I'm a single guy and the Cuisinart Griddler works good for cooking my meals. In the morning I usually cook link sausages for breakfast which it does exceptionally well. Lunch is a hamburger or something similar. For me I put my sausage or hamburger on the griddler close the lid and let it cook while I'm getting the rest of the meal ready. I have the one that has two different ways to set it, temp or low medium high. I just use the low medium high knob. Medium gets plenty hot enough and it's a good time like I said for getting your buns ready etc.. I don't think it would be big enough for a family but maybe I just eat too much! The removable plates are pretty easy to clean if you let them cool then soak a little bit in the sink. I have found that sometimes I get a leak under them that will cook onto the body of the griddler and is harder to remove but theres not much you can do about that. Overall I find this a handy item in the kitchen that you can prepare a quick meal on. Thanks

parkerdog

Illinois

We received this grill as a wedding gift. I would not have bought this myself however when I opened the box and saw the different things it could do I was a bit impressed. There are two functions one is a grill/press like the original design and there is also a griddle function with a release button that lays this out flat to transform into a two plate griddle. There are two heat control knobs for either function as well as a release button for the top plate and bottom plate, so you can take the plates off of this grill to flip them or clean them. They are two sided. Flat for the griddle function and riged for the grill/press function however you can place them on whichever side you choose for either function. I personally love this release of plates because I can soak them in the sink to be cleaned, no more ruined washcloths cleaning the counter top grill! When using it as a grill/press it is very fast and easy so my husband or I can make a quick meal with little clean up. It cooks boneless skinless chicken and hamburgers very well! There are a few drawbacks however that should be considered. When laying this flat back into the griddle function the heat is not even and takes forever to cook a meal. It's not worth the extra time using this function. Even when making pancakes it's a pain, so I pull out our other griddle for things like this instead. This device too, although easy to clean topside is a pain to clean underneath. The drip pan is small so it doesn't hold a lot of grease and often spills onto my counter tops when I pull it out. It's not hot when it drips since its simply over flow but it is an annoyance. The last complaint I have had with this product is a safety concern. The plates can and do release even if the device is fully heated up. Requiring oven mitts to put back in place to finish cooking. I have released the plates by accident. Overall this product however does make my life easier and has earned a permanent counter space in my home.

Mjax2002

Ohio

I use this very often. Cooking for 5 makes soup and sandwich night or pancakes an easy make. Everyone can eat at once since you can cook so much at one time. Highly recommended for larger families!

mert48

Wattsburg, PA

We receive this as a wedding gift several years ago. This is one of the appliances that are use the most. At least once a week, if not more, I pull this thing out for many meals. The grill plates are perfect for meat. Chicken, beef, pork, fish. Whatever the meat. I probably use the griddlethe most. Grilled cheese and pancakes are made often in our house. It is super easy to clean. Nice tight storage. And warms up quickly to get your meals going. I highly recommend and if this ever breaks, I will buy another one.

Coupongirl63301

St. Charles, Mo

Device seems cheaply made and is hard to clean and understand. I do not feel that it is a safe device to let my husband use or anybody else without long term study. I feel we will be replacing this with something better. Performance It seems to be lacking some elements that make it self-explanatory. I wasn't sure when our waffles were done, and I had to check a few times before it became clear how the device worked. I use many appliances and this one seemed to make me do most of the work in figuring it out. The grill side of it wasn't very good either. I had to microwave the hamburgers I tried to cook on it to make sure they were fully cooked. Durability This is unknown, but I read some other reviews out there that say the plates warp over time. I am concerned this will happen. I will keep an eye on it, but seriously much of this mechanism doesn't look or feel very durable. I have a feeling I will be replacing it soon. Ease of Cleaning Easy to clean, but not easy to remove the plates. My husband almost broke the little notch on the side of the top plate trying to remove it. It wasn't self-explanatory. It wasn't easy. However, being able to put the plates in the dishwasher or in the sink was very nice. Ease of Use The plates are awkward. Taking the plates on or off, or even flipping them isn't easy. getting the griddle to lay flat open isn't easy. I felt like was going to break it. The little notch on the handle feels very flimsy.

TimeLordGirl

USA

I love eating BBQ and grilled food, and I used to have to wait until summer to enjoy that food, but not anymore. I love grilling vegetables on this indoor griddle, and sometimes I throw on a steak or a piece of chicken, and I can enjoy juicy BBQ during any season. I'm so glad I bought this appliance because it really does make my life much more enjoyable. Performance This appliance gives me a nice, even grill on my vegetables, and does an amazing job BBQ-ing meat like steak or chicken breast. It tastes like I put the food out on the barbecue, I actually can't tell any difference. Durability This griddle has lasted for a few years now, and I'm sure it will work well in the years to come. Ease of Cleaning What's really nice about this appliance is it takes almost no time to clean up. Plus, I don't have to spend so much time on maintenance, like I would on a full sized grill. Its a convenient and faster way for me to get the food I love without the long clean up. Ease of Use This is a fast and easy way for me to get the grilled flavors and cooks I want without the hazards of an open flame or the strain of a long clean up.

swaggymcswagger

USA

The Cuisinart Griddler GR-4 4-in-1 indoor grill saved us during kitchen remodeling! Our kitchen was not useable for nearly two months. I didn't know what we were going to do about preparing meals, and my general contractor recommended this griddle. He specializes in kitchen remodeling and sees lots of families "make do" without kitchens. There are dozens of grills/griddles on the market, but this one is fantastic because it is so versatile! If you were only going to buy a grill to cook hamburgers twice a month, then any of those other grills would probably be ok. But if you are depending on a grill and a microwave to make meals for two months, you want a product that gives more options. The "4-in-1" refers to the ways you can use it. 1. Open face (gives you double the cooking surface area 2. Closed (grills both sides at once 3. Panini press (self explanatory and fantastic!) 4. Griddle Performance This grill worked like a champ for the two months we didn't have a kitchen. But now that our gourmet kitchen is complete, we still use it a few times per week. It is just so easy! Durability Our grill probably was probably used more than most. And it never let us down. We have had it for almost two years and it still works perfectly. Ease of Cleaning When we didn't have a kitchen, we washed the plates in the garage sink. But now we just pop them in the dishwasher. You just press a button and the grills pop off! Easy! Ease of Use Yep! This thing is so easy to use and also easy to clean. What more could you want?

SlimGeorge

USA

I love this griddler! We use it all the time to make panini sandwiches, and they always turn out perfectly. It heats up quickly, cooks the paninis well, and is really simple to clean. The griddle plates pop right out and can go in the dishwasher. They can also be turned around to give a flat surface, which works really well for cooking pancakes and french toast. The press can open flat and be used as a griddle with the flat side of the plates up. We haven't used it as much for grilling meat, but when we have it works really well. The drip pan catches the grease, and is simple to pull out to empty and clean. Ease of Cleaning I was really surprised at how easy this was to clean. You just pop the plates out and stick them in the dishwasher. If necessary you can remove the drip tray and put it in the dishwasher too. I love that it's so easy to clean, because it means I'm much more likely to use it regularly. Ease of Use So easy to use! Heats up really quickly, and can be used for cooking so many different types of foods.

KatherinePearson

USA

It is so easy to cook so many different things on the Griddler... it is such a versatile machine! You can even buy waffle plates separately to turn it into a waffle maker. The lines it made in my paninis were rather extreme, but I recently found an adjustment for that I didn't know the machine had, which I haven't had a chance to try on a panini yet. Definitely worth the buy... it cooks meat twice as fast by cooking both sides at once. Lunch is ready in minutes and it tastes great! Performance It cooks beautifully every time, especially when grilling or searing meat! Cooking on both sides of the meat saves time, and it's an easy way to cook for someone like me, who is not very practiced at cooking. Ease of Cleaning The plates can be cleaned in the dishwasher, do it can be fairly easy to clean, but make sure to run them through the dishwasher and wipe down the machine each time you use it, or it will be quite difficult to clean off later!

MusicToMySoul

USA

this is the best griddler i have ever found. it grills, cooks, makes paninis and so much more! its sturdy, heats up quickly and has even cooking temps across both plates. i have been using this for a couple of months and it is holding up perfectly! we make pancakes at least once a week. grilled sandwich several times a month and use it to cook hamburgers. it gives you that perfect grilled taste without all the mess. its a very heavy grill so its hard to move around but in my opinion that makes it sturdier. the plates are very easy to remove with just the push of a button. it heats up very quickly and cools down just as fast. this will be my new favorite gift to give for wedding showers and housewarmings! Ease of Cleaning the non stick plates make this a breeze to clean just wipe off or place in dishwasher. the drain is good at trapping the liquids and grease that flow off just make sure you have it positioned just right on the bottom.

thjewelz

USA