Indoor grills are among the most useful kitchen appliances. Whether you are in a hurry, on the road, or simply can’t grill outside, indoor grills and small griddles are always there to assist you in whipping up something delicious in a flash while taking up minimal space.
There are levels to the indoor grill game though, and we wanted to know what is the best indoor grill/griddle, the classic George Foreman Grill vs. the Cuisinart Electric Griddler.
For our comparison, we are looking at the base models of the George Foreman Grill and the Cuisinart Electric Griddler.
This breakdown will first review each item independently before comparing the two in a handful of important categories.
Table of contents
Cuisinart Electric Griddler
Up first for review is the Cuisinart Electric Griddler. Slowly becoming one of the most used kitchen appliances in 2020, this versatile machine delivers ideal indoor grilling and more.
- ENDLESS FUNCTIONS: The Griddler FIVE has a sleek contemporary design and used as a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle and half grill/half griddle for endless options
- EASY TO USE: LCD Display shows function, temperature, and timer with user-friendly digital controls, top cover and handlebar for easy use
- MUST-HAVE FEATURES: Adjustable temperatures from 175 - 450 degrees with a sear function
- INCLUDED: Removable and reversible dishwasher-safe nonstick cooking plates that store easily, dishwasher-safe scraping tool for easy cleanup, instruction manual and gourmet recipes for your enjoyment
- LIMITED 3-YEAR WARRANTY: Refer to user manual for troubleshooting steps and questions surrounding warranty policies – this product is BPA free
The Cuisinart Griddler has dimensions of 8.75 x 16 x 13.75 inches, and is a quite compact machine, especially when not in use.
Users get to choose from five different cooking options along with a huge temperature range (170F-450F). This griddler is equipped with user friendly digital controls to easily dictate the temperature and timer of the cooking process.
Versatile is an understatement when it comes to the Cuisinart Griddler. With the griddle and grill surfaces included, breakfast, dinner, and anything in between can be cooked up by the Cuisinart Electric Griddler. Quality, nonstick cooking surface ensures an even cook to your foods.
In addition to being easy to use, the Cuisinart Griddler is also easy to clean. Pop out any of the dishwasher-safe non-stick cooking plates after use.
No need for excessive scrubbing or scraping, as nonstick surfaces will come clean with one wash. Do not use metal utensils on the cooking surface, as they will likely leave scratches.
Reviews of this product were overwhelmingly positive, with many of the satisfied buyers excited to have found such a versatile tool in their kitchen.
Busy parents loved the ease of using this to make multiple breakfasts in time-crunched mornings, citing how easy it is to set up and clean.
Pros
Customizable temperature
This Cuisinart Electric Griddler has a temperature range of 170F-450F degrees, which is extremely useful when cooking in the kitchen.
This makes this Griddler such an indispensable piece of equipment that no kitchen should go without.
From bacon to burgers, to pancakes and anything else in between, the customizable temperatures on the Cuisinart Griddler makes it such a unique, must-have product.
5-in-1 cooking options
The Cuisinart Electric Griddler has five different cooking options. These options include :
Contact Grill
Contact grill option is the default option, or simply grilling on the non-stick surface tray. With this method, the top and bottom are used, with the bottom pressing down on grilled food.
Panini press
This method is used to add a crisp to sandwiches and other foods.
Full Grill
Instead of using top surface to press down on foods, the Cuisinart Griddler can open up, allowing for both surfaces to be used as grilling surfaces.
Full Griddle
Remove the grilling tray surfaces and you are now using the griddle method. Open up the top for a full griddle cooking surface, perfect for bacon, eggs, and other breakfast foods.
Half Grill/Half Griddle
Get the best of both worlds with one side griddle and one side grilling tray.
Add-on cooking trays available
If the five cooking options weren’t enough for you, Cuisinart has even more trays that can be used to cook additional foods. Waffle plates, bacon trays, and other specialized add-on items are available, making the cooking options with the Cuisinart Electric Griddler truly endless.
Cons
- It costs more than $100.00
George Foreman 5-Serving Removable Plate Grill and Panini Press
As one of the best known names in the indoor grilling niche, the George Foreman Grill has always been one of the most trusted indoor appliances of the last decade or two. This trust came from satisfied customers who appreciated the simplicity and usefulness of these grills.
- Removable Plates - Easy cleanup is essential, and that’s what the removable grill plates are all about. Pop them in the dishwasher after grilling and they’ll be ready to go for your next meal
- Premium Ceramic Coating - Time for an upgrade! Ceramic is the key to our improved nonstick coating. It’s 5x more durable, stain- and fade-resistant.
- Fat-Removing Slope - It’s the sure sign of a George Foreman Grill. The sloped grilling surface helps remove up to 42% of fat from meats for lean, tasty meals. Removable Grill Plates - The top and bottom grill plates are completely removable, and cool-touch plastic grips make them easy to handle
- Drip Tray - The dishwasher-safe drip tray collects excess fat and grease so you don’t have to. How nice is that
- Drip Tray - The dishwasher-safe drip tray collects excess fat and grease so you don’t have to. How nice is that?
When reviewing the George Foreman 5-Serving Removable Plate Grill and Panini Press, this same simplicity was still present, but not much more than that.
The George Foreman 5-Serving Removable Plate Grill and Panini Press easily cover the basics of an indoor grill. With one grilling/panini press heat, whatever needs to be grilled or cooked simply goes between the two grilling surfaces.
It is clear by the design of the George Foreman 5-Serving Removable Plate Grill and Panini Press that making an indoor grill that was easy and quick to use and just as quick and easy to clean was the priority. The cooking plates slide easily in and out of place and are dishwasher-safe.
The George Foreman Grill is one of the most well-known names in the kitchen industry and is also one of the most positively rated. Reviewers loved the ease of using this machine, as it is accessible to the whole family for quick and simple meals that are just as easy to clean up after.
Pros
Ease of setup and use
The beauty of the George Foreman Grill lies in the simplicity of the machine. Simply plug it in, wait for it to quickly preheat, and throw your meats, vegetables, or other items you’re grilling on the grill. With easy removal of cooking plates, it doesn’t get any more simple than grilling with the George Foreman Grill.
Fat-removing slope / trey
One trademark characteristic of any George Foreman Grill is the fat-removing slope and fat-catching trey. Made to cook out excess fats from your foods, the sloping of the George Foreman Grill will lean up your meats, making meals more healthy.
Cons
Limited cooking options
With the lone grilling surface and little to no temperature control on the George Foreman Grill, cooking options are limited to grilling and pressing sandwiches and other foods that need this kind of heat.
Uneven cooking is possible
Some reviewers have mentioned that the bottom of the George Foreman Grill can get hotter than the top, which can cause problems with even cooking. This problem often occurs with larger foods in the grill, as these types of foods make it harder for the top cooking surface to close fully and evenly over the foods.
George Foreman Grill v. Cuisinart Griddler conclusion
After a thorough review of each product, it’s time to break down the differences between these two indoor grilling powerhouses and decide which one is the best.
Cooking diversity : Cuisinart Griddler
With customizable temperatures ranging from 175F to 500F degrees and five different cooking options to choose from, the Cuisinart Griddler is by far the more dynamic of the two indoor grills.
While the George Foreman Grill is somewhat bound to grilling meats and pressing sandwiches, the five options of contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, and half grill/half griddle make the Cuisinart Griddler the obvious winner in this category.
Size of cooking surface : Cuisinart Griddler
The Cuisinart Griddler has dimensions of 8.75 x 16 x 13.75 while the George Foreman Grill has dimensions of inches and 5.50 x 16.50 x 11.13 inches.
Both cooking surfaces are the same size, but the ability for the Cuisinart Griddler to open up into two cooking surfaces makes it twice as much cooking surface as its George Foreman counterpart.
Cleanup : Draw
Both grills have quality non-stick cooking surfaces that are a breeze to clean up. Likewise, both machines are quite easy to assemble and take apart, resulting in a tie for this category.
Cooking performance : Cuisinart Griddler
When comparing the cooking performance of the two, the Cuisinart Griddler came out on top for a few reasons. For starters, the customizable temperature settings were easier to cook with as compared to the one temperature option of the George Foreman Grill.
There were also a small number of negative reviews that claimed the George Foreman Grill was hotter on the bottom than on the top, resulting in uneven cooking. For these reasons, the Cuisinart Griddler takes the points in the cooking performance category.
Value : Draw
The most popular color and design of the George Foreman Grill comes in at…. , while the most popular design of the Cuisinart Electric Griddler comes in at ….. Both represent great value for the price.
At under $……., the George Foreman Grill is the standard of small, indoor grills; But for an additional $……, the Cuisinart Griddler is impeccable value considering the five different cooking methods. Both products are easy to use and are well crafted, leaving this category to a draw.
Overall Winner : Cuisinart Griddler
After all the dust has settled, it looks like we have a clear-cut winner in the Cuisinart Griddler. The griddler simply outperformed the George Foreman Grill in a number of important categories, but particularly stood out when it came to the amounts of different foods that could be cooked on the Cuisinart Griddler compared to the George Foreman Grill.
The Griddler had a much wider range of foods it could cook due to the superior temperature control. If you are looking for the best machine to grill foods, you could choose either indoor griller, but for an overall cooking experience, the Cuisinart Electric Griddler is the only choice here.
FAQ
Most people are aware what a George Foreman Grill is but some are confused as to what a Griddler is. We answer some of these questions below for your convenience
What is a Griddler ?
Good question. A Griddler is a cooking utensil with an flat cooking surface.
What is a Griddler used for ?
A Griddler is great for cooking meats and vegetables as well as bacon and eggs and other breakfast dishes. The amazing thing about the Griddler is it can be used to cook just about anything. Its versatility is a reason it’s so popular.
Is the Cuisinart Griddler smokeless?
There is a deluxe model that has a smoke-less mode as seen below
- ENDLESS FUNCTIONS: 6 cooking options in one machine including a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, half grill/half griddle, and top melt
- EASY TO USE: Electronic LCD display and blue LED indicator lights, Dual zone temperature control and 60-minute countdown timer with user-friendly digital controls, adjustable top cover and lock for storage with handlebar for easy use
- MUST-HAVE FEATURES: Large grilling surface of 240-square-inches and sear function at 500-degree Fahrenheit for up to 2 minutes at a time with integrated drip tray
- INCLUDED: Removable and reversible dishwasher-safe nonstick cooking plates that store easily, dishwasher-safe accessories, scraping tool for easy cleanup, instruction manual and gourmet recipes for your enjoyment
- LIMITED 3-YEAR WARRANTY: Refer to user manual for troubleshooting steps and questions surrounding warranty policies – this product is BPA free
Can I cook a steak on a griddle?
Absolutely. In fact, it may just be the best steak you’ve ever cooked. The Griddle is meant exactly for such tasks.
What does a Griddler do?
Perhaps this should have been answered firstly but without sounding too redundant, it enables people to cook great food easily. It is simply a flat cooking surface. Usually a metal plate.
Last update on 2023-09-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
