I’ve always thought that “Griddler” was sort of a funny name for this portable grill line by Cuisinart. It just reminds me too much of Batman’s “Riddler”, hehe.

The George Foreman notwithstanding, the Riddler is one of the most popular portable clamshell-type grills. You can just read all the amazon comments to see the fans that it has. One of the most important things about this model is that it has removeable plates which is a reason in itself to get this over its lower priced siblings (GR-2, etc..) Not being able to remove the grills could get extremely tiresome after awhile.

Another important feature is the “floating” hinge that connects the two halves together. Because of this, thicker food can be grilled without having to squash it unnecessarily between the grill plates. It sort of reminds me how some scanners have an extensible hinge to allow you to scan thicker books.

The outside is brushed stainless steel while the to sets of cooking grill plates (ridged and smooth) are standard non-stick which are also designed to drain away the grease. Although the handles make it ideal for squeezing down on panini, it also functions as a contact grill, griddle (using the smooth plates) or a large open grill using either smooth or ridged plates. This is definitely a multi-tasker that I’d like to have around the house.

* 4-in-1 unit functions as contact grill, panini press, open grill, or griddle
* Brushed stainless-steel housing; indicator lights; sturdy panini-style handle
* Floating hinge adjusts to thickness of food; adjustable temperature controls
* Dishwasher-safe nonstick cooking plates drain grease away from food
* Measures 13 by 11-1/4 by 6-1/2 inches; limited 3-year warranty