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376 of 381 people found the following review helpful.
best indoor grill so far
By S. Schachter
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 a heap of unfavorable reviews).
None of the grills/panini presses that I tried got hot sufficient 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 more than willing to wait.
I never was troubled 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 purchased a lot of stovetop grill pans and have employed them for the past year or so. They do get as hot as you want but you do have to turn the feed to cook both sides.
Being a kitchen appliance junkie, I decisive to try the Cuisinart Griddler this year.
I love the size (great for just 2 people, though) as I do not expect using it in the full open position. And it is handsome as handsome may be to me. Very mercantile looking on a very little 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 prompt 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 feed (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 little learning curve to learn when your feed is cooked. Expect to overcook a great deal of things at basi as the griddler actually cooks quickly.
There’s a short electrical cord, with regards to 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 regarding 5 minutes to preheat and then, wow, it actually grills. Salmon took just 3 minutes. I overcooked my halved zuchinni in just a few minutes.
You may listen the instant sizzle sound but don’t go to far away as it cooks more quikly than you might be applied 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 perfectly no splatter.
It may cool down speedily if left open, a disfavor while cooking but an vantage for cleaning.
Again, the most crucial element for me was how hot the grill got (and quickly as well) This, of course, leads to perfective grilling on both sides.
I just love my griddler.
Shelly
127 of 127 humans found the following review helpful.
Grease spatters? A little mutual sense solves the problem.
By S. Harrison
We have had good luck with Cuisinart productions over the years, so we decisive to undertake this one, for the most part based on the huge number of favorable reviews here at Amazon. Clean-up is a dream. This product has an magnificent non-stick surface, and even burned-on feed comes right off with minimal effort. After reading the critique in regards to the grease spattering all over, I tried a little experiment. I cooked salmon filets, marinated with lemon juice, dillweed and olive oil. No problem. I cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, also marinated with olive oil. No problem. So then I brought in the Big Guns – skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, marinated and cooked the same way as the breasts. It did make a mess. I cooked all of the above on High, however. The problem came from the fat in the skin, and the thickness of the meat – the lid sits further open, so more splatters may escape. How to solve the problem? Put a couple of paper towels on the counter, and cook the meat at Medium. Just with any kitchen tool, there is an effective way to use it, and a mute way to use it. A little mutual sense goes a long way. I am exceedingly happy with this grill.
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Update: September 2008. I am still constantly using this grill – it’s a winner.
Update: February 2010: I had to stop using the panini plates because the non-stick coating was bubbling up and peeling off. Very disappointing, but we all know that this type of coating has a fixed life-span. Given how much it’s been used, I can’t get too trouble in regards to it. Time to get a new one.
155 of 158 persons found the following review helpful.
Great idea, poor implementation
By M. Katzovitz
We have had this product for over 1 year. This product has a few of outstanding features:
1. The interchangeable nonstick plates that are dishwasher safe.
2. The unit opens up to a huge griddle.
3. The cooking plates are dishwasher safe.
However, the nonstick surface has started peeling off of the plates even altho the plates have never been abused, and we have never used metal utensils on them.
Our biggest complaint is the thermostat. The unit will reach the desired temperature, and then turn off. The cooking plates will in truth cool off so much that the feed will stop cooking. The thermostat will then kick back on and take with regards to 3-5 minutes to get back up to temperature. It is very annoying, and doesn’t always develop good results with food.
There also is a big temperature divergence amidst the two plates when the unit is opened as a huge griddle. This causes items being cooked to finish at dissimilar times.
This could have been a outstanding product, but Cuisinart seems to have gone “cheap” in areas that are integral to the function of the griddle. I would not buy this item again.
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