Product Description

The Cuisinart Griddler makes "multifunctional" an understatement! Make perfect panini... plus! With four separate cooking options, it can handle everything from pancakes to sausages to grilled cheese to steaks, hamburgers and panini. It helps you prepare more servings of more kinds of food in less time, so you can cook for a crowd -- no one has to wait! Simply change the cooking plates and adjust the floating hinge to use the Griddler as a Contact Grill, a Panini Press, or your choice of an extra-large double Open Grill or Griddle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #510 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Color: United States
• Brand: Cuisinart
• Model: GR-4
• Dimensions: 6.50" h x 11.25" w x 13.00" l, 8.00 pounds

Features

• Contact grill, panini press, flat grill and griddle with removable, nonstick grill and griddle plates
• Cooking plates drain grease for healthy cooking and hinged, floating cover adjusts to thickness of food
• Selector knob with "power on" indicator light with two adjustable temperature controls with indicator lights
• Brushed stainless steel and cool-touch housing
• Includes two drip cups, cleaning/scraping tool and a Instruction/Recipe book

Amazon.com Review
A floating hinge and two sets of cooking plates turn this multifunctional unit into a contact grill, panini press, large open grill, or griddle. Made of brushed stainless steel, this four-in-one, space-saving appliance offers cooking options that range from pancakes, sausages, and grilled cheese to fish, hamburgers, and panini. Its floating hinge adjusts to the thickness of food, while adjustable temperature controls ensure food is cooked properly. The unit features a sturdy panini-style handle and convenient indicator lights, as well as nonstick grill and griddle plates that are removable, dishwasher-safe, and designed to drain grease away from food for healthier cooking. Two dishwasher-safe drip cups to collect grease are included, plus a dishwasher-safe scraping tool for easy cleanup. The unit measures 13 by 11-1/4 by 6-1/2 inches and carries a limited three-year warranty. --Catie Unger

Customer Reviews

best indoor grill so far
I have tried the Villaware Uni panini grill, the Delonghi open countertop grill and another panini type grill (approx $90), and returned them all (ouch, those return shipping charges hurt). I never considered the Geroge Foreman grills because they always felt cheaply made to me, not to mention many unfavorable reviews).

None of the grills/panini presses that I tried got hot enough to work well for me. They just did not grill as much as steam,bake cook the food, and they all took a longer time to do so than I was willing to wait.

I never was bothered by cleanup, though. I always just wipe the hot plates with wet paper towel, let it then cool a bit, and wash with wet sponge. Works on them all.

So I just gave up and bought some stovetop grill pans and have used them for the past year or so. They do get as hot as you want but you do have to turn the food to cook both sides.

Being a kitchen appliance junkie, I decided to try the Cuisinart Griddler this year.

I love the size (great for just 2 people, though) as I do not anticipate using it in the full open position. And it is handsome as handsome can be to me. Very commercial looking on a very small scale. (I was chef/owner of a restaurant for 13 years.)

And cleanup is easy. Although I still use the wet paper towel and sponge for immediate cleanup, the removable plates (very easy to take off and put back on) make washing in sink or dishwasher other options, Although the plates are nonstick, it is best to use vegetable spray or oil on the food (I prefer this rather than spraying the whole plate.)

There are 3 controls--griddle temperature selector, on/off to select either griddle or panini/grill, and panini/grill temperature selector. There is no timer so there is a small learning curve to learn when your food is cooked. Expect to overcook many things at first as the griddler really cooks quickly.

There's a short electrical cord, about 34" usable length. Solid construction. Hinged top does settle squarely on the food. Because there the griddler is flat with no slope like the Foreman and other grills, vegetables will not roll off or toward the front.

It takes about 5 minutes to preheat and then, wow, it really grills. Salmon took just 3 minutes. I overcooked my halved zuchinni in just a few minutes.

You can hear the instant sizzle sound but don't go to far away as it cooks more quikly than you might be used to.

We don't eat fatty meats (like burgers) so I cannot comment on the grease/drip factor but with fish, seafood, chicken and vegetables, there is absolutely no splatter.

It can cool down quickly if left open, a disadvantage while cooking but an advantage for cleaning.

Again, the most important factor for me was how hot the grill got (and quickly as well) This, of course, leads to perfect grilling on both sides.

I just love my griddler.

Shelly

Great at first, does not last...
I bought the Griddler in February of 2005 and have taken care to ensure it lasts. The Griddler is heavy and sturdily constructed. It heats up quickly, and cleans up even faster. We have used it for panini, grilling meat, and toasting burger buns. The unit can be used either as a panini/grill press with the floating top or opened up to use as a griddle.

The base of the unit heats up and maintains temperature better than the top. This creates uneven toasting of the Panini or other items. It's not so much of a problem using as a griddle, since one side will simply cook faster than the other.

After a year the nonstick surface has started pealing off of the grill plates. I have never used metal on the nonstick surface and have taken great care to preserve the finish. Perhaps it is in the design or a fate of nonstick coated products in general, but the now I will have to take care not to get pieces of the nonstick surface in my food.

The Griddler comes with interchangeable dishwasher safe griddle and grill plates with a lock and release system that is intuitive to use. The plates easily release with the press of a button for cleaning. To place the plates back on the Griddler, one simply rests the plates in the groves located towards the rear or bottom and snaps the front or top into place. The plates don't consistently stay attached in the top section like they once did. It's very annoying trying to reposition a hot plate back into place.

On the surface, the Griddler has the looks and design to be a great product. Cuisinart has some bugs to work out to attain even heating and plates that last. If I were to buy a new panini press, I would not look to Cuisinart again. As a matter of fact, I now enjoy using a Breville 800GRXL Indoor Barbeque and Grill instead.

PROS:
Heavy and sturdily construction
Heats up and cleans quickly

CONS:
Non-stick surface does not last
Uneven heating

The best yet.
After two Foreman grills over the past 6 years (the non-stick surface eventually wore down) I purchased "The Griddler". Only time will tell if this unit stands up to repeated washing and "scraping" with plastic utensils. It is all it claims on the tv infomercial. Because it has a thermostat and variable temps, it cooks much quicker then my previous Foreman grill. (Yes, some Foreman's have a thermostat). Set up is easy. Since the plates are made of aluminum, they heat evenly and over the entire surface. The person who complained about uneven heating either has a defective unit or simply did not wait long enough or put the temp at the suggested level. Sometimes it's in the DNA - not reading or following directions!
It is a good-looking appliance in the retro design. Amazon.com has the best price with the $25 immediate rebate. Highly recommended.