Cuisinart Grill and Griddle, Sandwich toaster, panini press, contact grill, electric griddle, Non-stick removable plates, dishwasher safe, Health grill, less oil, Midnight Grey

So, I have had a previous model Cuisinart sandwich maker for something over a dozen years (Model GRSM1U).It had its flaws - the clip to lock the plates was plastic and had to be "modified" to work after a few years and the temperature control was eventually unpredictable - but it kept working, was easy to clean and made excellent toasties.So, I finally accepted it was time to replace it and found this one.So, initial impressions (3 weeks of use so far) are as follows:It is big and heavy!I do not view this as a bad thing, but it does weigh a fair bit. Apparently it is 5.4kg (or 12lbs to those of a certain age).This weight is reflected in the apparent build quality. It looks solid and the design appears well thought out.It does an excellent job of sealing sandwiches, if you use the right type of bread.I have found bloomer slices to be outstanding at adding lots of filling and keeping it as filling!The locking mechanism when doing a toastie is different.No click to tell you it is sealed, you just apply steady pressure on the handle (use both hands, one each side) and then try and lift the lid.Once you have applied enough it won't move.I read somewhere that someone complained it broke very soon after purchase...I can only guess they tried the (unwise) approach of slam down and push hard!Honestly, just apply steady pressure and it locks. It does not need anything violent.Unlocking is done by a simply press mechanism in the middle of the handle. Hopefully it will last.Temperature control is a dial on the front, as with my old one.To be honest I just use it on maximum (for toasties) so I can't comment on the variations in temperature.It comes with the plates for standard toasties and grill plates for...grilling!I have tried the grill plates to do Paninis and they were excellent. I will try it for grilling other things in due course.The plates are easily removable for cleaning (just let it cool down after use!) with push releases on the sides.There are a few reviews giving one star claiming it arrived broken (so maybe contact Amazon & get a replacement rather than giving a one star review??) or broke after a few weeks use.Not sure what they are doing with them, but I suspect a lack of thought when using.Overall, I am very impressed, but I will add updates as time passes to measure the longevity. However, based on my experience with the old one, I suspect it will last (I know how to look after things).Thanks for reading and I hope you found the review useful.

I originally wanted a toastie maker with removable plates to make washing easier. I can't stand the ones with cracks where the cheese melts into the machine. The ones with removable plates do seem to be more expensive. I decided to spend a lot more and buy this on offer due to it also serving as a grill for grilling healthy meals and also bring able to make panini's and various other food. It is of good build quality. It is quite heavy. I wouldn't say it's compact like the description says but obviously serves as two machines, saving space. The handle sticks out a lot and needs clearance at the back the way the mechanism works. I've made a few toasties so far and they seal perfectly. It's easy to wash and keep clean due to the plates removing and being non stick. Used the grill twice for grilled veggies, to do them all at once they will need to be cut to same thickness otherwise a quick turn of the thinner ones is needed. I have also done two paninis, which came out perfect. I love this machine!

Poor quality. Stopped working after a couple of uses. Cuisinart sent a replacement but this one didn’t cook evenly with half the waffle cooked and the other half underdone. Sent the second one back to Cuisinart, which they claimed to have tested and found no faults. Clearly their testing doesn’t involve cooking waffles.

Makes excellent toasties, perfect every time, in just 5 minutes.On my particular unit however, the catches at either side are a bit rickety and sit right at the edge which means that when first fastening, due to the compression of the ingredients, the catch at one side will pop off. It takes a bit of fiddling and persuasion to get the catch to stay in place. Once in place, its fine.I haven't tried to fix/tighten it, or contact support, as its only a minor annoyance.

Ease of cleaning:Love the fact you can put the plates into the dishwasher. Also you have four changeable plates and you can swap them around. So impressed that we got another for use outside as our BBQ.

First time of use made the best waffles we’ve ever had. Simple to use cleans up easily now we just need more kitchen worktop space!

It's a very good sandwich toaster and grill and worth the extra cost for a sturdy design with removable plates that are easy to clean. However, like another reviewer mentioned, it tripped the electrics in our house the first time we used it - this has not happened again, and since it has a 3 year warranty I'm not too worried.***** Want to make waffles too? *****Cuisinart make another product "2 in 1 Waffle and Pancake Maker" (WAF2U). The device itself is identical to the one I'm reviewing here (GRSM4U), but it comes with different plates. If you go to Cuisinart's spare parts website, you can order the other plates separately. I got the waffle plates (Part no. 62705) and they fit perfectly. Result :D