The Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler: a Multipurpose Grill, Griddle, Panini Press, and Waffle Maker

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Don’t you love kitchen appliances that can multitask?

The Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler is the ultimate in kitchen versatility, with five separate cooking functions including a full, 200-square-inch cooking surface – and all neatly packaged into a small storage profile.

Clever engineering provides two cooking surfaces that can be used open or closed and makes it suitable for any meal – a leisurely Sunday brunch for the family, a quick dinner for one, or perfectly grilled sandwiches for the lunchtime crew.

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler available on Amazon

Designed for user-friendly convenience, it’s a valuable addition to your cookware collection.

Here’s what we’re covering in this review:

• Grill Plates and Floating Hinge
• Control Panel and Programs
• Construction, Details, and Specs
• Pros and Cons
• Overall Rating

Grill Plates and Floating Hinge

The keys to the Cuisinart’s versatility are in the floating, hinged cover and the reversable cooking plates.

The plates have raised ‘Grill’ ridges on one side and a smooth, flat ‘Griddle’ surface on the other.

The Grill side is ideal for healthy menu choices as the ridges drain fat and grease away from food – making it the perfect cooking surface for burgers, chicken, kabobs, meat, or vegetables.

And the smooth side is best suited for foods such as bacon, eggs, French toast, hash browns, pancakes, sausages, or seared foods like scallops.

When used as a contact press, the smart floating hinge and handle permits the cover to adjust itself to the thickness of any food on the cooking plate. The cover then rests in place for even cooking, browning both sides simultaneously.

And to convert the press into a full-sized grilling surface, the cover opens backwards 180 degrees for a second open surface with the wide handle providing a sturdy base. Just press the hinge release lever and open the cover until the handle firmly contacts with the countertop.

These two features give the Cuisinart 5-in-1 five different applications:

1. Contact grill
2. Panini press
3. Full electric grill
4. Full griddle
5. Half grill and half griddle

As a contact grill or Panini press, it uses dual heating elements, one in the cover and one in the base.

The heated cover helps food to cook evenly and quickly, retains juices, and removes the need to flip foods – ideal for boneless, thin-cut meats, burgers, and thin-cut veggies or to toast bread, quesadillas, and sandwiches.

As a full grill, griddle, or half and half, the cover is released and opened backwards to create a flat, open surface of 200 square inches. Choose cooking surfaces as desired to create a full surface – or use one of each to create a half and half surface.

Control Panel and Programs

The control panel is located center front and consists of three large dials for function selection and adjustable temperatures.

The ‘Griddle’ temperature control dial has available temperatures of 200-425°F and ‘Grill-Panini’ temperature selection ranges from Warm through to Sear. And the ‘Selection’ dial is used to choose between the two functions.

Once the Selection dial has been turned to the desired setting, a red light illuminates to indicate power has been turned on. And a green light illuminates once the desired temperature has been reached.

When finished cooking, turn the Selector dial control to Off position, unplug the power cord, and allow to cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before touching – and always allow the plates to cool before removing or reversing.

Construction, Details, and Specs

Solid construction and quality materials ensure the Cuisinart 5-in-1 provides convenience and versatility when you need it to.

The cooking plates are constructed of nonstick coated, die-cast aluminum that fit in either the top or bottom housing units. To set in place, just slide into the mounting brackets, align the plate notches with the brackets, then snap into place. To remove, press the upper or lower plate button to free from the bracket then slide the plate out.

Each plate has a drip spout that needs to be positioned at the rear of the unit to drain grease and drippings into the integrated drip tray – which slides into the base and collects greasy cooking residue.

The upper and lower housing units are made of sleek stainless steel and features a full, panini handle that can be gently pressed to make full contact with sandwich bread. The handle is also made of sturdy cast aluminum and has a protective, heat-proof covering.

The Griddler measures approximately 17 x 13 x 10 inches, the cooking plates measure 11 x 9 inches, weighs 10.5 pounds, and comes with Cuisinart’s limited 3-year warranty.

It uses 1500 watts, and all parts that contact food are BPA-free.

Avoid using metal utensils or abrasive cleaners on the nonstick cooking plates and use the included cleaning/scraping tool to safely clean any remaining food residue.

The cooking plates, drip tray, and scraper are all dishwasher safe. And the base, cover, and control panel dials can be wiped down with a damp cloth then buffed with a soft, dry cloth.

Want to transform it into a full functioning waffle maker? Compatible waffle plates can also be purchased separately.

Cuisinart GR-WAFP Griddler Waffle Plates available on Amazon

Pros and Cons

Pros…

• Gives a full 200 square inches of cooking surface.
• Has a small storage footprint.
• The versatile cooking plates give multiple applications to one appliance.
• It comes with a well-written Instruction Manual, gourmet recipes, and scraping tool.

…and Cons

• Grease management could be improved with a larger drain spout. In the meantime, place a couple of pot holders under the front legs to help drain grease away from food.

Foodal’s Rating

Smart Versatility

Any appliance that provides multiple functions and retains a small storage footprint gets a big nod of approval from our test kitchen.

The reversible cooking plates with dual surfaces and floating cover give the Cuisinart Griddler great flexibility, making it suitable to use at any meal – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Well-constructed and with a three-year warranty, the dependable Cuisinart is thoughtfully designed and delivers even heat, multiple configurations, and quick and easy cleanup. Great value for the price.

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler available on Amazon

If you folks have any favorite ideas or questions about this appliance, drop us a line in the comments below. And be sure to read our complete buying guide to electric griddles for more information.

Photos by Mike Quinn, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details.