Cuisinart Griddle

If you love, love, LOVE Panini and other types of grilled sandwiches you may want to look into a Cuisinart Griddle. This fun kitchen gadget easily accommodates good size chops, sliced veggies, steaks and of course Panini style bread.

Unlike using your stove-top griddle, you’ll be able to avoid burning your toasted creations thanks to a pre-set temperature gage.

Positive Features

This Panini press and sandwich maker has a smart-looking stainless steel exterior. It measures a goodly 11” x 7” so you can make even a Dagwood style feast. Additionally the hinge on the machine floats so it can accommodate a thicker sandwich.

The recipe book is a nice feature for people looking for creative sandwich ideas. The pre-set temperature makes this a “fool proof” product from the perspective of bread that comes out the perfect golden brown color.

The clean up tools are a nice bonus. Finally to a home where children want to participate in simple cooking projects this could be a big hit.

Considerations

If your countertop “footprint” is limited, 14” is a lot of space to dedicate to something that’s really a one shot pony. I’m not sure I’d spend the retail price of $90 just so I could grill Panini styled meals.

While the preset heat keeps you from burning food, it also limits how well the Cuisinart Griddle can function for other items. You can’t adjust any temperatures. The lack of a proper on-off switch could prove to be a safety issue over time.

Also, when you put larger sandwiches in the machine that include softer components the top piece of bread tends to slide and make more of a mess.

Consumer Reviews

This is another piece of culinary invention that consumers seem highly split over. Those who enjoy Panini-styled sandwiches and grilled creations say it manages that task very well (in other words it delivers what it promises). It seems safe for kids to use, heats up rapidly for fast herbed bread as a side dish, and doesn’t require heating the whole kitchen to use for a variety of meals.

On the down side, people didn’t feel it would be versatile enough, and that clean up was rather difficult. Many mentioned wanting an adjustable temperature feature. They also felt the retail price was a little high.

Features

• Panini press / sandwich maker
• Attractive brushed stainless exterior
• Floating hinge useful for making large sanwiches
• Preset temperature for even toasting
• Clear indicator lights
• Recipe book
• Cleaning tools
• Quick heat-up
• 3 year limited warranty

Summary

Before buying a single-function gadget consider how much space you have in your kitchen and how often you’ll actually use the machine. The Cuisinart griddle does the job it was intended to do, but that’s really ALL it does.

A standard griddle by comparison offers you a lot more flexibility in cooking and can typically be stored inside the stove or oven drawer. Standard griddles also allow for temperature adjustments that the Cuisinart does not.

Overall if you decide to buy I highly recommend trying to get it on sale, which will still set you back about $45.00.

At the time of writing this review we found that Amazon had the best price. It retails for $90.00, but Amazon had it on sale for $49.20.

Read more reviews or purchase this griddle at Amazon