Cuisinart Griddler Questions

[tenspeed]

I picked up a Cuisinart Griddler for those winter days when it's too cold / windy / snowy to grill outdoors. I have a few questions for you Griddler owners.

How much smoke and spattering can I expect when cooking burgers? I have the option of using it in the workshop in the garage, where the temperature rarely gets much colder than 35 F (and no wind!). There is a smoke detector in the garage, but I can ventilate it rather quickly.

Does it put out enough heat to use it opened, or is it better to close it so it's cooking on both sides whenever possible?

Can you grill a thick bone-in piece of meat (such as a 1" plus thick pork chop), or is a somewhat thinner piece preferable? I'm gathering that bone-in pieces of meat are better cooked with the grill opened.

Are fish steaks (such as swordfish or salmon) better cooked with the grill opened or closed? Fish cooks fairly quickly, and I don't want to overcook it, which I'm guessing can happen rather quickly if both sides are in contact with the Griddler.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Andy M.]

I always grill burgers on the seat setting with the lid closed. There is some smoke but I use the stove hood to take care of that. It’s fast enough to grill burgers in 3 to 4 minutes depending on thickness. You have to grill the T-bone steak with the griddler open as the bone will interfere with contact of the meat against the griddle surface with the lid closed. I would choose to cook fish fillets with the grill open so I can monitor the degree of donness more easily.

 

[caseydog]

I use mine mostly like a panini press for sandwiches. But, I have used it to cook meat.

I only did a steak on it once, and it did make a considerable amount of smoke. Burgers smoke, too, but they cook pretty fast. The smoke is about the same as pan frying the same meat.

I have done bone-in, thick pork chops, and they worked just fine, although I still prefer other methods, such as sous vide and sear. The Griddler would probably work well for the sear part, if you turn it up to high. The bone didn't seem to cause any problem.

I have never used mine "open," like a griddle. I can do the same thing with a skillet.

As for fish, I have never tried cooking it on the Griddler. There again, I prefer to sous vide and sear, or pan sauté my fish, which is usually a delicate fish, like cod. I can see possibilities for a meatier fish working well on the Griddler. Perhaps a tuna steak you want to sear and leave rare inside. You could do that with the Griddler closed.

BTW, the Griddler makes outstanding pressed sandwiches, like paninis and grilled cheese. I make a killer Cuban on it (see below). Oh, quesadillas too!

CD

 

[Andy M.]

The griddler is our go to tool for pancakes. We also use it for Cuban sandwiches. Chicken breasts should be uniform thickness to cook properly.

 

[caseydog]

The griddler is our go to tool for pancakes. We also use it for Cuban sandwiches. Chicken breasts should be uniform thickness to cook properly.

Yes, I butterfly chicken breasts most of the time no matter how I cook them, but it is really important on the Griddler. As long as you butterfly them, chicken breasts turn out very well on the Griddler. Great for grilled chicken sandwiches.

CD