Previously on Pontoonopedia I reviewed the best pontoon boat grills. The one that came out on top was the Cuisinart grill (modified for a pontoon boat). Those reviews generated a lot of questions via Facebook, so it made sense for me to go into a little bit more detail on why this is such as great choice.

Before I start, you need to be aware that there are 2 versions of this available to buy. There’s one that doesn’t come with the rail mount, and then the one I love which has been modified and includes rail brackets.

It’s the one with the brackets that I recommend you buy (click here for the correct Pontoon modified version), and you can do so on Amazon. Make sure you select the right model, as the modified version can be hard to find online and will often be sold out.

Let’s just start with the basics and why pontoon boat owners should choose this grill over anything else.

1. You Can Fit the Cuisinart Grill to Pontoon Rails

By far the biggest selling point is the fact that the Cuisinart pontoon grill comes in a version sold by Extreme Marine Products that mounts on to 1.25-inch square boat rails. Extreme Marine Products have taken the existing Cuisinart, and modified it so that it can be set on a Arnall’s grill bracket set.

Why is that important?

For me, grilling on a pontoon is so much easier when done on the rails, over the side of the boat. And that’s for three reasons.

Firstly, it frees up a lot of room on deck, and means you don’t have hot grill anywhere near your kids or passengers that could end up burning someone.

Secondly, by grilling over the side of your pontoon, you don’t get any mess falling onto your carpet or vinyl. With table top grills that can happen, including items like hot embers, grease, and food.

And lastly, it means any naked flames don’t present such as fire risk. In particular I am thinking a gust of wind and potentially flammable items such as Biminis or any canvas changing rooms you might have on your pontoon.

Get the right version which comes with the Arnall’s grill bracket set. It’s an exceptionally strong piece of kit.

2. It’s Dead Simple to Install and Mount

Many pontoon accessories that mount to the rails can be really hard to get fixed on properly. For example, I’ve had plenty of fishing rod holders that move around and don’t stick upright.

That’s not the case with the Cuisinart grill for pontoon boat.

It has easy to attach brackets meaning it’s just as simple to put on as it to remove again. The brackets don’t scratch the rails either.

It sticks hard and fast in place, which for a rail-based grill is essential, as the last thing you want is for it to tip inwards and drop hot food and debris all over your deck flooring.

3. It Won’t Rust or Corrode

I’ve had my Cuisinart pontoon grill for a couple of years now, and despite it getting regular weekend usage during the season, there’s not a speck of rust on it.

Compare that to other grills I’ve seen, and it’s pretty impressive.

That’s not to say yours won’t rust, especially if you pontoon in salt water. But all I can say is that from my personal experience I have zero rust… and there’s nothing worse than going to cook, only to see that you have to clean up your rusty BBQ grills.

4. It’s Compact and Portable

Taking it on and off the rails is simple, and that also adds another couple of benefits too, which is the portability and compact nature of the product.

I mentioned earlier that there are two versions of the Cuisinart pontoon grill. Modified and standard versions both come with legs and a stand.

These little legs are very sturdy, so you can grill on a table, or even on the deck floor should you wish. But more importantly for me, is that we can beach up and take it onto land.

We will try to find a nice quiet beach spot, pull our pontoon boat onto the sand, and create a little picnic area, using our Cuisinart pontoon grill to cook up some tasty BBQ food.

5. Comes with a Long 3 Year Warranty

It’s virtually unheard of for a pontoon rail grill to come with a three-year warranty. In fact, other grills I have reviewed in the past tend to just have one year on them, and at a push two.

What does that tell you?

It tells me that Cuisinart and Arnall’s who develop the bracket are that confident in their product that they are prepared to offer this warranty length.

If you think about the type of punishment and usage a rail-mounted pontoon grill can potentially get exposed to, that’s one heck of a statement and promise.

Handy Hint: Here is a list of pontoon grill food ideas and recipes my family have put together.

You might not appreciate how compact it is, especially if you have a large party to cook for. But for my family of four, it’s just the right size. Once cooled down, and I pack it back under a seat or into storage.

But Surely There Are Some Negatives?

No product is perfect, and of course, there could some improvements made to the Cuisinart grill with the Arnall’s bracket set.

For starters, you might find that the overall grilling area is simply not large enough for what you want. It’s total area size is 145 square inches.

That’s more than enough room to cook up 4 or so burgers in one go, but if it’s a large party, your passengers might need to take it in shifts to receive their food.

grilled fish idea

Click the image to see some awesome boat grilling recipes.

One final negative point would be the ignition. Now I don’t know if this is just totally isolated to my own Cuisinart grill (modified for pontoon boat), but 2 years in my ignition button has started to get a little temperamental – sometimes the spark is too small to ignite my gas.

Whether this is a common issue or not, I don’t know, and perhaps I should activate the three-year warranty that it comes with?

However, having a lighter in my back pocket means it’s no big problem as I can still light the gas just as easily, whether the ignition is working that day or not.

Cuisinart Pontoon Grill Review Specification

And here’s what you get should you decide to buy after reading my review.

  • Best For: It’s simply the best value and best constructed in my view
  • Price Bracket: Great value (view Amazon prices)
  • Comes with Rail Mount: Yes
  • Tools Required: None
  • Mounts To: 1.25-inch square pontoon rails
  • Gas Operated: Yes
  • Weight: 18 pounds
  • Warranty: 3 years
  • Grill Surface Area: 145 square inches

What to Do if Out of Stock?

Due to the popularity of the modified Cuisinart pontoon boat grill, there will be times when it’s out of stock, with no indication that it will be coming back on sale anytime soon.

You have some options here.

Firstly, you could just choose my secondary choice that you can see in pontoon grill reviews section. The Kuuma Stow and Go 160 is still very good, but you will need to buy brackets separately.

Secondly you could wait it out until it’s back in stock and on sale, but if the weather forecast is looking good for the weekend, who wants to wait?

And lastly, you have the option of buying the standard Cuisinart grill without a rail mount, and then purchase an Arnall’s bracket set separately.

By doing so, you can replicate the set-up of the pontoon modified Cuisinart grill, rather than waiting for new stock to come in.

However, there will be some work involved, as you will need to do the modification job yourself which will involve buying some bolts and wing nuts. It’s not something I would honestly recommend though, as it’s easy to get it wrong and end up damaging the grill.

Conclusion

I always the person in charge of cooking BBQ on our own pontoon, and this has never let me down. In two years I reckon I’ve cooked on this probably around 30 time or so.

I’ve been on plenty of other boats as well, and see rival grills in action. For me, nothing comes close to how good this product is.

Of course, this is all just personal opinion, but after 2 years, I still think the same. Make sure to read other reviews, including the ones on Amazon before you buy. That way you can be sure that it’s also going to be the right choice for you.

If you do decide to buy it, and like the prices that you see, you will be grilling inside of just a few minutes. It really is that simple to attach and mount to your square rails and it honestly won’t budge and inch once attached.