I had been browsing these for several months, hoping in short that the grill function would suffice for not grilling in the winter (we ran out of propane on the last nice day of fall, so it was probably kismet that we get this).
Their description is so good, I won't try to replicate: The Cuisinart™ Griddler® makes "multifunctional" an understatement! Make perfect panini... plus! With four separate cooking options, it can handle everything from pancakes to sausages to grilled cheese to steaks, hamburgers and panini. It helps you prepare more servings of more kinds of food in less time, so you can cook for a crowd -- no one has to wait!
Simply change the cooking plates and adjust the floating hinge to use the Griddler as a Contact Grill, a Panini Press, or your choice of an extra-large double Open Grill or Griddle.
I don't put the grilling plates in the dishwasher; I just wash them by hand. It's flat, so you really don't have a use for the juice "catchers" they provide, but the skinny scraper is essential to get food out of the grill plates. So far we've made some delicious paninis with some fresh mozzarella and spinach (yes, my husband ate spinach), and the grill works really well. I spray some cooking spray beforehand, esp. with fish. But the grill marks even show up on the food. It's been a great item in the kitchen! We use it at least 3 times a week.
