Factory Reconditioned Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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

Click Here to see more reviews about: Factory Reconditioned Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler

Product Description:
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 90-day warranty. --Catie Unger

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Cuisinart Griddler - Contact grill, panini press, open grill and griddle Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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 griddler comes with interchangeable dishwasher safe griddle and grill plates. The unit can be used as a Panini press or 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, but the now I will have to take care not to get pieces of the nonstick surface in my food. The plates don't stay attached in the top anymore either. It's very annoying trying to reposition a hot plate 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.

PROS:
Heavy and sturdily construction
Heats up and cleans quickly

CONS:
Non-stick surface does not last
Uneven heating

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cuisinart Griddler - Contact grill, panini press, open grill and griddle

Product Description:
Cuisinart multifunctional Griddler Gourmet makerThe CuisinartTM GriddlerTM 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 FeaturesContact grill, panini press, flat grill and griddleRemovable, nonstick grill and griddle platesCooking plates drain grease for healthy cookingHinged, floating cover adjusts to thickness of foodSelector knob with "power on" indicator lightTwo adjustable temperature controls with indicator lightsBrushed stainless steel and cool-touch housingTwo drip cupsCleaning/scraping toolInstruction/Recipe bookLimited 3-year warrantyLimited 3-year warranty, backed by the Cuisinart reputation for quality

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Krups FDE312-75 Universal Grill and Panini Maker Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Well, this product makes great panini!You can use it to make just about any sandwich very special.If you use really fresh ingredients, the results are as good as at any market in Italy (that is where I got hooked on these).It not only makes Panini, but can be used to grill chicken, hamburgers, sausage, etc, and then throw in the buns before assembling for a gourmet treat.

I got mine as a Christmas gift and used it at least weekly for about 6 months till I moved, and had to pack it for a while.When I got it out of storage (January the next year) it worked for only 4 times, then just stopped.It wouldn't heat; lights wouldn't come on, nothing worked!

I called the local Krups repair site, and they told me if it was over 1 year old, throw it away and buy another.I was royally upset!Appliances that cost over $100 should not fail in 6 months of use!In the old days, a repair shop could fix anything, and they would never tell you to throw it away.

Well, I went to Amazon and read the many similar stories of short life, and sudden failure and realized I was out of luck.After the one year warranty expires, the repair places (who normally would just get a new warranty replacement from Krups and have it sent to you) won't touch it.

Having nothing to lose, I removed the single Phillips screw in the center of the underside of the unit and opened up the unit.The griddle surface separates from the stainless base once this screw is removed.In here I saw a device which looks like a resistor held in place by two small clamps inside a clear plastic tube.I plugged the unit in and tested the voltage across the terminals of this device, and it read 125V.I knew immediately that this was the problem, as it was preventing the entire unit from getting voltage.I disassembled the clamps and slid the tube off, then cut the part off of the two wires.

Looking on the web, I found out the part is a simple and very common "heat fuse", intended to break the circuit if the thermostat (located in the top half) failed and the unit started to melt down or overheat.

This device does not reset once the unit cools, but sacrifices itself.When it exceeds 240 degrees centigrade, it disconnects power to the unit permanently and must be replaced.This is the reason so many people have had failures.

Either the unit runs hotter than the designers anticipated (most likely), the current is too high (doubtful as the unit draws 1500 Watts, 750W per side and the device is rated for 15 Amps at 120 Volts.1500W only draws 12.5 Amps, so that is well below the 15 Amp capacity of the component), or it was a faulty component.Considering that these components are used in a huge number of heating appliances, it is most likely that the designed temperature for this component is too high. Here is an excerpt from the manufacturers web site:

"The temperatures experienced during normal operation, including expected temperature overshoots, will determine the life expectancy of the TCO. Nuisance trips can result if the thermal cutoff rating is too close to the temperatures experienced during normal operation (this is probably what happens!). Continuous temperatures above 200

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought a G4 Griddler from Amazon in 2005, and used it a couple of times a week (at least) until it had to be put out to pasture in 2010 due to failure of the non-stick coating on the plates.(The coating started to bubble and peel, and no one wants that in their food...)I loved it. (See my review of the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press) It was still working great, but replacement plates were not available.

I was elated when offered the opportunity to review its smarter younger brother, the GR-4NAM Griddler.I could hardly wait for it to get here and run it through its paces.

At first glance, the GR-4NAM looks virtually identical to the G4.However, closer inspection reveals that it has been totally redesigned, and for the better.

Improvement:The grease catcher used to be a little cup that had to be set under a spout on the side of the bottom plate.If it was positioned incorrectly, (or forgotten about), greased dripped out on the counter.The grease catcher is now integrated into the Griddler as a drawer-like device that can be pulled out to clean, and then put back in place for the next use.

Improvement:The original G4 had two sets of plates - one flat set, one ridged set (for paninis).There is now one reversible set of plates (ridged on one side, flat on the other), and therefore no need to find a storage place for the plates not in use.The new plates have a good substantial weight.I don't have the old ones here for comparison, but the quality of the plates certainly was not cheapened.

Improvement:It used to be a little tricky to put the plates in place and to remove them.There was also a difference between the top plate and the bottom, so you had to be careful not to try to put them in the wrong way.The plates now have an identical shape, so they are interchangeable, and the release buttons activate a spring-loaded mechanism that pops the plate loose for easy removal.Now, to see how it cooks:The Griddler takes about as long to warm up as a good-quality waffle iron.Just when you start to get impatient with it, it's ready.

The first thing that I cooked was a no-no in the eyes of Cuisinart - a bone-in, skin-on leg and thigh chicken quarter.Too thick, they say.HA! says I, because I am a bit of an anarchist.I marinated the chicken in olive oil and rosemary, heated the Griddler to Medium. I cooked it on the panini plates because I love those little fake barbeque stripes across my food.It worked just fine.(I should have taken a picture, it came out looking beautiful.But I was hungry.)

Word of warning:Do not cook thick or fatty meat on High - you will get grease spatters all over the place. Medium works just fine in such instances.

I discovered from my old Griddler that when cooking meat it's best to turn off the heat before it's done, and let it finish cooking with the residual heat in the plates. That way the meat does not get overdone.

For clean-up, I let the plates cool down, and then put a wet paper towel across the bottom plate and close the lid and let it sit for a while.The dampness softens anything that is stuck to the plates, and then it can be easily washed off with a sudsy sponge or dish wand.

Today for lunch, I made myself a sandwich with sliced sourdough bread, cooked sliced chicken breast, fresh grated parmesan cheese and dried basil.I followed the panini directions in the small cookbook that comes with the Griddler.Well, I sort of followed the directions...Cuisinart recommends brushing the outside of the sandwich with olive oil.I prefer to use melted butter on panini because it makes the sandwich crisper.

I preheated the Griddler on High, placed the sandwich inside, and applied light pressure for about 30 seconds, and then let it cook.The directions say to cook panini for about 4 -5 minutes, but my sandwich was ready to eat in 2 minutes.Maybe the butter makes the bread brown faster than olive oil.

In any case, it was beautiful - evenly browned, crunchy and delicious, and I did take a picture (see product images).

How durable will the GR-4NAM be?Good question.From everything that I can see so far, Cuisinart has only made the Griddler better.But time is the real test of quality. I will report back from time to time regarding durability.

Right now, I'd say this looks like an excellent buy.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler

Product Description:
Compact in size but big in features, Cuisinart's countertop Griddler offers five-in-one functionality as a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, and half grill/half griddle. The stylish brushed stainless-steel housing looks sleek and modern in the kitchen and features a wide panini-style handle and a hinged floating cover that adjusts to various food thicknesses. On the base, two temperature controls and a function selector are clearly marked and have indicator lights for quick reference and accurate, no-guesswork operation. Open the cover and customize the cooking surface with removable and reversible nonstick grill and griddle plates that snap in and out easily and drain grease to an integrated drip tray for healthier cooking. The Griddler also comes with gourmet recipes and a cleaning scraper tool. The cooking plates, drip tray, and scraper all go safely into the dishwasher. Limited three-year warranty.
From the Manufacturer


Parts & Features

1. Base and Cover: Solid construction with stainless steel self-adjusting cover
2. Panini-Style Handle: Sturdy cast-metal handle adjusts cover to accommodate thickness of food
3. Removable and Reversible Cooking Plates: Nonstick and dishwasher safe for easy cleanup
4. Grill Side: Perfect for grilling steak, burgers, chicken, and vegetables
5. Griddle Side: Prepare flawless pancakes, eggs, bacon, and seared scallops
6. Controls: Indicator lights signal Power On and Ready to Cook
7. Selector: Choose the Grill/Panini or Griddle function
8. Grill/Panini: Adjust temperature from "warm" to "sear"
9. Griddle: Adjust temperature form 200