Fuego Element F21C Model Gas Grill Review

 

I wanted to review the Fuego Element 2016 F21C Model Gas Grill because they’d made some interesting claims during the lead up to its release. They’d insisted it would be different than other Grills and that it would come with a range of high-end features for under $300, so I was determined to find out what the finished article was like. I’m also interested in the evolution of Grills and the solutions manufacturers come up with to meet the needs of modern consumers, so this brand new 2016 model was a must-review.
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Pros:

  • Easy Assembly
  • Easy to Clean
  • Lots of Space
  • Cast-Iron Grates
  • Quality Construction
  • Durable
  • Excellent Value

Cons:

  • Bizarre look
  • Zonal Cooking may take some getting used too

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Fuego Element F21C Model Gas Grill Review:

Size/Design:

Fuego has listed as one of the main selling points the fact that this is a compact Grill. At measurements of 21 inches of width by 21 inches of length by 44 inches of height they were certainly;y right about that, indeed this will fit into some very tight spaces so I can’t argue with the portability. The look of the design will, however, produce more mixed responses because well, it looks like a trash can. It is one of the most bizarre designs I’ve ever seen in a Grill, so much so that you wouldn’t recognize it immediately as Grill. It’s excellently built by Robert Brunner who used to be Chief Designer at Apple and is made out of good grade solid steel. In the performance section, you’re going to read about a list of amazing features that represent great value, so I think the major hurdle many people will have is the way it looks. If you want a Grill that looks like a Grill then this is clearly not for you, but if you don’t care about all that stuff then read on.

Performance

Once you put in a few screws that’s the assembly done and the innovation you see immediately is quite wonderful. It’ll heat up to 500 Degrees in under 5 minutes which has got to be among the fastest times on the market. This is where you see Robert Brunner’s terrific internal design work and it gets better because the Fuego actually goes up to 650 Degree’s of heat so it’s of commercial standard. I did mention that apart from the look, you’d love it and at 346 square inches of cooking space it’s rather large for under $300. You can fit up to 12 Burgers on at once meaning you can cook for the whole family and some friends if you needed too.

The Grates too are excellent and they’re made out of Cast-Iron of perfect thickness to disperse heat evenly around the cooking surface quickly. The Grates save the Grill from complete disaster because without Cast-Iron Grates one Burner distributing 21,000 BTU’s an hour across a 346 square inches of cooking surface, wouldn’t have nearly been enough. But, Cast-Iron Grates where included so what you get is a wonderfully well thought out combination of cooking features from the Grates, to the output to the size, each contributing to overall excellence.

Buyers should be aware that where food is put on this Grill matters greatly. The inner zone is designed for fast cooking and produces the highest heat, while the outer zone can be used for warming and preparing foods which need a slower cook time. It’s worth knowing because while it works well and the food is always evenly cooked, this is a Grill where buyers must pay attention to where they place items.

It’s even fuel efficient because you can do 50 Grilling Sessions on one tank of fuel and if you thought they’d considered everything they added a heat shield inside the unit, so that when you have it on the lowest heat of 250 Degree’s it’ll slow cook for you. The Thermometer is accurate, though not digital and the cleaning is easy with the removable drip catcher.

The Verdict

If this is what the future of Grills is then I’m a happy man because there really are no faults with the design or the taste, and it has a list of features that are simply outstanding. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a world where people buy Grills based on features alone, and this has quite an ugly look. I’m guilty myself of choosing looks over features; I’m one of the many men who fell head over heels in love with the large lidded Cuisinarts and the Weber Kettle Grills, but there come a time when we must all chose a personality and the Fuego has tons of it. One of the weirdest looking and best Grills on the market.