Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm a chef, so perhaps my expectations are too high, but I was entirely disappointed in this product. It has so much promise, but it looks and feels cheaply made. It is very light, and it rattles when you move it because none of the parts fit snugly. I can't imagine it has the durability to last long especially if is used a lot. The grease trap is awkward and a bit of a challenge to remove. It does not cook well. The handbook says it takes 10 minutes to heat up - try more like 20 minutes. The minute you put food on it, the temperature drops precipitously, so for most of the cooking time, the grill is struggling to get up to temp. The pannini function is sketchy at best because the top griddle is not heavy enough to heat product effectively or to get good grill marks. As a professional cook, I would not purchase or recommend this product. A good cast iron skillet does a better job and lasts forever. As it is, the griddle does not live up to the Cusinart name, which until I ordered this, has always meant good quality products that cook well and last a long time - not this one.