Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler
by Cuisinart
List Price:
Our Price: Calculated in a shopping cart
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Kitchen
See more product details
Product Summary
Manufacturer: CuisinartBrand: Cuisinart
Model: GR-4N
Color: Stainless Steel
Product features:
- 5-in-1countertop unit works as a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, and half grill/half griddle
- Brushed stainless-steel housing; sturdy panini-style handle; floating cover to adjust to thickness of food
- Removable and reversible nonstick cooking plates drain grease for healthy cooking; integrated drip tray
- Adjustable temperature controls with indicator lights; gourmet recipes and scraping tool included
- Plates, drip tray, and scraper are dishwasher-safe; 3-year limited warranty
- Grill Dozer Steam Cleaning Grill Cleaning Tool
- Warrantech Repair Master Two (2) Year Extention Warranty for Appliances
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler
Customer Review: Not up to Cuisinart quality; Customer Service non-existent
Summary: 3 Stars
I own several Cuisinart products and have been pleased with them. However, the Griddler is definitely a product that probably should not bear the Cuisinart name.
Cons:
1) The 2nd or 3rd time I used the Griddler I set the Grill/Panini knob to High and turned the selector switch to Grill/Panini to pre-heat the unit. After several minutes I checked the unit and the ready light on the Griddle knob (not the Grill knob) was lit. Since I had not used the unit as a griddle yet, the Griddle knob was turned to lowest setting (200 degrees) so this is what the Griddler pre-heated to. So even though I had the selector switched to Grill/Panini, the heat had to be controlled by the Griddle knob. Although this knob/selector issue only happened that one time it indicates a problem which could be of concern (what if the opposite occurred; thinking I was pre-heating to 200 degrees but instead it heated to "SEAR").
2) I contacted Customer Service regarding the above and NEVER got a response back from them.
3) Today I used the unit as a griddle for the first time and set the knob to 350 degrees. I started off cooking some Butterball turkey bacon (which is very thin and cooks fairly quickly) on both halves of the griddle. All was going well and after removing the bacon from one side of the unit I ladled out pancake batter on that side. I removed the bacon from the other half and put more bacon on. After a couple minutes I noticed the pancakes were not "bubbling" and the bacon was not sizzling. I touched my finger quickly to one of the plates (like you would to test an iron) and it felt warm to almost hot. When I turned the Griddle knob down the indicator light relit at almost 200 degrees. I ended up having to turn off the Selector switch and then turn it back on with the Griddle knob turned to 400 degrees to get it to start heating back up. Definitely an issue with the knobs and temperature control.
4) As at least one other reviewer has mentioned, for paninis, the top self-adjusts but only after it has contacted the food with enough pressure to release the top from its' detents. What this results in is the top slice of bread (and whatever layers of ingredients you have) being pushed forward. So you essentially end up with a "leaning tower of panini." I overcome this by using an oven-mitted hand (yes, the top does get very hot) to situate the top parallel to the bread as I close the cover. Even then the top still has lateral motion and will result in a slightly skewed sandwich.
5) The drainage lips do not line up well with the drip tray. Thankfully I have not cooked any fatty/greasy foods but have ended up with puddles of poultry juices on the counter top.
6) It may seem petty but maybe some sort of indicator light when the drip tray has liquid in it. When you are cooking something and it is done, you usually turn off the unit and leave to serve/eat the food. Several times I have gone to move the unit after it has been off for a while only to spill the entire contents of the tray. Luckily, as I mentioned above, my tray has pretty much only contained poultry juices which is easier to clean up than a puddle of molten, or even slightly congealed, fat. An indicator light that stays lit until the drip tray is emptied would be a nice reminder.
7) The top does get very hot. Why couldn't the unit have been constructed with a double hull or some sort of liner? Hey, I would rather have a layer of asbestos paper sandwiched (no pun intended) between a double metal shell than burns/welts on my fingers from incidental contact. You definitely don't want the Griddler anywhere within a child's reach.
8) The knobs/dials are very flimsy and do not feel like quality parts. Cheaps parts used for temperature control are going to fail quicker than quality parts; cheap moving parts are going to fail quicker than quality parts.
Pros:
1) I love, love, love sandwiches and it is nice that I can thin slice some chicken breast and toss it and some veggies onto the grill surface, close the top and minutes later remove the chicken and veggies, place them on bread with some cheese, close the top and several more minutes later have a decent chicken and veggie hot sandwich. I am not much of a red meat eater but will eventually try this for hamburgers.
2) I cooked marinated chicken breast for 3 or 4 days in a row. I did not bother to clean the plates each time (sort of like coffee lovers who do not wash their cups) but instead just did a quick scrape with the included tool and days later when I looked at the plates I thought they would never be clean again. The grill scraper and a spray of hot water took care of the burnt on marinades in less than a minute. Most time I don't even need to wash the plates, but just wipe them with a cloth.
3) The plates cool down very quickly once the unit is shut off (which is really no surprise considering there is absolutely no insulation anywhere near the plates/heating elements).
4) Although the plates are very light and seem to be very fragile (they honestly feel like they could snap in your hands) they are in fact quite durable.
5) The plate clips hold the plates very well and the release buttons work like a charm. I really have to question other reviewers claims that the clips have melted, my clips are made from heat resistant plastic, very similar to if not the same as the scraper. My clips do not show even the slightest hint of heat damage/melting.
6) Anyone who has read my review of the "Pizzazz" will know I like using products for multiple purposes. I have used the griddle plates to heat a bunch of shrimp poppers (dumped half the bag out onto the plate, evened them out and closed the top. Shortly afterwards I had hot, slightly charred, crispy poppers. The same can be done with fish fillets as there seems to be enough space when using the griddle plates to cook the fish but not flatten them out. I was out of bread so I opened a tube of crescent rolls but left them flat. Placed them on the griddle plate and closed the cover. Minutes later I had golden brown crescent "bread" which I then used to make a couple panini sandwiches.
Comments:
1) Paninis are just another stupid craze everyone seems to have to be in on. I have a sandwich maker but that tends to make more of a sealed (pocket) sandwich. The Griddler does a nice job of heating/toasting sandwiches, with or without grill marks.
2) The Griddler could just have easily been developed with only one knob. I am very sure that setting the Selector at Griddle and the knob at 350-400 degrees is absolutely no different than setting the Selector to Grill-Panini and the knob to High. It is just more parts that are subject to fail and create a potential hazard. C'mon, how many people are going to want PRECISE temperature control with a product like this. We don't need a dial that can be set to between 275-300 degrees. Cuisinart could have used a quality detent dial; Off, 200/Warm, 250/Low, 300/Med, 350/Med-Hi, 400/High, 450/Sear. In fact, if you look at the Griddle knob you will see the dial is linear (50 degree major increments, 25 degree minor increments) until you get to the highest settings which changes to a major increment of 25 degrees (12.5 minor). Since a linear potentiometer should not suddenly go non-linear, the degree markings on the face of the Griddler pretty much mean nothing. Maybe someday I will test the settings against actual temperature. What would have been nice is a dial to allow only one side to be turned on so you are not heating up both plates when only one is going to be used.
3) The top could have been designed so the top stays parallel and comes down on the food at a more vertical angle.
Cuisinart should go back and rethink this one. I have used mine quite a bit but don't like the little quirks, especially the uncertainty of when the unit is going to "think" it is griddling when I have set it to grilling. Guess what, if you set the Selector to Griddle but flip the plates over you are now grilling. Having 3 cheap dials serving the purpose of one quality dial (or two if you add the ability to turn off one side) is stupid and wasteful.
Add some insulation, make the side plate clips out of a material that is resistant to EXTREME heat so no one can complain the clips melted, and, dammit, answer consumer queries/complaints/feedback.
Description of Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler
The Cuisinart Griddler makes multifunctional an understatement! With five separate cooking options, it can handle everything from pancakes to sausages to grilled cheese to steaks, hamburgers and Panini. A floating cover, and one set of reversible plates that snap in and out, turn the Griddler into a Contact Grill, a Panini Press, a Full Grill, a Full Griddle, or Half Grill/Grill Griddle. Dual temperature controls ensure everything is perfectly cooked!. It works with 120 volts. 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 UngerContact Grills
Kitchen and Housewares
Most talked about in Cuisinart
Factory-Reconditioned Cuisinart ICE-20FR Automatic Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, WhiteCuisinart; Cuisinart; Release date: 2008-03-03; Kitchen
Best price: $39.99
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart HTM-5 SmartPower 5-Speed Electronic Hand Mixer, WhiteCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart TOB-165 Convection Toaster Oven and Broiler, WhiteCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart CEK-40 Electric KnifeCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Best price: $34.00
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart DLC-2 Mini Prep Plus Food Processor, WhiteCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart SF19-18 Nonstick Stainless 2-3/ 4-Quart Saucepan with LidCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart SF22-26 Nonstick Stainless 10-1/ 4-Inch SkilletCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart DLC-036TXAMZ 6-by-6mm Fruit, Vegetable and French Fry Disc, Fits 14-Cup ProcessorCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Best price: $19.99
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart DLC-093 3-Piece Specialty Disc Set, Fits 14-Cup ProcessorCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Best price: $61.69
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart SPB-7 SmartPower 40-Ounce 7-Speed Electronic Bar Blender, WhiteCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Best price: $54.70
Price in other shops:
Similar Kitchen and Housewares Products
Cuisinart Kitchen Choice 18-Piece Stainless-Steel Forged Cutlery SetCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Best price: $84.30
KitchenAid KAT135OB Cook's Series Egg Slicer, BlackKitchenAid; KitchenAid; Kitchen
Best price: $5.95
Cuisinart CDF-100 Compact 1.1-Liter Deep Fryer, Brushed Stainless SteelCuisinart; Cuisinart; Release date: 2006-07-01; Kitchen
Price in other shops:
Indoor! Grillingby Steven Raichlen
Workman Publishing Company; Published: 2004-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.00
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart BFP-603 SmartPower Deluxe Blender and Food ProcessorCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Price in other shops:
The Everything Panini Press Cookbook (Everything Series)by Anthony Tripodi
Adams Media; Published: 2011-09-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.70
Price in other shops:
125 Best Indoor Grill Recipesby Ilana Simon
Robert Rose; Published: 2004-09-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.41
Price in other shops:
OXO Good Grips Electric Grill and Panini Press BrushOXO Good Grips; OXO; OXO Good Grips; Misc.; Home
Best price: $8.99
200 Best Panini Recipesby Tiffany Collins
Tiffany Collins; Robert Rose; Published: 2008-09-12; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.38
Price in other shops:
Cuisinart GR-WAFP Griddler Waffle PlatesCuisinart; Cuisinart; Kitchen
Best price: $33.29
Price in other shops: