Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler Review

This page is a review page of the Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 griddler.

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The five in one functionality of the new GR 4N model allows it to act as a full griddle, full grill, contact grill, panini press and half grill/half griddle. Although this appliance looks similar to the older Cuisinart GR4 griddler, there are a few improvements that make the new design much better.

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 GriddlerA clear advantage of this GR 4N unit is the integrated drip tray that catches the grease without forcing you to constantly move some annoying grease-catching drip cups (like those of the previous GR4 machine).

The drip cup of the older model had to be placed under the griddle in each and every use. It was quite simple to spill the content of the cup by mistake or just place it in the wrong place. These problems can easily be avoided with the integrated grease catcher of the improved Cuisinart griddler GR-4N.

The removable cooking plates were also improved in the newer unit. In the older model there were two sets of plates: a set of griddle plates and a set of grill plates. In the new design there is only one set of reversible cooking plates, one side of each plate is flat and acts as a griddle, and the other side can be used as a grill plate.

Moreover, removing and placing the plates is easier when compared to the older machine. With the Cuisinart GR 4 griddler it was often complicated to remove and attach the cooking plates, and the user had to be cautious not to place the plates in the wrong way. In the GR-4N appliance however, there is a release button that simplifies the process of handling the cooking plates. In addition, the plates are identical so each plate can fit in either side of the unit.

A cleaning scraper tool is also provided with the newer product. Despite the fact that the plates are dishwasher safe, it’s recommended to wash the cooking plates by hand and keep them dry (the less time the plates are soaked in water, the better) – it will seriously prolong the life of the griddler. Furthermore, the scraping tool, the drip tray and the nonstick cooking plates are all dishwasher safe. This kitchen tool also comes with a gourmet recipe guide and a three year limited warranty.

Cuisinart™ Griddler™ with Removable PlatesThe brushed stainless steel housing along with the overall design of this machine make the unit appear as a quality kitchen appliance. Another feature of the griddle is the adjustable temperature controls with indicator lights.

After turning on the unit, the controls would show a red light until the cooking plates reach the desired temperature. When the green light is on it means that the Cuisinart GR 4N griddler has reached its set temperature.

Although the actual size of the cooking plates is not specified, each plate measures around 9 by 11 inches. While not as big as the average Presto electric griddle, the overall cooking surface of the GR-4N model is adequate for three people and even more.

When using the unit as a contact grill, the floating cover can be adjusted to the right thickness of food. This feature allows the user to cook a wider range of foods, yet it’s recommended to be careful when cooking thick or high fat foods with the GR 4N design. In these cases, activating the griddler on high might result in heavy grease splattering all over the place. While you can try to cook such foods on medium in order to prevent the grease from overflowing, it’s definitely not ideal for a product that costs like the Cuisinart griddle/grill.

If you want a large and bulky countertop unit that might drain the unhealthy grease more efficiently than the Cuisinart 5 in 1 griddler, it’s also possible to examine the Broil King PCG 10 electric griddle. However, it would be necessary to mention that this BroilKing professional model is not as versatile as the griddler by Cuisinart – it cannot be used as a contact grill, Panini maker or as a flat grill since the appliance only has a flat nonstick cooking surface.

The GR 4N unit distributes the heat evenly across the surface so that the various foods get properly heated. On the other hand, it can be a bit of a problem to cook fat foods with this appliance. It’s just that the drip tray doesn’t do a good job if too much grease is generated. However, low fat foods are cooked nicely and the removable cooking plates of this electrical machine are easy to clean even if you have to wash them by hand.

Even though many nonstick cookware products and units today are dishwasher safe and can be cleaned in the dishwasher, it’s necessary for you to know that it’s usually not recommended to put your non-stick product in the dishwasher (and it doesn’t matter if it’s the griddle reviewed here which is nonstick, or a different electronic tool that comes with a nonstick coating). While it may seem like an easy way to clean the cookware, in the long run it’s going to damage the cooking surface and will shorten the life of the product. And it’s safe to say that the majority of consumers don’t really want their kitchen products to last a relatively short time (in this case, the longer the electrical appliance lasts the better). So, if you decide to buy the Cuisinart griddler GR-4N or any other nonstick design, try to wash it by hand and not in the dishwasher. A better maintained electrical or cooking gadget will allow its users to cook a wider range of recipes, like cheese recipes that you are able to find more than enough on various internet sites and other places as well. And in case you wish to prepare delicious desserts at your personal kitchen, you’ll need to have professional cookware (such as the popular Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 griddler) and posses the required cooking skills that would enable you to end up with tasty dishes or desserts.

24 thoughts on “Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler Review”

  1. Does anyone know if the griddler plates are interchangeable between machines? Our original griddler did not come with waffle plates. If I purchased these would they fit my machine.

  2. I have only used my Griddler one time and the second time I turned it on, the green lights on both front knobs flash continuously and the Griddler does not heat at all. Does anyone know why?

  3. The first time we used it the top latch assembly broke. We took it back to Bed Bath and got a new one. This one was fine the first time, but the second time we are again having problems with the top latches.

  4. We’re on our second GR-4N and like the way it works (except for it’s very poor drainage). And for the second time the top griddle latches melted internally and fell out. I wish I could order them and just replace them when they fall out.

    • we had same problem… top grill latches melted out after 1 yr old… hopefully we can get it replaced…

  5. I have to say that I love this unit. I bought the griddler by cuisinart and used it for sandwiches, paninis toasts and a couple of meats – it does a great job but it was hard to clean sometimes, especially the grates. I liked the fact that you can cook so many foods with it, I still have lots of recipes to try.

  6. We recently purchased your GR-4N and found it to be totally unacceptable at grilling hamburgers. The grease pours out trough the back and goes no where close to the drip pan and when you open the unit up to check on your cooking progress the grease pours off the top half on to the counter top. It may work for grilling bread but not for cooking any meat with a fat content. We have several other Cuisinart products and have found them to be well designed and a good value. This was a very poor purchase and would never recommend it.

    • I just purchased the griddler as well. I am not pleased with it. Like Jon Said the grease just runs out one corner of the grill onto the counter, the drip pan as dry as a bone. I also have several Cuisinart products and this one is by far very dissapointing.

  7. We just recd this griddle as a gift but cannot understand his it drains fat. We have not used it yet but own a George foreman grill which is tilted and allow grease to drain. This one does not have any holes in the plates and is not tilted so someone please explain how the grease drains and if it needs internal cleaning?

  8. Can someone tell me why there are two controls, one for griddle and one for pannini/grill? Do the elements heat differently on one setting or another or what?

    • Hi Patrick,
      I was also a bit confused the first time I saw the controls of the Cuisinart 5 in 1 griddler. You can use the selector – the middle knob – in order to select one of the other two knobs (the griddle or the grill/panini). I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t think there is a big difference between these two controls and I would even be brave enough to say that both of the knobs perform exactly the same.. but it’s just my perspective.

  9. I’ve owned the George foreman grill for a couple of years and was pleased with it, although it was very hard for me to clean it.
    So after looking for a griddle or grill that would be versatile enough for a wide range of foods I’ve decided to get this multi functional griddler – and I was surprised to see how easy it was to clean the plates of this unit. It heats up way faster than the George foreman, it usually takes several minutes for it to heat up and it created a bit of a mess when I tried to grill some thick burgers. However I’ve managed to cook great panini’s with the cuisinart griddler and the pancakes ended up tasting very good.

  10. Can anyone tell me if the Griddler is 110-220v? Thanks

    • Sorry if this is an old post, there are no dates and I just came across it because I’m looking for a 220 v one. The one we had in the states was 110 and did NOT say that it was dual voltage, so we did not bring it with us.

  11. Be careful. I purchased this grill/panani press and have used i for about 4 weeks. Tonight the handles that hold the grill in place melted and fell out when I opened it. Hopefully Costco will take it back and make cuisinart aware of this.

    • I was quite surprised to hear that you had this problem with the Cuisinart grill/panini press. I guess you got a defective product and Costco really should take it back. I actually bought the Cuisinart gr 4n 5 in 1 griddler at Bed Bath and beyond and had no problems with it so far. Although it’s less good with thick steaks the griddle actually cooks panini’s and pancakes exactly the way I like them.

    • we had same problem… top grill latches melted out after 1 yr old… hopefully we can get it replaced… got ours from BB&B

  12. My close friend recently told me that he’s looking for a new panini press (he’ll have a birthday in a few weeks) and I thought that it would be an added bonus to get a panini press that is also a grill & griddle. And my friend, he is not a professional or something like that but sometimes his dishes are quite good. I wanted to make sure that the cuisinart 5 in 1 griddler is good as a panini press, or should I get the cuisinart gr-1 griddler? I mean, it’s cheaper and I understand that it’s a good unit but cannot be used as a grill or griddle like the Cuisinart 5 in 1.

  13. Ok, I wanted to compare Cuisinart GR-4 to GR-4N, so I guess that the Cuisinart GR-4N is more advanced than the other one. Why CAN’T Amazon and other sites mention which product is newer? Anyway, I found the answer here, thanks.

  14. We have been using the Cuisinart griddler GR-4N for 2-3 months and we LOVE it so far. It really is easy to clean, and the food is delicious. However, it could be much better if the griddler would be larger, and it did take me some time to get used to cooking plates, but there are no other complaints.

  15. Well, after comparing the cuisinart gr-4 vs gr-4n it seems that the gr-4n is the superior griddler. The removable plates sound like a nice idea, but the cuisinart griddler is not so cheap. On the other hand, if it does heat evenly as people say it may be a good choice.

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