Purchased at the very end of 2015 and after 6 and a half years the heating element finally died. Such a failure is inevitable and replacement element has been ordered from Char-Broil. The electric grill has served us well - Johnsonville Bratwursts and low fat hamburgers mostly. One MUST take the grease trap inside after use or beasties will make a mess. A good aspect of the "Patio Bistro" is its stable platform. It is not going to fall over if tunked. Another advantage is the complete absence of a flame and yet it takes only a short period to have the grill up to temperature. Have yet to find a use for the shelf. For effectiveness and safety, this is the grill to purchase unless one needs something much larger.wELL DESIGNED, WELL HEAT CONTROL, NO FLAMESI received my beautiful new grill so fast, it surprised me - less than a week from order submission to doorstep!The box and the contents were in perfect condition when it arrived. Assembly took some time, but no longer than one would expect. The instructions for assembly were extremely easy to understand. The parts were marked exactly with the instruction's descriptions so finding what I needed to put it all together was a breeze. I only needed a screwdriver and a couple of sockets. Although it would have been easier to have a couple more hands to help, doing it alone wasn't really a problem.Once assembled, it is sturdy, attractive and easily maneuvered.I do wish the cord was longer so I could have more options on its location on my deck, but that's not too big of a deal. I can at least set it far enough away from the vinyl siding to avoid any heat damage or fire hazard.I have not used it to cook yet and will leave an update of this review once I do... it's just too cold out for me to use yet.UPDATE December 2016: I can't believe I forgot to update this review, after using the grill. As you can tell, it's been a while and I have used the grill quite a few times. While, I'm not a huge grill-master and the grill is pretty much suited to my particular needs but, it has one issue to address: Temperature control.It is going to take you a few uses to determine what adjustment of the dial (numbered 1 through 5 with 1 being the lowest setting) most closely reflects the temperature on the lid's thermostat. Until you get this nailed down, you will have to more closely monitor your grill for temperature adjustments while you are cooking (such as for ribs or meat items that take longer than just several minutes to cook). On a windy day, this is a more difficult task because of the space on the back side where the lid attaches to the grill "bowl" and the air blowing into the grill keeps it from getting as hot as it normally would without the wind. Because of this, I don't use my grill on days when the wind is more than a gentle breeze. If I had a way to block the wind on my 2nd floor deck, then this wouldn't be a problem.Cleaning the cooking grate is pretty much as you would expect - it's not any easier than cleaning any other grill grate but, because of its design it does clean up nicer than a charcoal grill grate. The drip pan under the grill bowl should be emptied after every use once the grill cools down and it slips in and out easily from its slot to perform this task.To keep the outside of the grill in nice condition, wipe it down after every use and cover or store it out of the weather between uses. After all, this is just like any other appliance - if you want it to stay nice, you have to take care of it properly.That's it - that's all I can say about this grill... it still works beautifully and I still love it.The grilling world is a debate between charcoal and gas. I've got news for both sides, and this is gonna kinda suck: electric tastes better.Why? THINK ABOUT IT. Is charcoal ash a common condiment, beside salt and pepper? Nope. Does butane really get you excited to eat a burger? Not me.Electric REMOVES these peculiar flavors and allows the flavor of the item and marinade to stand alone. This is ideal.Another ideal is being able to plug in a grill to get it started. No bags of charcoal, no checking to see if you have enough gas in the tank. If you're not in a brown out, you're ready to go. Turning off the grill is as easy. Virtually no cleanup. (I'll get to that in a bit.)So let's start from the beginning. As some have noted, the grill requires assembly. These people are whiners. I'm by no means 'good' with assembling things. My toolbox is literally a cardboard box with tools in it. Okay? I panic at the very idea of IKEA. But if you've had success assembling IKEA stuff, you'll be able to pull this off. With time and patience. If not, I'm sure you know someone you can pay $20 to assemble this. It's not THAT bad.I've owned smaller table top electric grills in the past. What's wrong with them is that they offer non-stick surfaces, as if that's wise or a convenience. In every case the grill gunks up for good within a year and is unusable. The Bistro, on the other hand, has a grill you can scrape with a $4 brush just like a real grill. I was afraid of cleanup. Now I love it. I takes about 20 seconds of work. BIG DEAL.The surface area is best for a couple or small gathering. If you have 20 people to feed, simply too small. I had three couples over recently, with a pile of veggies and 7 skewers of meat. It took three waves. So be patient.The heating is the most oddball part of this. It runs its hottest at first. As you continue grilling, it seems to take longer to re-heat up to HOT after you've opened the top. The book advises you keep the top as closed as often as possible, and I agree. It's the dome that raises the heat, not the heating element. Make sense?But -- so far -- we LOVE this grill. My only concern is that the electric element is exposed below the grill. So like a piece of something can fall on it and immediately vaporize. But is that a good thing? I see the same element in my dishwasher, and so I guess they can take abuse. But should they?FOUR STARS now, FIVE if the element is working THE SAME a year from now.Happy grilling.UPDATE: 14 months later. Still works like a charm. Upgraded to 5 Stars!Too old to carry gas tank and safer close to our condo. Cook fast and cool down just as fast. Takes less spaceIt's perfect for cooking maybe for 4 to 5 people. It does a great job and the food taste just as great!Très satisfait..It's so cute! Nobody would guess that thisis an electric BBQ. The food tastes just likea BBQ with propane. It's amazing for smalloutdoor places such as a condo balcony.Very easy to put together.Very easy to use. I'm happy with the way it cooks food.Hamburgers and steak are delicious and ready faster than a traditional grill.