Cuisinart Griddler Review – GR-4N

Rating: 4.7 Reviewed by Susan LaBorde

Is the Cuisinart Griddler perfect? Well no, but…

I searched hard to find something wrong with this grill, read hundreds of reviews, comments, questions, and complaints. Yes, I did find some complaints.

Yet after all my research I’d still give it 5 stars because it’s versatile, it’s a very good value for the price, and thousands of happy owners absolutely love it.

Is this the best indoor grill for you? Keep reading to get all the details so you can make your own decision.

Important Note About Cuisinart Griddler Models

Cuisinart makes a number of models in its “Griddler” series. They include the very basic Panini Griddler all the way up to the Elite Griddler. Prices range from approximately $60 to $180.

When you click any link on this page to go to Amazon, you will see the Griddler model in this review, the “middle of the line” Griddler model. On that same page, you will see options to select any of the other Griddler models to see details and prices.

The exact name of the model in the review below is the Cuisinart GR-4NP1 5-in-1 Griddler. This is an indoor, counter top contact grill that has removable plates, adjustable temperature controls, and lots more features of the best selling models, but it costs less than some of its name brand competitors.

Features

• Sturdy construction – brushed stainless steel housing
• Floating cover – accommodates foods of various thickness
• Wide panini-style handle
• Removable, reversible, non-stick grill plates, all dishwasher safe
• Slope plate design – allows grease to drain off foods
• Adjustable temperature controls & function selector
• Waffle Plates available (sold separately)
• 3 Year Limited Warranty

This grill is fairly compact, 11 1/2 inches by 13 1/2 inches, and the brushed stainless exterior gives it a bit of a stylish look. The floating cover allows you to cook thick or thin foods and also makes it perfect as a panini press. Another very nice feature is that this model has three control dials that let you adjust the heat based on the type of food you’re cooking.

For healthier eating, the slope grill plate design allows grease to drain from foods and into the drip tray at the rear of the unit.

For easier cleaning, all the grill plates are removable and dishwasher safe.

Those are the basics, but here’s one of the most attractive features of this product —

Unlike many other models in this price range, the Cuisinart Griddler will open completely so that the top folds all the way back to rest level on the counter. You can then grill or griddle on both plates at once, which doubles the available cooking surface area.

Keep in mind that when the Griddler is opened flat, the appliance will take up a lot more counter space, but if you have the room, there are times when all that extra cooking area could come in really handy!

I did find one possible drawback to the Cuisinart Griddler. In online reviews, some people complain that grease tends to pool on the grill plates rather than drain off into the drip tray. While I wouldn’t completely discount those concerns, the first thing to be aware of is that you must use this grill on a level surface. You may be surprised to find out that your kitchen countertop isn’t as level as you think, especially if you live in an older dwelling. Several owners reported that they solved the problem easily by placing something under the front legs of the unit to elevate it slightly (the grease needs to flow from front to back because the drip tray is located at the back of the unit). Poor drainage would definitely be a big downside, but I found that on balance, a lot more owners reported that drainage was not a problem at all.

Adjustable Temperature Settings – The GR-4N gives you a lot of control over cooking temperatures. It has 3 dials, all located on the front:

• The center knob lets you select between the Griddle Function or the Grill/Panini Function
• The left knob lets you select temperature range from 200°F to 425°F when using the appliance as full griddle.
• The right knob lets you adjust the setting from “warm” to “sear” when using the appliance as a contact grill, panini press or full grill.

When you use the unit as a Half Grill, Half Griddle, you can use either of the dials for selecting a temperature setting.

This level of heat control is a big plus for anyone who plans to use the grill a lot and cook a variety of foods.

Size

Exterior Dimensions: 11.5″ x 13.5″ 7.1″

Size of Cooking Surface:
When using the Cuisinart Griddler with the lid closed, the available cooking surface measures approximately 100 square inches.

When using this grill in its completely open position, you can use both plates at once so you have twice as much cooking surface area to use.

Grill weighs 8 pounds, and the shipping weight is 11 pounds. (Weights are approximate.)

What’s Included

The Cuisinart GR-4N Grill includes:

• 2 reversible grill plates – one side is ribbed, the other is flat
• Cleaning/scraping tool
• Instruction booklet with gourmet recipes

Though the unit includes only two plates, they are reversible. Because of that and the fact that the grill will open completely flat, you can use this unit in 5 different ways, as a:

• Contact Grill
• Panini Press
• Full Grill
• Full Griddle
• Half Grill, Half Griddle

What is a “Half Grill, Half Griddle”? This just means that since the plates are reversible and interchangeable, you have the option to use a flat griddle plate on one side and a ribbed grill plate on the other.

Optional Accessories

Waffle Plates: Sold separately, these non-stick baking plates are also dishwasher safe. They are designed to make deep pocketed, 3/4″ thick Belgian waffles. You can bake 4 waffles at a time.

These waffle plates can be ordered directly from the manufacturer’s website, but they’re also almost always available on Amazon. You’ll definitely want to check Amazon’s price on them before you buy.

Customer Reviews

As is not uncommon, you’ll find the usual bad reviews online from folks who received a damaged or malfunctioning unit, and they either never bothered to attempt a return, or they did receive a return or refund and good customer service yet still gave only a 1 Star review. To my mind this hardly seems fair. As far as I can determine, Cuisinart stands behind its products and honors their warranties. Nowhere could I find any evidence to the contrary.

Also worth mentioning is that you may find this grill a bit bulky for storage. There is no way to lock the unit closed so that it could be stored upright (on its side), and the handle will take up some extra space in your cabinet or pantry.

On the positive side, thousands give the GR-4N rave reviews. Owners absolutely love using it as a panini press, as well as for cooking all kinds of meats, vegetables, pancakes, eggs and other breakfast foods. Many of them mentioned how much they enjoy having the larger cooking surface when the grill is opened flat.

A few folks mentioned that removing the plates can be a little tricky until you get the hang of it, but they had no regrets. The removable plates make cleanup so quick and easy they would never go back to a grill that doesn’t have them.

Average Customer Rating (Out of 5 Stars): 4.7

Pros

• Includes reversible, interchangable, dishwasher safe plates for grilling or griddling
• Works great as a panini press
• Optional waffle plates are available and not hard to find
• Adjustable temperature controls with multiple choice of settings
• Lower price than comparable models

Cons

• Some users report problems with drainage
• Somewhat bulky for storage

Cuisinart Griddler Review – GR-4N: Summary

This is a compact little indoor grill with a lot to offer. It has all the best features of any grill in this price range, plus it offers the “open flat” option that lets you double your cooking area when you need to. The two included plates make it quite versatile, and if you like you can also buy the waffle plates to give your appliance one more function.

For all it offers, the cost is reasonable and far less than a lot of comparable models.

Considering the tremendous number of excellent reviews, the Cuisinart Griddler comes in as a top pick because it’s such a good value for this price range and has a high level of overall consumer satisfaction.

Still Undecided?

You may also want to check out these options:

• Read our Breville Smart Grill Review
• Or click here to see the Breville Smart Grill on Amazon
• See all brands on our Best Indoor Grills – Comparison Chart