 best indoor grill so far |
| Review Date: November 21, 2005 |
| Reviewer: S. Schachter, Carmel Valley, CA |
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 |
Grease spatters? A little common sense solves the problem.
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| Review Date: December 3, 2005 |
| Reviewer: S. Harrison, Clements, CA United States |
We have had good luck with Cuisinart products over the years, so we decided to try this one, mostly based on the large number of favorable reviews here at Amazon. Clean-up is a dream. This product has an excellent non-stick surface, and even burned-on food comes right off with minimal effort. After reading the critique about the grease spattering all over, I tried a small 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 farther open, so more splatters can 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 dumb way to use it. A little common sense goes a long way. I am extremely 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 limited life-span. Given how much it's been used, I can't get too upset about it. Time to get a new one. |
The best yet.
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| Review Date: November 28, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Peter Kline, Coral Springs, FL United States |
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. |
This really works!!
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| Review Date: December 5, 2005 |
| Reviewer: S. Sigley, Pacific NW |
After reading all the reviews, I bought this over any other brand and I've not been disappointed! It cooks FAST! Nearly overcooked my first batch of boneless skinless chicken breasts the very first time I used it.
After using only two times, I have some tips for the people who had a huge spatter mess, plus other tips:
1. Buy leaner hamburger--I used 16% fat (not my favorite one to use) & the mess was very minimal. If you use regular grind hamburger you're going to get a lot more grease mess.
2. Turn the heat down a little so it doesn't pop & sizzle so much.
3. Make sure your work surface is level!! Most countertops and/or stovetops are not as level as the day they were first installed (maybe they never were). If need be, put something under the leg(s) to make it level. Grease running out the back is not the fault of the appliance, it's a level surface issue.
4. If doing more than one cooking round, as I did, you need to scrape the "drippings" off & since you can't do that with the supplied plastic scraper tool (I tried once & got some melted plastic on grill, but came right off with washing), buy a "SwitchIt" by Chef'n. It's silicone & won't melt on your grill. Use the narrow end. This takes a few minutes to do, but it won't smoke so bad on multiple cooking rounds. I have yet to come up with anything better to clean off the hot grill slots.
5. Clean plates up in hot, soapy water with a Scotch Brite No Scratch Scrub Pad (the wavy blue one). It was what was recommended for my glass cooktop, so I know it doesn't scratch.
6. Make sure meats/veggies, etc. are all same thickness. If they're not, the upper grill plate will contact the thickest one, but not the thinest. Depending on meat, you can use a meat mallet & make cuts of meat more uniform. If cooking more than one round, you can "pair up" like thicknesses.
In short, with a few simple precautions listed above, I am most impressed with this appliance. How long the non-stick surface will last is anybody's guess--only time will tell. I wish they had joined up with Swiss Diamond & put their fused, diamond non-stick on (check it out people--best nonstick on the market! Safe for dishwasher & metal utensils & lifetime warranty & they mean every word).
Only one thing I would change about the design of this appliance: a higher lip at the back. I have found that when trying to remove food off the grill it will slide to the rear & fall off when trying to use a silicone turner. My solution: buy a pair of silicone coated tongs to remove food instead of a nylon or silicone turner. It should work better.
All the products mentioned above can be found right here on this website.
Happy (& healthier) grilling all!
1/10/2008 Update: Still going great and I do use it regularly, especially in late fall, winter & early spring. I have read some other reviews where the non-stick bubbled or peeled off, but this hasn't happened to mine...not even a scratch mark on the plates. And I have used it many, many times on the highest grill setting: sear.
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grill, panini press, giddle all in one
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| Review Date: November 14, 2004 |
| Reviewer: M. mcgee, atlantic beach, florida United States |
i am lovin this item. in another review, there is a complaint that it only has one surounding heat coil on both sides. that doesn't matter. this thing heats evenly. this morning i cooked bacon, eggs, and pancakes almost all at the same time. and everything was nicely cooked and delicious. then i took the cooking platforms right off and thoroughly cleaned it in soapy water. something i can't do with my george forman(which is still a nice product, just wish i could submerge it instead of just wiping it off). this item came to me by way of ups with out any additional outer packaging. never the less, it was not damaged during shipping.
this item does and is everything it says to be on informecial.
no smokey flavor, but i hear i only need liquid smoke to give it that bbq flavor.
it's also pretty nifty looking.
with this amazon deal, i got free shipping, no tax charge, and an extra $25 off. i got it for only a total of $105.
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