Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler Review. 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!...
"Cuisinart upgraded the Griddler, and it's better than ever" 2010-02-28
By S. Harrison (Clements, CA United States)
I bought a G4 Griddler from Amazon in 2005, and used it a couple of times a week (at least) until it had to be put out to pasture in 2010 due to failure of the non-stick coating on the plates. (The coating started to bubble and peel, and no one wants that in their food...) I loved it. (See my review of the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press) It was still working great, but replacement plates were not available.
I was elated when offered the opportunity to review its smarter younger brother, the GR-4NAM Griddler. I could hardly wait for it to get here and run it through its paces.
At first glance, the GR-4NAM looks virtually identical to the G4. However, closer inspection reveals that it has been totally redesigned, and for the better.
Improvement: The grease catcher used to be a little cup that had to be set under a spout on the side of the bottom plate. If it was positioned incorrectly, (or forgotten about), greased dripped out on the counter. The grease catcher is now integrated into the Griddler as a drawer-like device that can be pulled out to clean, and then put back in place for the next use.
Improvement: The original G4 had two sets of plates - one flat set, one ridged set (for paninis). There is now one reversible set of plates (ridged on one side, flat on the other), and therefore no need to find a storage place for the plates not in use. The new plates have a good substantial weight. I don't have the old ones here for comparison, but the quality of the plates certainly was not cheapened.
Improvement: It used to be a little tricky to put the plates in place and to remove them. There was also a difference between the top plate and the bottom, so you had to be careful not to try to put them in the wrong way. The plates now have an identical shape, so they are interchangeable, and the release buttons activate a spring-loaded mechanism that pops the plate loose for easy removal.
Now, to see how it cooks: The Griddler takes about as long to warm up as a good-quality waffle iron. Just when you start to get impatient with it, it's ready.
The first thing that I cooked was a no-no in the eyes of Cuisinart - a bone-in, skin-on leg and thigh chicken quarter. Too thick, they say. HA! says I, because I am a bit of an anarchist. I marinated the chicken in olive oil and rosemary, heated the Griddler to Medium. I cooked it on the panini plates because I love those little fake barbeque stripes across my food. It worked just fine. (I should have taken a picture, it came out looking beautiful. But I was hungry.)
Word of warning: Do not cook thick or fatty meat on High - you will get grease spatters all over the place. Medium works just fine in such instances.
I discovered from my old Griddler that when cooking meat it's best to turn off the heat before it's done, and let it finish cooking with the residual heat in the plates. That way the meat does not get overdone.
For clean-up, I let the plates cool down, and then put a wet paper towel across the bottom plate and close the lid and let it sit for a while. The dampness softens anything that is stuck to the plates, and then it can be easily washed off with a sudsy sponge or dish wand.
Today for lunch, I made myself a sandwich with sliced sourdough bread, cooked sliced chicken breast, fresh grated parmesan cheese and dried basil. I followed the panini directions in the small cookbook that comes with the Griddler. Well, I sort of followed the directions... Cuisinart recommends brushing the outside of the sandwich with olive oil. I prefer to use melted butter on panini because it makes the sandwich crisper.
I preheated the Griddler on High, placed the sandwich inside, and applied light pressure for about 30 seconds, and then let it cook. The directions say to cook panini for about 4 -5 minutes, but my sandwich was ready to eat in 2 minutes. Maybe the butter makes the bread brown faster than olive oil.
In any case, it was beautiful - evenly browned, crunchy and delicious, and I did take a picture (see product images).
How durable will the GR-4NAM be? Good question. From everything that I can see so far, Cuisinart has only made the Griddler better. But time is the real test of quality. I will report back from time to time regarding durability.
Right now, I'd say this looks like an excellent buy.
"Great Griddle" 2010-01-07
By Byron Butters (Loon Country - Minnesota)
Improvements over previous model are the reversable grill plates that snap in and out very easily and now you do not have 2 extra plates to store somewhere. The grease catch pan is integrated into the bottom and removes very easily for cleaning. Cleanup is a snap: take off the 2 grill plates and they wash and cleanup so easy I don't bother putting them in the dishwasher. Clean the drip tray and you are done. Fast & easy.
I disagree with those that say it is great for cooking small meals or for a small family. It cooks the meat so fast, you better not walk away. First thing I cooked were good sized hamburgers & they were at 180° in 5 minutes. The next 4 were perfectly cooked at 4 minutes. Used the Sear setting per the instruction book with the grill preheated. New York Strip sirloins were done in 3 1/2 to 4 minutes on the Sear setting. Fast cooking & the meat is eye appealing with the grill marks on both sides. Batch number 3 will be pork chops tonight.
Granted, it doesn't quite do the job my Weber grill does outside, but when it is 15 below zero, the Griddler is very nice to have for indoor winter usage.
Great indoor grill, cooks fast, easy cleanup... I highly recommend it.
"Cuisinart makes high quality products & this is another one!" 2010-01-25
By MaryB
I have been looking for a quality multifunctional griddle and was ecstatic when I found this one! A lot of options packed into this griddler and getting 40% off sealed the deal.
Pros:
-compact when closed therefore easy to store.
-heats quickly and evenly.
-makes the best paninis I've ever had; crisp on the outside.
-grilling inside when the weather outside is bad is a huge plus.
-can grill open or closed depending on how much I need to make and the type of food.
-the lid conforms to the thickness of the food.
-easy to clean.
-drip tray catches every bit of grease.
-because of the multiple options it replaces several older and bulkier appliance I had.
Cons:
-can't think of any.
"Throw Away The Foreman Grill....." 2010-03-13
By Daniel V. Reilly (Upstate New York, United States)
I've always loved my George Foreman Grill, except for the agonizing clean-up process. The Cuisinart Griddler solves that problem by making the reversible cooking plates removable, so they can be scraped off and easily cleaned by hand, or placed in the dishwasher. My Family has been using this non-stop since it arrived: Hamburgers, Fillet Mignon (My Wife thought it even tasted better than it does on our outdoor grill, which is amazing in and of itself....My Wife is a barbecue fanatic!), Grilled Cheese, Sausages, Pancakes (I have to say, the Pancakes came out PERFECTLY.) The cooking surface is large enough to accommodate pretty much anything you'd want to cook, it cooks evenly, cleans easily (The scraping device works wonderfully, and the drip-tray is cleverly concealed, so you don't have to worry about fat missing the tray if it's not perfectly positioned, or knocking it over while cooking.), and we've just been having a ball cooking with it.
I can't recommend it enough. (Sorry, George Foreman!)
"Exceeds expectations" 2010-06-07
By F. Nussbaum (New York)
I'm a single guy living in NYC and was looking for an easy-to-use appliance to make quick, delicious food. I could not be more pleased with this purchase. With a bare minimum of prep, I've made delicious paninis, burgers, steaks, ham and eggs, and pancakes, among other things.
The designers thought of everything when putting this together. The reversible non-stick cooking surfaces on either side are easy to switch and simple to clean. The top adjusts simply to any thickness for whatever you may be cooking, whether a flat panini or a thick steak, and provides and even heat on both top and bottom.
My favorite thus far has been to take a whole wheat sandwich roll brushed with olive oil, add a few basil leaves, roasted peppers, sopressata and provolone, and within 3-4 minutes I have a truly delicious panini cooked perfectly throughout. Once when I was stuck with no bread, I improvised and piled cheese atop roasted peppers and roast chicken pieces on the flat surfase and closed the top. The cheese melted and browned beautifully and when it came time to take my creation off the griddle, it didn't stick at all to either surface and I was left with a beautiful bachelor's special. I've also open the griddle completely and cooked fried eggs with salami and pimentos on one side and pancakes on the other (again, neither stuck at all and everything was simple to flip).
The only complaints I have are as follows:
- When it heats up, the whole unit gets quite hot (except for the handle) so you just need to be careful not to accidentally touch the top/sides.
- The edges to the removable cooking surfaces are not quite raised high enough so really juicy foods may drip/splatter over the edge a bit (it helps to ever-so-slightly tip the unit back so that the juices run towards the drip spout)
Other than that, I really appreciate the quality of the unit, the size/design, the ease-of-use and the price. Strongly recommend.
By S. Harrison (Clements, CA United States)
I bought a G4 Griddler from Amazon in 2005, and used it a couple of times a week (at least) until it had to be put out to pasture in 2010 due to failure of the non-stick coating on the plates. (The coating started to bubble and peel, and no one wants that in their food...) I loved it. (See my review of the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press) It was still working great, but replacement plates were not available.
I was elated when offered the opportunity to review its smarter younger brother, the GR-4NAM Griddler. I could hardly wait for it to get here and run it through its paces.
At first glance, the GR-4NAM looks virtually identical to the G4. However, closer inspection reveals that it has been totally redesigned, and for the better.
Improvement: The grease catcher used to be a little cup that had to be set under a spout on the side of the bottom plate. If it was positioned incorrectly, (or forgotten about), greased dripped out on the counter. The grease catcher is now integrated into the Griddler as a drawer-like device that can be pulled out to clean, and then put back in place for the next use.
Improvement: The original G4 had two sets of plates - one flat set, one ridged set (for paninis). There is now one reversible set of plates (ridged on one side, flat on the other), and therefore no need to find a storage place for the plates not in use. The new plates have a good substantial weight. I don't have the old ones here for comparison, but the quality of the plates certainly was not cheapened.
Improvement: It used to be a little tricky to put the plates in place and to remove them. There was also a difference between the top plate and the bottom, so you had to be careful not to try to put them in the wrong way. The plates now have an identical shape, so they are interchangeable, and the release buttons activate a spring-loaded mechanism that pops the plate loose for easy removal.
Now, to see how it cooks: The Griddler takes about as long to warm up as a good-quality waffle iron. Just when you start to get impatient with it, it's ready.
The first thing that I cooked was a no-no in the eyes of Cuisinart - a bone-in, skin-on leg and thigh chicken quarter. Too thick, they say. HA! says I, because I am a bit of an anarchist. I marinated the chicken in olive oil and rosemary, heated the Griddler to Medium. I cooked it on the panini plates because I love those little fake barbeque stripes across my food. It worked just fine. (I should have taken a picture, it came out looking beautiful. But I was hungry.)
Word of warning: Do not cook thick or fatty meat on High - you will get grease spatters all over the place. Medium works just fine in such instances.
I discovered from my old Griddler that when cooking meat it's best to turn off the heat before it's done, and let it finish cooking with the residual heat in the plates. That way the meat does not get overdone.
For clean-up, I let the plates cool down, and then put a wet paper towel across the bottom plate and close the lid and let it sit for a while. The dampness softens anything that is stuck to the plates, and then it can be easily washed off with a sudsy sponge or dish wand.
Today for lunch, I made myself a sandwich with sliced sourdough bread, cooked sliced chicken breast, fresh grated parmesan cheese and dried basil. I followed the panini directions in the small cookbook that comes with the Griddler. Well, I sort of followed the directions... Cuisinart recommends brushing the outside of the sandwich with olive oil. I prefer to use melted butter on panini because it makes the sandwich crisper.
I preheated the Griddler on High, placed the sandwich inside, and applied light pressure for about 30 seconds, and then let it cook. The directions say to cook panini for about 4 -5 minutes, but my sandwich was ready to eat in 2 minutes. Maybe the butter makes the bread brown faster than olive oil.
In any case, it was beautiful - evenly browned, crunchy and delicious, and I did take a picture (see product images).
How durable will the GR-4NAM be? Good question. From everything that I can see so far, Cuisinart has only made the Griddler better. But time is the real test of quality. I will report back from time to time regarding durability.
Right now, I'd say this looks like an excellent buy.
By Byron Butters (Loon Country - Minnesota)
Improvements over previous model are the reversable grill plates that snap in and out very easily and now you do not have 2 extra plates to store somewhere. The grease catch pan is integrated into the bottom and removes very easily for cleaning. Cleanup is a snap: take off the 2 grill plates and they wash and cleanup so easy I don't bother putting them in the dishwasher. Clean the drip tray and you are done. Fast & easy.
I disagree with those that say it is great for cooking small meals or for a small family. It cooks the meat so fast, you better not walk away. First thing I cooked were good sized hamburgers & they were at 180° in 5 minutes. The next 4 were perfectly cooked at 4 minutes. Used the Sear setting per the instruction book with the grill preheated. New York Strip sirloins were done in 3 1/2 to 4 minutes on the Sear setting. Fast cooking & the meat is eye appealing with the grill marks on both sides. Batch number 3 will be pork chops tonight.
Granted, it doesn't quite do the job my Weber grill does outside, but when it is 15 below zero, the Griddler is very nice to have for indoor winter usage.
Great indoor grill, cooks fast, easy cleanup... I highly recommend it.
By MaryB
I have been looking for a quality multifunctional griddle and was ecstatic when I found this one! A lot of options packed into this griddler and getting 40% off sealed the deal.
Pros:
-compact when closed therefore easy to store.
-heats quickly and evenly.
-makes the best paninis I've ever had; crisp on the outside.
-grilling inside when the weather outside is bad is a huge plus.
-can grill open or closed depending on how much I need to make and the type of food.
-the lid conforms to the thickness of the food.
-easy to clean.
-drip tray catches every bit of grease.
-because of the multiple options it replaces several older and bulkier appliance I had.
Cons:
-can't think of any.
By Daniel V. Reilly (Upstate New York, United States)
I've always loved my George Foreman Grill, except for the agonizing clean-up process. The Cuisinart Griddler solves that problem by making the reversible cooking plates removable, so they can be scraped off and easily cleaned by hand, or placed in the dishwasher. My Family has been using this non-stop since it arrived: Hamburgers, Fillet Mignon (My Wife thought it even tasted better than it does on our outdoor grill, which is amazing in and of itself....My Wife is a barbecue fanatic!), Grilled Cheese, Sausages, Pancakes (I have to say, the Pancakes came out PERFECTLY.) The cooking surface is large enough to accommodate pretty much anything you'd want to cook, it cooks evenly, cleans easily (The scraping device works wonderfully, and the drip-tray is cleverly concealed, so you don't have to worry about fat missing the tray if it's not perfectly positioned, or knocking it over while cooking.), and we've just been having a ball cooking with it.
I can't recommend it enough. (Sorry, George Foreman!)
By F. Nussbaum (New York)
I'm a single guy living in NYC and was looking for an easy-to-use appliance to make quick, delicious food. I could not be more pleased with this purchase. With a bare minimum of prep, I've made delicious paninis, burgers, steaks, ham and eggs, and pancakes, among other things.
The designers thought of everything when putting this together. The reversible non-stick cooking surfaces on either side are easy to switch and simple to clean. The top adjusts simply to any thickness for whatever you may be cooking, whether a flat panini or a thick steak, and provides and even heat on both top and bottom.
My favorite thus far has been to take a whole wheat sandwich roll brushed with olive oil, add a few basil leaves, roasted peppers, sopressata and provolone, and within 3-4 minutes I have a truly delicious panini cooked perfectly throughout. Once when I was stuck with no bread, I improvised and piled cheese atop roasted peppers and roast chicken pieces on the flat surfase and closed the top. The cheese melted and browned beautifully and when it came time to take my creation off the griddle, it didn't stick at all to either surface and I was left with a beautiful bachelor's special. I've also open the griddle completely and cooked fried eggs with salami and pimentos on one side and pancakes on the other (again, neither stuck at all and everything was simple to flip).
The only complaints I have are as follows:
- When it heats up, the whole unit gets quite hot (except for the handle) so you just need to be careful not to accidentally touch the top/sides.
- The edges to the removable cooking surfaces are not quite raised high enough so really juicy foods may drip/splatter over the edge a bit (it helps to ever-so-slightly tip the unit back so that the juices run towards the drip spout)
Other than that, I really appreciate the quality of the unit, the size/design, the ease-of-use and the price. Strongly recommend.
