CAMPING GEAR | Putting The Campingaz Party Grill To The Test – Review

Looking for a compact yet versatile barbecue for family camping trips? Don’t be fooled by the diminutive size of the Campingaz Party Grill 400 – it’s got an awful lot going for it! Read on for our full review.

Campingaz Party Grill 400 Camping Barbecue ReviewThe grill on it’s first use

What is it?

Campingaz Party Grill® 400 CV gas stove RRP: £110

Stockists

Features

  • 5 Different Cooking Surfaces
  • Power: 2000 W
  • Gas consumption: 145 g/h
  • Boil time: 6 min 5 sec
  • Ignition: Piezo
  • Runtime: 3 hrs on CV470, 2 hrs and 30 min on CV300
  • Fuel source: CV470+, CV300+
  • Weight: 4.92 kg
  • Dimensions (LxWxH): Ø 36 x 42 cm (on stand)
  • Carry bag: Included. Material: Polyester

What did we think?

The first thing to note about this grill is that it does not come with any gas, so you’ll need to purchase this separately before you can use it. Luckily once the grill was delivered we only had to wait 24 hours for the CV300 Plus gas bottle to arrive that I was able to order using Amazon Prime.

Campingaz Party Grill 400 Camping Barbecue ReviewThe gas is very easily attached and removed

Putting the grill together was quick and easy – I actually found the picture instructions a bit confusing and just did it all intuitively. A matter of simply screwing on the handles to the lid/wok and then screwing on the 3 sturdy legs before attaching the gas bottle. To turn the grill on, turn the dial and press to ignite.

Campingaz Party Grill 400 Camping Barbecue ReviewThe lid of the grill which doubles up as a wok

Once lit, it takes a couple of minutes for the grill to be hot enough for food to begin sizzling. I found that using the grill/griddle food cooked very evenly and unlike a regular barbecue where you get some bits that are hotter than others, and occasional flames licking up that cause burnt bits, it is much easier to control the temperature and get very even heat.

For a recent large family barbecue the Party Grill was a brilliant backup to our big 4-burner gas barbecue. After using the Party Grill in the middle of the table to cook vegetable kebabs, once cooked, we kept it on low to keep food warm and found it really useful. I’m not suggesting for one moment on it’s own that it’s large enough for a big family barbecue, but it was a great backup option and as you can see from the photos you can fit a surprising amount of food on at the same time!

Campingaz Party Grill 400 Camping Barbecue ReviewThe gas burner

We’ve had 4 barbecues so far using the Campingaz Party Grill and I think we should get at least another 1 or 2 out of the small gas bottle, so that’s a cost of less than £1 per barbecue, which compares well to the cost of coals that you’d use on a traditinal charcoal barbecue. The thing I like most about it is that it’s ready to cook on pretty much straight away – none of the faff of waiting for coals to turn white, and whilst you don’t get the same char-grilled flavour from a gas barbecue like this, with seasoning the food is still delicious and what’s more, it’s perfectly cooked every time.

Campingaz Party Grill 400 Camping Barbecue ReviewThe Campingaz Party Grill was made for cooking perfect steak and halloumi!

The verdict

This is a superb little gas barbecue/grill that I know we’ll get loads of use from. Thanks to the flexible ways in which you can use the grill, it provides 5 different cooking options that makes it very versatile. It’s easy to use and to clean after use, and it doesn’t take up too much space making it ideal for camping trips, and as we’ve found, it’s also a great little backup for bigger family barbecues or quick after-work barbecues at home too.

Campingaz Party Grill 400 Camping Barbecue ReviewVegetable kebabs and halloumi on the grill

Pros

  • I love the compact size and that the grill comes with a handy carry case making it ideal for camping
  • The non-stick grill surface is brilliant for griddling things like halloumi and steak on
  • The clever wok lid is a great addition and makes the cooking options even more flexible
  • It’s fast to heat up and ready to cook on almost immeditely
  • A small gas bottle should power the stove for around 2.5 hours so it’s good for about 4-5 barbecues (obviously depending on how much you’re cooking!)
  • You can use the Party Grill like a regular camp stove
  • It’s really fast and easy to clean

Cons

  • There is no gas included when you purchase the grill so you’ll need to make sure you purchased suitable gas (CV470 or CV300) before you can use it

Campingaz Party Grill 400 Camping Barbecue ReviewYummy food cooked on the Party Grill

Thank you to Campingaz who supplied the featured product for us to test. We were not paid for this review.

Shell Robshaw-Bryan
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