If you have a griddle you love and you wonder why you’d ever trade it in, you have to take a look at the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe. This griddle doesn’t just make pancakes; it makes pancakes and bacon at the same time, sears steak, fries up a great burger, and makes the perfect panini. I tested out the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe for two weeks, using it almost every day, and there’s nothing this griddle can’t handle. It also has a few convenient features that make it a go-to small appliance you will use every day.
Appearance and features of Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe
The Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe is a foldable grill. It has a 240-inch non-stick cooking surface and it weighs 7.48 kg.
- Gives you six ways to cook including contact grill, full griddle, full grill, half grill/half griddle, Panini press, and top melt
- Dual-zone temperature control so you can set the temperature for each side of the grill
- SearBlast button will sear your steak or crisp your bacon
- Family-sized grill makes pancakes and bacon or bacon and eggs at the same time
- Panini-press can be set by height so you can press down on your sandwich or just melt the top
- Grease trap catches all grease and is easy to clean
- Removable and reversible grill/griddle plates are dishwasher safe
Testing Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe
I’ve had the same griddle for at least 10 years, but I never thought much about upgrading it until I tried the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe. I had no idea a griddle could have so many different functions, and I made use of them every day I was testing it.
Reversible grill plates
If you have a standard griddle the way I do, with a long flat surface, you wipe it clean before you put it away. If it becomes really dirty you will have to scrub at it to get it clean, and over the years it’s become more difficult to get it really clean as food accumulates in the gaps between the grill and the casing.
With the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe, the grill plates are removable. You just press on the sides to pop them off. Even better? They are dishwasher safe so you don’t have to scrub at them.
Removing the plates means you can switch up how you cook. Instead of cooking bacon and eggs or pancakes on your griddle and having the bacon grease drip into your eggs, everything can be kept separate. You can have pancakes on one side, bacon and eggs on the other.
Different temperatures for both sides of the grill
You can adjust the heat on both sides of the grill, and this is a fantastic option if you’re cooking a family-sized brunch. Normally we cook pancakes on our griddle and bacon in a pan or in the oven. I could easily fit six medium-pancakes on one side of the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe and 5 pieces of bacon on the other, and having them all cook together at the same time on the same grill meant that a full breakfast was served all at once instead of in stages. I love the adjustable temperature for both sides, because I tend to cook bacon at a higher heat than pancakes.
We cooked bacon at 375 to 400 and it came out perfect. We did try the sear function on the bacon because my son loves crispy bacon. He liked how it turned out, but you really have to watch over it while searing. SearBlast will turn up the temp to 500 for about 2 minutes, so if you’re not hovering you’ll end up with really crispy bacon.
I also loved how the surface of the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe was very flat and level when it was extended into a full griddle. That meant the eggs I cooked didn’t leave a long trail of egg white the way my grill does when I cracked them right on the surface.
The Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe is not just for breakfast
If you only used the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe for breakfast, you’d be missing out on some amazing lunches and dinners. It can sear steak to perfection, leaving those great grill lines on the meat, and it works just as well with chicken breast. I experimented with the flat grill surface and the griddle, turning SearBlast off and on depending on how far into the cooking process I was. I found I liked how the griddle would cook chicken, but the steak was pretty great on the flat surface too.
I think comes down to a matter of preference, but after using the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe I feel like I’m a flat surface girl for burgers and a griddle for steak and chicken.
A better grease trap for easy cleanup
The grease trap on the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe sits between the grills. While my own griddle has a grease trap, it’s attached to the appliance and sits at the front end. That makes clean up more difficult because you have to wipe an attached basket out. With the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe, the grease trap fills up and you just slide it out and wipe it down. It’s a small convenience, but I love it.
Panini anyone?
The Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe makes Paninis so well my entire family is asking me to upgrade to this grill. I could make four small Panini or two large and one small Panini at the same time, so there was no waiting for grilled cheese. We got creative with our sandwiches too, so it was a fun family dinner.
You can adjust the top grill so it closes right down on your sandwich or micro-adjust it so you only get a light press. We propped it at up at the top spot for a top-melt sandwich and it was so good, with the bottom bread lightly toasted and top cheese melted.
Once you start making Panini with the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe, you won’t want to stop. There are so many combinations, and because the grill is so large you can make a weeknight dinner in no time at all.
The sky’s the limit with the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe
After so long with my long, flat griddle, the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe has made me realize it’s way past time for an upgrade. I love the dual temperature options, the removable and reversible grill plates, and the adjustable Panini press options. I can’t believe I can say I love a grease trap, but it’s so nice to be able to pull off the trap and clean the grease out.
This griddle folds up for easy storage, heats up in a hurry, and is so versatile. My husband loved making weekend pancakes, eggs, and bacon on it, and the entire family has really enjoyed the Panini press.
If you’re looking for a grill/griddle upgrade, I can’t recommend the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe enough. This great double-duty small appliance is available right now on Best Buy
grilled cheese sandwich
Breakfast for two. You can do it all on one appliance. Saves time and cleanup.
Wow, I’m all about breakfast but I’m loving some ideas with grilling some chicken, burger, and steak as well! And paninis too! I can see me using the Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe for all 3 meals daily
I would try my citrus infused crunchy French toast!
I would do a Greek chicken inspired naan stuffed with charred vegetables and tzatziki sauce
Blueberry pancakes yummy
Mmm, cajun chicken, Arugula, brie, fig jam panini, making myself hungry!
Mmm, cajun chicken, Arugula, brie, fig jam panini or strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast, bacon, crepes…making myself hungry!
Chicken Bacon Avocado Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Bacon for BLT sandwiches.
Grilled chicken for BBQ nachos.
yummy dinner I would grill some bacon and onions, than some homemade burgers…make myself a nice banquet burger
A complete breakfast, including eggs, bacon and blueberry pancakes.
I would like to try making johnnycakes on this griddle.
cubano sandwich
Some crumpets!
I will make Grilled cheese and lobster.
Good old bacon and eggs.
Oh, the food I could make!! I would make a good, old fashioned omelet for a western sandwich
I would try making crepes.. maybe even mille crepe if it can work that efficiently!
what a great brunch tool, bacon eggs, steak,sausages, possibilities are endless
I would make some delicious grilled cheese!
Grilled cheese sandwich! *fights off cravings*
I would grill some slivers on elk on one side and make some tortillas on the other for some amazing wraps. During COVID I learned to make my own tortillas…so easy and tasty.
I’d make a grilled cheese with extra cheese on the top.
Love the idea of cooking bacon and catching the grease while making pancakes at the same time.
would love to make a panini made with steak and cheese.
I would make a ham and cheese or turkey panini!
Many variations of Panini that I could try
I would make French toast. How amazing to be able to cook all the slices of bread all at once instead of one at a time in a frying pan?
I have one of those old presses that makes little triangles out of bread… i think i could throw whole subs in this thing! Mmm, warm subs…
I would grill up some hamburgers or steak. The griddle’s ridged surface will give some nice scorch markings on the finished products.
I’d be making Vietnamese grilled wraps! It’s also known as hot plate.. Thanks for the review!
Grilled tuna sandwich with cheese, and onions.
I would make french toast with this awesome machine
Yum!! Paninis with ham, cheese, tomatoes and peppers for my crew.
I would love to grill some halloumi with a drizzle of olive oil and some basil. Then I would grill some Italian tomatoes and then grill up some sliced baguette that I’ve brushed with butter and crushed fresh garlic.
Grill Marinated sliced beef, chicken, squid, and shrimp to make Rice rolls or with noodles
Wow that sounds so tasty! Good Luck
As I am a vegan I could grill up some nice zucchini and peppers
I could grill up a burger for lunch or dinner
I could grill up my perogies
I love grilled cheese on fresh rye bread
I would make a Sandwich. Scrambled eggs, Turkey Bacon, add Sausages, Hot sauce, Ham, Beef with Nachos
Wow! I need this Cuisinart Gridder Deluxe to make food for my 3 sons. I would grill Polish sausages, eggs & steaks in Winter.
Since March, everyone is home so I’m forced to be a Chef at home!
@Mother3Teresa
I would make a really fancy grilled cheese with aged cheddar, honey and basil! What a fabulous contest!!
This is a great review. I think this grill would be great for steaks in the winter.
Great review! I love the dual temperature gauges. I think I would grill chicken breast strips to go with my grilled veggies! The possibilities are endless!! 🙂
Thanks for your review. I ove this grill for it’s multi use. My kids could use it easily. We would use it to make kebobs. They love them!
I’d make fancy grilled cheese
This would be amazing to make bacon and lobster paninis on!
WE recently moved and left our old grill behind. A chance to have a Cuisinart would be amazing as we are ready to experiment and enjoy food better.
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