Adventures in Griddling

It’s 10:00 on a Thursday night.
We’re about to do up a round of our soon-to-be-famous hamburgers on rye. They’re quick, and we’re hungry. But first, Mario has been excited all day, and he can’t wait to tell me about his idea to link certain products that we write about to a website where people can read reviews, comparison shop, and even make a purchase if they’re so inclined. This website, of course, is Amazon. I poke around a little bit on the Amazon site, doing some quick test searching for various tools of our trade, and I remember that we actually own a Cuisinart GR-4 Cuisinart Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press.

We received it as a gift a couple of years ago and just didn’t really have the counter space in our old apartment for it. And then we moved, and it found its way into the back of our pantry, and I realize sadly that that we’ve never used it. But the product shot on the box actually depicts it being used to cook hamburgers! Perfect, right?

It’s now 10:15 on Thursday night and I am about to take the Griddler on its maiden voyage. Mario has gone from excited to nervous and has the fire extinguisher at the ready.

We have enough ground beef in the fridge for 3 perfectly-sized burgers.

Mario suggests cooking two of the burgers using our traditional stovetop method (more on that in a future post), saying that since this is a test run with the Griddler, we should only cook one on it. That way, if it’s a disaster, we’ll still have something to eat. I reluctantly agree.

So here we go.
Step 1. Read the manual. Here is where I come to the deflating realization that we might have to postpone our Griddler test drive. The grilling plates on the appliance are nonstick, which means NO METAL UTENSILS. In a fit of culinary frustration a few weeks back, Mario got a little angry and took it out on our sole non-metal spatula. (He still owes me a new one!) However, tonight he is determined that since we’ve unpacked this appliance, washed all the parts, and set it up, we’re going to try it! It comes with a little plastic tool that’s supposed to be used for cleaning the grill plates, but it’ll suffice as a makeshift hamburger turner in a pinch.

Step 2. Turn on the Griddler. The manual warns that there might be a slight odor and smoke when using it for the first time. It says this is normal and common for nonstick appliances. Thankfully, there’s no smoke, although we did notice a distinct odor and opened a kitchen window because of it.

There are several ways you can use the Griddler: with either the grill plates (ridged) or griddle plates (smooth); and in completely open, half open, or closed positions. For its first run, I opt to use it in the half-open position with the grill plates. Mario’s nervousness is contagious, and I’m a little anxious about using it closed. Plus, I want to see how the burger is cooking.

Step 3. Cook the burger. I carefully place my one lonely hamburger patty in the middle of the grill plate and wait.

For a few minutes, it appears nothing happens. But then I hear a slight sizzle and I can see that the bottom is cooking!

I’m unsure about the cooking time, though, so I end up flipping it several times and erring on the side of caution. Finally, we both agree that it’s probably done.

Step 4. Eat. As this is just a trial run, and Mario is concurrently cooking our “real” dinner in a pan on the stove, we don’t even dress the Griddler burger with anything, not even a bun! We simply put it on a plate between us and each cut a bite-sized piece.

Step 5. Verdict. It’s not terrible. It’s a bit dry, probably because I overcooked it a bit, but we also realize that because the Griddler is a non-stick surface, there’s no added lubrication like the butter we use for the stovetop burgers. The Griddler method probably makes a healthier burger, but it does take some of the flavor and the juiciness away. One note is that the grill plates are made with a corner spout for drippage, and it comes with two drip cups that you place underneath the spouts to catch what drains off.

The cups, however, don't attach to the Griddler at all; they just sit on the counter positioned under the spouts. Seems a slightly odd design choice, but the good thing was that this burger didn't even require the use of them at all. The grease that it did generate just ended up in tiny spatters all over the front of the appliance and on the counter around it.

Overall, this was a worthwhile experiment. There will be more to come from the Griddler, it just won’t be burgers. But that’s ok. The cats enjoyed it.