Cuisinart GR-2 Griddler Express Contact Grill
Cuisinart GR-2 Griddler Express Contact Grill
Cuisinart GR-2 Griddler Express Contact Grill Reviews
This grill is awesome! It’s SO SO SO much better than the Foreman! The grill marks are terrific – it is very hot, heats up faster,cooks faster, creates a more charred exterior (in a good way). It has a flatter surface than the Foreman, which means that the food doesn’t keep slipping off, but it’s still tilted enough so that the grease runs off perfectly into this cute little cup on one side. I just made the crispiest bacon in about 2 minutes flat. Also, there is a very cool handle that you can press down on the food with. My kids love that, and so do I! It’s fun, and it’s effective, too. The grill has much better floating plates than the Foreman so that it really completely opens up, and you can put very thick steaks, etc. in there. I also made large whole link sausages and very fat sausage patties no problem. The grill is super easy to clean with paper towels, wet or dry, or sponges. Do it when it is warm. You don’t want removable grills because they do not heat correctly. And, did I mention this appliance is a thing of beauty sitting on your counter?
The Griddler Express is my third grilling device (the other 2 being George Formans). After watching a ‘Test Kitchen’ review of several grillers, I chose this one expecting it to work mainly for Panini. Well, after seeing how hot it got, I got adventuresome and tried a steak (no bones, of course) and it cooked faster than had anticipated resulting in overcooking (my bad!). The top plate is not as hot as the bottom by a small but significant margin which is more a matter of appearance than effectiveness. Flipping the food halfway through the cooking cycle evens things out and gives one the chance to create ‘cross-hatched’ grill marks by rotating the steak, etc. by about 45 degrees. I found that this also results in a shorter cook time as well. One reviewer lamented the lack of a thermostat but that’s what the variable control is. The nearly universal complaint is the lack of removable plates and I have to agree although, in my experience with electric griddles, the ones with the element embedded in the plates heat more evenly. They could still make them removable/reversible with the embedded elements but this would increase the cost (a price I’d be willing to pay). As far as cleaning, I found that by using a DRY paper towel held with a pair of tongs works very well if used while the unit is still hot. You have to hold onto the top plate with a pot holder when cleaning the upper plate. The build-up of residue on the towel actually increases the effectiveness of removibility if its done while the unit is still hot (be careful not to scrape the surface with the tongs). A final note: it’s fantastic for cooking asparagus – just lay the spears in the groves. When done to your liking, serve with a drizzle of good olive oil, wine vinegar and fresh ground black pepper. Hope you find this review helpful.
I ordered two of these griddlers for xmas, order on the 14th for two day delivery, knowing one of the recipients was going out of town on the 22nd. ONe got delivered, one was never sent and no notice given. On the 18th I inquired directly to the store, and they informed me that they were out of stock. So I was unable to get another out in time for xmas. I also would have preferred their contacting me since I placed an order for two different families and I would have chosen who should get the one on time. They never notified me until I contacted them.
Very poor customer service.Cuisinart GR-2 Griddler Express Contact Grill
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