Great Grill for the Urban Gourmet.

Reason I bought this product.
I live in a multi-unit condominium building with a small wooden back porch in the city of Chicago. Fire codes prevented me from purchasing a charcoal or gas grill. So when I discovered that this product existed, it piqued my interest. The small size was perfect ( I think it barely has a 2x2 footprint. ) It's plug and cook functionality is perfect for my busy life, no charcoal to mess with and no 20lb gas tanks to haul up to the third floor of my unit. The Char-broil Electric Patio Caddie possessed all the necessary elements I needed to enjoy grilled food on my terms with little fuss.
Ease of Assembly, Durable, and Handsome
I purchased my grill from the Home Depot just at the start of Spring of 2007. With the help of my bud, we got the thing assembled quickly in less than an hour. It took nothing more than a screwdriver and some elbow grease and a glance or two at the instructions. The quality of the materials was surprisingly good. Once assembled it had a solid feel and would not tip over even with the fiercest of winds Chicago can muster. And of course aesthetically, the model is a handsome cobalt blue. I purchased the optional cover just to keep city schumtz from coating the surface.
No Ceramic Briquettes Needed
I noticed that earlier models of the Char-broil Electric Patio Caddie came with a small briquette grate and a bag of flavored briquettes. Thinking that something was amiss in my purchase, I contacted both the Home Depot and the Char-Broil company and was informed that indeed, the newer models no longer utilize the briquettes. Char-Broil's official response was...

Dear XXXXXXXXX,
Thank you for visiting www.charbroil.com and for taking the time out to send us an email. I am very sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you. No the grill that you have does not use the ceramic briquettes. None of our new model grills use them because they have been known to cause grease fires. The heat plate in the fire bowl has taken place of the briquettes. If you have any further questions please feel free to call us at 1-800-XXX-XXXX or you can email us from our web site.
Not having briquettes to absorb the heat and provide an extra surface to help vaporize the fat and juices that fall from the food above seemed wrong, so I purchased pyramid-shaped ceramic briquettes and a small grate. I have not noticed any deficiencies stemming from my design alteration. I figure, if I keep the lower bowl clean enough, grease fires will not be an issue. Besides, nothing sounds better to me than hearing that HISS and POP sound and seeing and smelling those tasty vapors as my food cooks down. I tested the max temperatures and found no difference running the grill with and without a handful of briquettes.
My Experience with Grilling
Well, I would be lying if I said I was an experienced grill master. But with much research and trial and error, I have found that this grill can cook up some fantastic meals. Like many who purchased this item, other users noticed that the maximum temperature never reaches anywhere near the 600-700 degrees needed to sear a steak. I use a high-gauge short extension chord and have at best reached 500 degrees after covering and pre-heating the device for about 20 minutes. Typically, the grill thermometer temperatures run around 350-450 degrees, depending on food load and how long the cover has been off. Still, despite not achieving the hottest of temperatures, I have been able to cook all manner of foods: shrimp, fish, steak, lamb chops, chicken parts, burgers, etc. Also, because of its small size and cover requirement, I am unable to utilize any of those handy grilling cages---you know the ones that allow you to place food in their baskets for ease of cooking. No real loss there though. I found that the slightest gap of the cover tended to lower the temperature too much.
Because this is an electric grill, I was concerned that my meals would lack a certain char-element. Indeed the first few meals were possessed more of a broiled experience than a grilled one. However, each subsequent meal, my discovery of savory rubs, brines, marinades, and sauces seasoned the inside of the grill. It's once silver lining darkened. Foods cooked in the grill are unmistakably grilled. Also, I started to incorporate wood chips, well flavored wood pellets really. Any search engine will yield a variety of options and when the packets are placed nearest the heating element, indeed a thick slow smoke will form imparting whatever wood burned into your meal---Delicious!