Cuisinart Griddler

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Claire

Master Chef
Joined
Sep 4, 2004
Messages
7,967
Location
Galena, IL
I've owned it for a year, and been happy with it overall. Then tonight I went to make blintzes and bacon for supper. I was going to do the bacon either on the stove or in the microwave and husband said, why not do it on the griddler (where I was going to cook the blintzes anyway). So I opened it up and put 4 slices of thick bacon on each half and the next thing I knew, there was a puddle, major puddle, of bacon fat on my counter! I'd told him it might be more fat than the appliance could handle, and boy was I right. I assumed that maybe the drip pan had over-flowed, but, no, not even half full. We tried to find where the "leak" was, but couldn't. I was fearful that the grease had gotten somehow under the griddle, into the heat coils, but really couldn't touch it (it stays too hot to handle for hours after cooking), so went ahead, very carefully, and wiped up as much grease as I could, then cooked the blintzes and unplugged. When it had cooled enough to handle, husband washed the plates and I started cleaning. Some had, indeed, gone into the coils. But not much, so I cleaned that up. Then when I went to clean the exterior, closing the appliance, another puddle of grease poured out of the exhaust vents of what is the top when you close it to make paninis, Cubans, steaks, chops, etc. I was appalled. Easily a tablespoon of bacon fat poured out of this vent.

Just a warning. Do not cook bacon on the "top" half of the appliance when using it in that mode. This wasn't particularly fatty bacon; it was two strips of thick bacon. I really see this as a fire hazard.
 
IT appears the griddler has been redesigned with a drip tray under the plates.

I have an older model of the the griddler. On mine, the flat griddle plates have a rim around the edge so the fat can't run off. One corner is fashioned into a run off spout so the fat can run off into the plastic cups provided to catch it.

It appears they "improved the design" on the newer models.
 
Mine has all that. As the puddle of bacon fat formed, we couldn't figure where it was going that it was on the counter. The spouts to the drip pan seemed to be unclogged, none was running over the edge. All I could think was under, into the heating coils, but when disassembled there was negligable fat there. Just when I closed it to clean did fat come out of one of these heating vents in the top.
 
Mine has all that. As the puddle of bacon fat formed, we couldn't figure where it was going that it was on the counter. The spouts to the drip pan seemed to be unclogged, none was running over the edge. All I could think was under, into the heating coils, but when disassembled there was negligable fat there. Just when I closed it to clean did fat come out of one of these heating vents in the top.

Mine doesn't have vents on the top.
 
This one has three vents on the back of the top side, between the hinges. Three of them. The middle one was pouring out bacon fat. Anyway, I'm still pretty happy with it overall, just won't do bacon on the left side (when in griddle position) again. Strikes me as being dangerous.
 
That is very concerning. The possibility of fire is real. I'll have to watch mine more carefully next time I use it.
 
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