Cuisinart GR-3 Griddler Jr, Brushed Stainless Steel
Cuisinart GR-3 Griddler Jr, Brushed Stainless Steel
Cuisinart GR-3 Griddler Jr, Brushed Stainless Steel Reviews
My wife and I tend to try to justify purchases to ourselves by sort of over-blowing how much use we’ll get out of them. This process was no different, as we talked about how easy and often we’d just slice some sourdough, toss something like sliced turkey, cheese, and a little raspberry preserves in between, and grill it up into nice hot crunchy sandwiches. Inevitably, few of our predictions actually hold true as the novelty wears off, and even tools you love are pulled out a little less frequently as time goes by. This has not been the case with our GR-3 Griddler Jr.
Because of its greatly reduced footprint (it takes up less space than our Krups 4-Slice Toaster), we’ve been able to leave it out on the counter right by our bread board, so it’s always quick and convenient to turn it on, and make any sort of sandwich we like within a few minutes.
The unit is easy to clean, both the top and bottom plates are easily removable, and while they have that somewhat gritty type of non-stick surface, even burnt on cheese or preserves require no effort whatsoever to come out from between the grooves. It heats evenly and quickly, the hinge allows even thick sandwiches to be pressed (or not) evenly, and for us it’s churned out perfectly grilled sandwiches.
We haven’t used it for anything but, so I can’t and won’t speak to its efficacy as a George Foreman replacement. It seems to be that people who are used to those, and switch to real panini presses often come away disappointed because large quantities of grease aren’t handled well. If you want to make sandwiches, and aren’t cooking for more than a couple of people (perhaps no more than 3), then I highly recommend both this make, and the model. If they ever come out with alternative flat grilling plates as an add-on, it will be the perfect press — even without those, it’s worthy of each of the five stars I’m giving it here.
I’d been looking at panini grills for years, but had never found the perfect model. Many of the grills I looked at in stores seemed very cheap and poorly built. One clear exception was the Cuisinart grill, which was very well constructed, but it was very expensive and also very large. When I saw this new Cuisinart Junior, I decided to take the plunge. It has become the hit of our kitchen. Making fancy grilled sandwiches has become a highlight of our weekends. My teenage kids love the sandwiches off the grill, and they don’t seem to notice that they’re eating healthier than before. The quality of panini sandwiches off this little grill is far superior to the paninis we get at our local restaurants.
Here are the features that make this grill a winner for me:
- The grill plates really are nonstick. I’ve never had to do more than wipe them clean, even when drippings seem to have burned on. The plates remove super easily, and also snap back in very easily.
- The grill pre-heats very quickly. I turn it on before I start making the sandwich, and it’s always hot enough by the time the sandwich is assembled.
- The grill always creates the perfectly grilled panini. When I used to make grilled sandwiches in a frying pan, getting them perfectly grilled without burning was hit or miss. With this grill, I just set the dial a bit shy of medium and every sandwich comes out perfectly grilled.
- The hinged lid let’s us make fairly huge sandwiches (a few inches thick). This might not sound like a big deal, but it’s key to having fun with the grill, since it let’s you make creative sandwiches that you could never cook all the way through or flip in a frying pan.
- The small size is perfect. It cooks one very large or two smaller panini, and it doesn’t take up a ton of counter space. It’s small enough that I can leave it out all the time, which makes it a lot more convenient to use.
One thing to be careful of: The lid does get hot. Make sure you only use the handle for opening and closing. I wouldn’t let younger kids work the grill by themselves.
I have not tried cooking meat with the grill. We use it strictly as a panini grill.
I don’t generally get excited about kitchen appliances, but this little grill is downright fun. Any gadget that can get my teenagers psyched about going to the grocery store to find wacky things they can turn into grilled sandwiches is a hit in my book. (BTW, our favorite sandwiches so far are: tomato and fresh mozzarela with basil pesto; chicken, apple, and raspberry with provolone; and pear with brie. My apologies if I’m not spelling some of these foods right.)
Great purchase. Getting used more heavily than our stove. I’m hooked.
I bought this a week ago and am very pleased. Only thing that was immediately disappointing is the bottom housing. The pictures I feel are misleading and make it seem that the bottom is stainless steel as well… it’s actually grey plastic. It looks ok but it would look a lot better with stainless steel. Ok, on to the positive… The size is ideal for my kitchen counter and cleanup is a breeze because of the removable plates.I have only used it for panini’s so far and it has performed well. Can’t wait to use it as an indoor grill!
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