Small Appliance Purchase

Schedules are getting crazier around here.

In the past, I have always relied on the crockpot for busy nights, but I am finding that downsizing to cooking for two is a bit of a challenge because none of us want to spend days eating the same meal over and over.

My original plan was to invest in a simple flat griddle.

I wanted a small one — for both family size and for storage ease.

I checked in Target and all they had was the really large griddles.

Instead I opted to invest in this Cuisinart Griddler and to buy the waffle plates to go with it.

The reasons included:

The price was only $19 less than purchasing this from Amazon.

The storage space required is much smaller.

I can cook a variety of items on this far easier than I can on a flat griddle.

I made waffles with no problem, too.

We’ve made panini of mulitple varieties.

It does well with both my daughter’s wheat bread and my gluten free bread.

My daughter’s favorite includes turkey and a variety of fixings.

I also made “pizza” sandwiches — basically an Italian sub on a smaller scale.

We’ve used it for grilled cheese sandwiches.

(Photo below — I’ve been freezing my homemade GF bread in slices.  

I just took two out, spread them with margarine, and put shredded cheese in the middle.

Cooked on panini setting — it was excellent.)

I’ve made pancakes (blueberry and gluten free).

I cooked French toast — regular and gluten free.

I’ve cooked boneless chicken breasts with barbecue sauce.

We also had one night where we simply made bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches.

My daughter likes hers lightly toasted.

We’ve been pleased with each dish we have tried.

(I’ll let you know how the waffle plates do.)

The bonuses for us are:

1.  It heats quickly, unlike the oven.

2.  It is small and stores easily.

3.  I can cook small amounts with ease.

4.  It lends itself to quick dishes like hot sandwiches.

5.  I can put frozen meat on it to cook.