Best Cuisinart Griddler: Which Model Fits Your Kitchen

The GR-4N is the Griddler we would buy again. The smooth griddle side handles pancakes, eggs, and seared scallops, while the ridged side drains fat for burgers and sausages. It also makes a very good grilled cheese, and its drip tray holds up better than the melt-prone trays on older George Foreman-style grills. After years of multiple-times-a-week use and repeated washing, the nonstick plates stay slick and wipe clean with a wet paper towel before a sink or dishwasher wash.

The heat is a mixed bag. The top plate in press mode runs cooler than the bottom, and the unit does not hold heat well when opened flat. The two dials also use different scales, degrees on the griddle side and warm-to-sear ranges on the grill side, so matching heat between modes takes a little learning. The drain spout is small, so grease can pool. Propping the front feet up helps it run toward the tray.

The GR-6SNAS replaces the GR-4N's familiar dials with a screen that offers more guidance but takes time to learn. It ranks second for frequent meat cooks because it handles four burgers closed or eight opened flat and replaces a separate contact grill and panini press. Cleanup is easy. The catch is the interface: the display and menu are not intuitive, the directions are hard to follow, and the controls take some getting used to before the presets feel natural.

The Elite takes the screen idea of the GR-6SNAS and makes it friendlier to live with. It is a very good panini press that heats evenly and cleans easily, and the one nitpick is that the top plate still runs slightly cooler than the bottom. It earns the premium spot for its programmable LCD and its 240 square inches of cooking surface. It costs the most in the lineup, so it only makes sense if you will use the programming.

After a premium pick built around programming, the GR-150 is built around sheer surface. Four large frozen burgers take about 5 minutes, and a full breakfast of sausage, bacon, hash browns, and eggs runs on one surface in about 30 minutes, which is why it feeds a family of four. Its 240-square-inch cooking area has dual-zone control, a 500F sear for up to 2 minutes, reversible dishwasher-safe nonstick plates, and a built-in drip tray. Grill plates leave grill marks but not outdoor smoky flavor, so season the meat well, and note there are no waffle plates for this one. The real concern is the lid hinge. The spring and ball bearing that let the top snap in and out of position can fail within the first few months, leaving the lid free-swinging.

Go from the family-sized GR-150 to the Compact (model GR-102) and the trade is all about footprint. It is sized for one or two people, fits a crowded counter, and handles a couple of burgers or sandwiches. Cleanup is easy: a wet paper towel lifts the grease, then the plates wash in the sink or dishwasher. Two small habits matter. Seat the plates with the drain channel toward the tray, because plates installed backwards will not drain fat. Also release the latch on the right side of the cover, or the lid pushes a panini forward as it closes. It offers five ways to cook: grill, griddle, panini press, contact grill, and half and half.

Stepping back up from the Compact to a digital display, the FIVE heats quickly with little smoke. It gets turkey burgers done in about six minutes and cooks thin chicken breast in around five minutes pressed like a panini. The plates cook crumpets, English muffins, and pancakes evenly. Ceramic waffle plates are available for it, unlike the Deluxe. Current listings call it the GR-5NAS, so check the model code when you shop.

The GR-11 cannot do much of what the rest of this lineup can. It only fits one large sandwich, a panini can slide forward as the lid closes, and the handle sits in front, so heavy pressing can tip it. There is no griddle mode and no temperature dial. Within those limits it is a pleasant little cooker: it heats fast, the nonstick coating is good, and it cooks pancakes, bacon, grilled cheese, and subs on a fixed single temperature with little smell. The floating lid settles as the sandwich warms, and the ceramic plates lift out for washing.