Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Great product. Had the smaller Cuisinart that had a diff temp between top and bottom cooking grids, single temp control for both. Replaced with this Deluxe model. It is classy looking as others posted. Functions I appreciate are: 6 position Adjustable floating lid, separate temp controls for top and bottom. Range from 200 Warm to 450 High + 500 Sear mode. Higher watts in this model made a big difference and so far, temps are equal with both controls on same temp. Lid locks closed where smaller model did not lock closed when storing. Larger cooking area, even for 2 people. Now can make full sized sandwiches with large sourdough bread. Improved drip tray runs along rear of griddle. Angled in open position so grease flows to back and into drip tray. Also grids have angles at rear to guide flow of liquid into channel for drip tray. Other models lack that angle in grids and others reported grease running off back of grids onto counter. Also like that I can preheat for cooking @ 350. Then push top, bottom or both sear buttons. Red light comes on until reaches 500 degrees, then flashes green 10 seconds (time to put meat on), then 2 minute sear and shuts off sear temp. Then returns to original preset cooking temp. Much better design and function than the GN4N smaller model. If you are looking to use it to cook, grill and make great sandwiches on a lot, pay the extra money and get this model. They also make the Elite which is more money and has LCD panel, same functions as this model. I am very pleased with this model and look forward to using it for tomorrow nights steak dinner. UPDATE! Used my new GR-150 to cook burgers and last night, New York Steaks, came out wonderful. I am real picky about meat and this gem does not cook out the flavor like some indoor cookers tend to do. Purchased a 2nd one today as a surprise gift for daughter and son-in-law. They have an old Cuisinart just plug it in, one temp, no reversable plates. Did not include a msg on the gift card. So they will one by one call every person in their large fam to see who to thank! Of course, I am the only one who knows, even my wife will not know. Eventually she will put two and two together when she sees they received identical as my new one. Last comment the separate temp controls are the way to go and my model heats evenly between top and bottom when on same temp setting. Last tip since it is stainless top. When you remove the long sticker on the top, it will leave an imprint of where the sticker was. You will not feel glue but will see the square where it was. Took me awhile to get rid of it! Did like I do on my stainless bbq hood. Put small amount of Goop Off Liquid on paper towel or soft rag. Lightly rub with grain of stainless. Then final dry wipe down with clean lint free rag along grain. The obvious square will be gone forever. If you clean the top and get water spots, etc. A little goop off as a final rub will remove all of the above. UPDATE: Cooked steaks on griddler, came out perfect (used meat thermo). But some splatter on sides from gap between plates. Lifted bottom plates off and placed aluminum foil along edge and down sides, then put grill plate back on. Also draped aluminum along front as prev steak had grease splatter on controls. See photo as the foil trick did the job! No grease spatter to clean off griddler! Also made our first McMuffin today. Poached eggs first with pancake ring on griddle smooth plate side. Wiped off and built our English muffin, poached egg, Canadian bacon, topped with sliced medium cheddar. Preheated grill plates closed @400 degrees. When green light came on, sandwiches onto griddle plate. Then floated adjustable lid to contact top bun. Did not put anything onto bun inside or out. Let is cook at 400 until good cheese melt, 5 minutes. Then turned off and let sit with lid closed another 2 min. Removed and served wonderful McD's style breakfast. Was so easy and tasty, not dry and buns were lightly crisp but not browned like when using oil on top bottom. Wife loved hers and I added small amount of black raspberry all fruit to the inside top bun, yummy! See photos. Purchased 2 more of these for our children and small family. Like product the more I use it! Worth the extra $$ compared to smaller unit with much less features. I use a meat thermometer when cooking meat on grill. Takes guesswork out of when its done! I like my steak medium rare, wife prefers medium well. Problem when on same grill in closed position. Problem solved! I use the ThermoPro TC-10 meat thermometer, which has meat type presets (or you can program specific temp if you wish). I preheat griddler @ 450 closed position. After 8min preheat, I press the two sear buttons, which turn red. After 3-4min they flash green, which gives me 10 seconds to place meat on grill, then light turns solid green (sear) for 2 minutes. After 2 min, sear light turns off and top and bottom temp control lights come back on green (they turn off during sear mode). Quickly, I lift top 1/3 open and with oven mitt, push down on front to unlock swivel. Then slide side height slide adjuster to 3rd click and immediately close lid onto steaks. Sounds like a lot but after couple times you'll be quick at the routine. The 3rd click will work great for most of my closed cooking, with burger patties and steaks up to 1" thick. Finally insert wireless temp probe into side of meat thru space between plates and turn onto desired setting. Set it at Beef, Medium (for wife). With the Thermo Pro, it flashes blue when probe above 50, then when within 10 degrees of cooked temp, flashes green. I then pull my steak off quickly and close lid to finish wifes steak. When cooked medium, unity will flash Red and beep. Hers is now cooked the way she likes it and mine is not overcooked. Used the ThermoPro to cook hamburgers, selected ground beef on menu. Did the blue, green and red cycles. Removed hamb patties right away and set aside for 5min rest. They were cooked medium, no pink, juicy and tasty. No more greasy in the skillet meat for us! ThermoPro also makes the TC-11 which has a wireless remote! One piece is probe which displays meat temp on unit base. Wireless remote is where you program easy menu and get the temp + color screens. I have one of each. Quick hamburger, I use the TC-10 without remote. If cooking something slower and lazy, I use the wireless remote model so can monitor while watching TV. Both models work great and I have found them very usefull when cooking meat on this griddler. Especially not having to guess the proper cooking temps. Just pick the meat type and the ThermoPro does the rest. There are things which are not in the book that I found out by trial and error. For example, my other recent lower priced and smaller Cuisinart was double adjusters for temp but basically did same. 1 temp for top and bottom. This model cooks perfect with same temp but adjustable! So, top bottom cooking, both knobs go on same temp. If I want to turn top or bottom off, have that option. Or turn 1 higher lower than other. The prev model did not mention that sear only stays on for 2 min and shuts off. When I contacted Mfg, they had not a clue and said defective, pay $12 ship and $12 return for exchange, I think not! Turns out this model explains that the sear mode works 2min and shuts off as it is designed! Other was not defective after all! What really makes this model stand out is with most of their other models, the set temp will turn on for awhile, then turn off, sometimes for to long, then cycle back on. Have counted as high as 12 min between cycles! So food temp goes up and down with the plate temps. This model DOES NOT CYCLE and I thought at first defective. Contacted mfg and at least they knew this one is designed to maintain constant temp! So green light on knobs will not turn on off on this unit which is IDEAL! Constant cooking temp is the safe and effective way to cook! We have a flattop elec stove does same thing! Burner gets hot, cycles on and off, cannot keep constant temp, very aggravating. I will be using this more and more to cook with. Hope you enjoy my photos