Purchased this for camping, because it uses a small propane container, and the price was really low compared to 2 other units I was considering. THIS IS A SUPER DEAL!! Used this for 2 nights of camping, and cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. It's a good size for doing 4 burger patties and 2-3 hot dogs at one time. Cooking time was really fast, and it's very easy to light up and clean as well. The size is perfect, and I like that it has a lid, which can be clamped on for travel. Really happy with this product! A GREAT VALUE for the price!!
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
It sounds strange to rate excellent an item that had, at least in my hands, a major concern. We had this little gas grill for over 3 years. Never rusted -we never covered it but never left it in the rain either-, we never had the problem of the handle getting too hot when cooking, and the portability is fantastic. This grill cooks darn hot and really fast. One side of the grill was just a bit cooler, but I was actually happy about it so I could cook more delicate stuff at the same time or move there steaks that were about ready to serve to keep them warm. In addition, the food came out tasting wonderful, even if I usually cleaned grate and flavorizer with soap and water (I know, but...). I made burgers, hot dogs, chicken, steaks, chops and London Broil on it and always with excellent results. One very important thing: this grill never shut off its flames on us while cooking. The problem? The cooking grate, and I am suprised others did not complain about it. The grate sits on the very top edge of the grill resting merely on 3 tiny, really minuscole internal hooks. It made it very difficult to turn the food, as the grate slides around and often tilts on you. You need to push it down with a tool in your other hand while turning your burgers. Add to this fiery flame ups and you have a recipe for disaster, especially if one of your hands is busy holding something and you find yourself momentarily alone. Once too many a times of risking to set myself on fire -and you usually use such a grill where hospitals are no where to be foundI let it cool down and threw it away. This problem would not exist if the grate would sit on a round lip set below the grill's round edge instead of 3 stupid hooks. Could it be ours was missing some parts, as nobody else complained about this issue? Well, I regret I threw it away and we actually miss it a lot. We got a Weber Go Anywhere recently for our outdoor excursions, and I can see the difference, and not a positive one for Weber. The food does not taste as good, it quits from 1 to as many as 4 times while cooking on a full tank of propane, and we never get decent grill marks as it is not very hot, but this is material for another review. If I was sure the grate is now better positioned I would buy the Vortex on the spot.
Best Deals for Vortex 14.5 Inch Tabletop Gas Grill
I would give this 0 stars if I could, I returned it because when we used it the flavor plate that is to sit right below the grill part is PAINTED!! and it left little flecks of silver paint all over our food. This can be dangerous especially since this is made in china and we know that china sometimes uses lead paint. You would have to heat the grill for quite a while to get all the paint burned off before it would be safe for cooking food. I would not reccommend this and I feel that there should be a recall on this since eating paint is not healthy. If you would use this in a low light situation you would never know that the paint ended up on your food.
Honest reviews on Vortex 14.5 Inch Tabletop Gas Grill
Small in size, easy to transport. Cooking area is large for compact grill. Can cook about 4-5 burgers at once. Easy to assemble and easy clean up.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Vortex 14.5 Inch Tabletop Gas Grill
I have owned this grill for more than 5 years, have used it on a regular basis and I am definitely a fan but with some reservations. First the benefits:
1.) The gas valve can be adjusted from low/medium/high and the heat is distributed evenly with no discernible hot spots.
2.) It is very easy on gas because it cooks quickly/efficiently. I usually cook things like hot dogs, hamburgers and precooked chicken/ribs with barbeque sauce and have found the small propane tanks last for at least 5-8 average meals and usually a lot longer. Of course it all depends on what you're cooking. With the cover in place, (I always use the cover), 1/2-3/4" thick burgers are usually ready in only 6-8 minutes.
3.) The grilling surface is big enough for ~ 10 average sized burgers and another 1/2 dozen hot dogs at the same time. Once again the heat is evenly distributed evenly and all the burgers cook at the same rate with the cover forcing the heat over the top of the food as well. I wouldn't hesitate taking it when cooking for groups sizes 8-10 as long as you're cooking burgers/hot dogs. One other thing to mention is that the cover utilizes a second inner cone to keep the heat close the food. If your food is odd shaped or projects above the gill more than ~ 2" it may come into contact with the lid in some places. This happened to me when cooking thick ribs.
What I didn't like: This is a portable grill but it sure wasn't designed to be dissembled and reassembled compactly or easily. After using the grill a few times and realizing its benefits, I slightly modified it to make it user friendly. The bottom legs and splatter pan must be screwed together using a tiny screw, washer and nut for each use! I purchased a longer screw, attached it permanently to the splatter pan, threw away the nut and used a wing nut instead. I also used a wing nut on the burner plate assembly. Now taking it apart and reassembling is much faster/easier. Even so, trying to fit the legs/splatter pan inside the grill isn't easy and it's too bad they didn't consider this and a smaller handle when creating the grill. Quality of the components is ok for the price but don't expect a Weber. It would have been nice to have had a sturdier heat distribution pan, (keep it clean to make it last longer) and a thicker grill but it works.
Overall, if you`re looking for a propane grill that is economical on gas, cooks evenly and of decent quality, look at the Vortex. If you are looking for a small grill to pack it efficiently into your car or camper and want a quick assembly, you might want to look at a different model.
