Claire
Master Chef
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.
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.