Cuisinart Griddler Countertop Grill & Griddle

With so much hype around a grill that carries celebrity names, it would be easy to overlook the best counter-top grill.  The Cuisinart Griddler is an excellent grill & griddle combination!  I have personal owned one now for several years, and I still love it.

We use it to cook steaks, hamburgers, pork chops, pancakes, waffles, panini sandwiches, and more.  I did have to buy the waffle plates separately, but they were worth it.

It is truly wonderful to be able to grill indoors, especially during the winter. It really is a lot easier than fighting charcoal and the outdoor grill.

 

Fabulous Features of The Cuisinart Griddler

 Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler,
Silver, Black DialsCheck PriceBecause of the duel cooking plates, the Griddler cooks food evenly on both sides.  Therefore, there is no need to turn meat or sandwiches in mere minutes.  The “floating” lid unhinges to accommodate thicker cuts of meat.  There is also an easily removable drip tray under the bottom that catches the grease while you are cooking.  It slides out from the side in order to dispose of the drippings and for washing.  If you look at the picture in the intro above, you will see the drip tray on the side.

Each Griddler cooking plate is double sided with the grill surface on one side and the smooth griddle surface on the other side.  You simple release and flip the cooking plate to the desired side before turning on the Griddler.

The image of the Griddler on the right shows one grill plate side and one griddle plate side.  That is perfect for cooking sausage and eggs or pancakes.  When you are cooking with the two-sided closed grill for hamburgers or steaks, you would have the grill side up on both plates.

Even though the cooking plates are non-stick, I season* the Griddler plates with shortening periodically to insure easier cleaning.  Therefore, all of the Griddler cooking plates clean up easily.  They are dishwasher safe, but I prefer to wash them by hand. Never use an abrasive scrubbing pad or brush on the cooking plates. A Scotch-Bright No-Scratch Scour Pad (the blue one) can be used if needed.

Also, never use a knife or a utensil that will “cut” the coating on the cooking plates.

 

Recipes for the Cuisinart Griddler

I noted earlier in the introduction that meat cooks in minutes.  Here are a few examples of our preferred cooking times.  Obviously, you would want to adjust to time to your wellness preference, but this is a short guide to give you an idea of what to expect.

• Hamburgers – 4 1/2 min. on sear setting
• Thin Cut Steaks (Approx. 1″ thick) – 8 minutes on sear setting
• Pork Chops – 12 – 14 minutes on sear setting
• Thin Boneless Chicken Breasts – 4 1/2 min. on sear setting
• Pancakes – I do flip pancakes – Griddle – 5 minutes on each side
• Grilled Cheese Sandwich – 3 minutes on Grill/Panini medium heat

 Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler, Silver, Black DialsCheck Price Cuisinart GR-WAFP Griddler Waffle PlatesCheck Price THE CUISINART GRIDDLER COOKBOOKCheck Price

 
 
*Seasoning the Cooking Plates: I simply wipe the plates with Crisco shortening, turn on the heat to sear, and let it completely melt onto the plates. The method is similar to the way we season a cast iron skillet.