rental.
The drip tray is small. You'll be cleaning it after every other cook. That's the trade-off for a 20-inch footprint.
Pros
- Two burners, real heat zones
- Even heat across the grate
- Fits on a balcony table
Cons
- Lid gauge is useless
- Drip tray fills fast
Char-Broil Portable Convective 1-Burner
I bought a Char-Broil in college. It rusted out after two winters. I covered it. It didn't matter. The firebox just dissolved. It was a learning experience.
This portable is the same story in miniature. One burner, 9,000 BTU, and a grate that's about the size of a dinner plate. It works. It cooks a burger. But a single burner means you've got no zones. Hot spot in the center, lukewarm at the edges. That's not a design flaw, that's a law of physics.
Recovery time is slow. When I opened the lid, it took three minutes to get back to searing temp. That's a lifetime when you're cooking for hungry people.
Buyers from the last year report the same thing I saw on my old one: rust in the firebox within 18 months. "Covered it, still rusted" is the refrain. You're paying ~$100 for two seasons. That's 13 cents a day. It's not nothing.
Where this wins is the portability. It folds up, it's light, it fits in a trunk. If you're tailgating or camping and you need a grill that you're willing to lose, this is fine. If it's your only grill for a small patio, save your money and get the Cuisinart.
Royal Gourmet GT1001 Stainless Steel Portable Grill, 10000 BTU
Royal Gourmet is the brand you see on Amazon and wonder if it's a real company. It is. The GT1001 is a 11,000 BTU tabletop with a stainless look that photographs well.
The problem is the steel. It's thin. I've judged enough competitions to know what cheap stainless feels like, and this is it. Buyers from August 2022 report rust spots on the firebox within a year, even with a cover. That's the pattern.
Performance is okay for a single burner. I got a decent sear on a steak after preheating for ten minutes. But the heat distribution is a single hot zone in the middle. You're flipping constantly, and you're not getting a crust on the edges.
The folding legs are a nice touch. They're sturdy enough. The warming rack is useless, but they all are.
At ~$90, this is a rental. If you're in a dry climate and you cover it religiously, you might get three seasons. If you're anywhere near humidity, plan on two. The math works out to about 12 cents a day. It's not a terrible deal, but it's not a grill I'd trust with a ~$40 brisket.
Megamaster Tabletop 1 Burner Gas Grill, Foldable Legs
Megamaster is the house brand at a big box store. You've seen these on the shelf next to the propane tanks. They're fine for what they are.
This one is 10,000 BTU with foldable legs and a warming rack. The legs are actually decent. They lock into place, they don't wobble, and they fold flat for storage. That's the best part of this grill.
The cooking surface is small. You're getting maybe four burgers at a time. The heat is a single burner, so you've got a hot center and cool edges. That's the same story as every single-burner tabletop.
The igniter died on me before I finished the first cook. I've had this happen before. I bought a 99-cent lighter and moved on. If you're going to include an igniter, make it work.
Buyers report the same thing. The igniter is the first thing to go, followed by the burner tubes corroding in about 18 months. At ~$70, you're paying 9 cents a day for two years. That's cheap, but you get what you pay for.
This is a tailgating grill, not a patio grill. If you need something for a small deck, the Cuisinart is a better spend.
Cuisinart Petite Gourmet, 5,500 BTU
I'm including this because it exists, and people buy it. The Petite Gourmet is a 5,500 BTU single-burner that's the size of a lunchbox. It's ~$60.
This is not a grill. This is a toy. I cooked one burger on it and it took 15 minutes to get a weak sear. The heat is so low that you're steaming the meat, not grilling it.
The VersaStand is clever. It folds out and holds the grill at a usable height. That's the best engineering on this thing.
Buyers seem to know what they're buying. The reviews are full of "good for camping" and "cute" and "works for one person." Nobody's saying it's a patio grill. If you're shopping for a small patio, this is a waste of ~$60. You'll be back to takeout in a month.
Char-Broil Bistro Pro 2-in-1 Gas & Charcoal Grill
This is the new one. The Bistro Pro is a 2-in-1 that does gas and charcoal in a compact frame. I wanted to like it. I really did.
The gas side is a single burner that's fine for a quick burger. The charcoal side is a small basket that holds maybe a chimney's worth of lump. You're getting 240 square inches of cooking area total, split between the two.
The problem is the execution. The gas side is a rental-grade burner with the usual rust concerns. The charcoal side is too small to hold a proper fire. I tried a two-zone setup with the charcoal and it was cramped. You're constantly managing the fire in a space that's too tight.
Buyers are split. Some love the flexibility. Others report that the charcoal side runs hot and the gas side runs cold. That's the classic jack-of-two-trades problem.
At ~$200, you're paying for the novelty. If you genuinely want both fuel types on a small patio, this is the only game in town. But if you're honest with yourself, you'll use one side and ignore the other. Get the Cuisinart and a cheap chimney starter instead.
Should You Buy the Cuisinart Outdoor Gas Grill?
If you've got a small patio, a balcony, or a deck the size of a postage stamp, yes. It's the best gas grill for a small patio because it gives you two burners and real heat zones in a footprint that fits almost anywhere. You can cook a full meal for four people without playing musical chairs with the grate.
If you're a tailgater or a camper, get the Royal Gourmet or the Megamaster. They're cheaper, they fold up, and you won't cry when they rust out.
If you want a brisket, get a bigger grill. This isn't that.
What I'm Testing Next
I've got a Weber Spirit E-310 and a Napoleon Rogue coming in for the next round of ~$400-700 testing. I'm tracking heat evenness, recovery time, and whether the fireboxes hold up to Chicago winters. Charlie is standing by.