( 24 reviews )
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Posted: Aug 6 2009
I bought the refurbished model, and it has been fine. I visited all of the stores in my area to check out the models available, and even the high-end grills from companies like Calphalon were, in my opinion, kind of crappy at best. I have a Breville juicer which is great, so I decided to take the plunge. I have to say, this machine is totally worth the extra money. It's big. A monster, even. It's well made. I've been involved in the restaurant trade, and the quality is just a touch shy of professional. It has some very nice features, including a depth adjustment, tilt adjustment, and a nice long channel for catching drippings. You can open it flat and use it as a griddle. Only a few nits: The plates are not removable. Not that big a deal. One of the plates is ridged, and the other is smooth. So you have to think about whether you want lines on both sides of your food and plan for that. Also, in flat griddle mode, you are realistically only going to use one half as a true griddle. Although it's so big that it's not such an issue, and you can certainly use the ridged side for meats. It locks shut and stores upright, so you can store it away easily. There's even an ample spindle for the cord. It draws 1800 watts, so you're not going to want to share a circuit with too many other appliances. It gets hot fast and stays hot, which is really essential if you actually want to cook anything other than grilled cheese sandwiches. The most interesting thing: I've been baking 12" pizzas! Just set the depth so the top plate is as close as possible without touching, set the heat on high, and go. They come out perfectly. I generally use a pizza stone on the Big Green Egg, but this is a great alternative that doesn't involve lighting a fire.
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 22 2009
Puffy's review (from June 25, 2008) is spot on, given my experience. Have had the grill for a year, using it 5-6 times per month. It cooks burgers, steaks, salmon very well - the high temperature really works well. Chicken is a little more challenging - the "searing" effect that is so desirable in a good steak, is problematic with chicken - you have to poke a thicker piece, to see if it is really done inside. Cleaning, however, is difficult and time consuming - takes a lot of scrubbing, which must be done, but has to be done lightly so as to not wear off the "non stick" coating (sorry, but the residue really sticks despite the name). And it can't be done too near a sink or water sources, since it's a heavy and large electrical appliance. Overall, the greatness of the grill outweighs the serious inconvenience and dread of having to clean it, but barely. best advice - get the grill, and avoid cooking meats that generate too much fat runoff. For example, a lean salmon or a good steak, creates much less runoff.
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jun 27 2009
This is a poorly made grill. My unit worked about 5 times before it stopped powering on altogether. Breville "customer service" is a joke. For the money, it is truly astounding how badly made this item is. Be aware that Breville has a minimal presence in the U.S. and hardly anyone in the U.S. will service a Breville product.
