Customer Reviews

Rival GR201 20 Inch Cool Touch Griddle, White

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

With our boys getting bigger we were having trouble keeping them in hotcake or grilled sandwiches with just a skillet. We saw this griddle on sale at Fred Meyer (Anchorage AK)last April and decided to try it. We have loved it. Really makes break fasts and lunches much handier - especially with guests. And clean up has been very easy.

But just lately the griddle won't get up to temperature to make a decent pancake. Can't speak to customer / warranty service as I am currently in the process of contacting Rival on this point. We sure haven't used this item hard and I'm disappointed its acting up so soon.

Another weakness is that it can be hard to clean out the drip groove around the edge of the griddle. If it was 1/8 to 1/4 inch wider one could more easily reach into the groove with a wash rag.

The last criticism is I wish it was easier to store. Would be great if the legs could fold or something. One thing for sure, if this one is dead we will be getting another griddle (other model or brand??) as this one has been VERY handy to have. We'll have to see how Rival handles warranty /service request. But at the low initial cost I'm reluctant to pay postage to and from the service center. Most likely cheaper just to buy a new griddle.

This Rival GR201 20-1/2-Inch Cool Touch Griddle heats up fast and does a good job of evenly cooking pancakes, tortillas and flatbreads. I wouldn't cook anything greasy or messy on it because I don't want the grease splashing around in my kitchen.

This unit is very easy to clean - a quick wash off in the sink does the job. A Cook's Illustrated reviewer touted the BroilKing $49.99 version over this unit because of size and more even cooking. The size of the Rival is generous and I have not had any problems with uneven cooking. For the $20 price difference the Rival is fine.

Anything that can withstand the abuse of this family for this long and still work properly has to be an excellent product. we have thoroughly enjoyed this product.

This item shipped promptly and arrived in good condition.

Based on the other reviews here I did not expect much, but it works very well so far. It heats up quickly and the non stick surface performs flawlessly. Rival recommends that the surface be conditioned with a bit of oil to improve the surface and I have done that each time I cook. Now keep in mind that in my experience all non stick coatings on fry pans or griddles will fail in a year or 2 (no matter the brand). This griddle is not so expensive that I would hesitate to throw it out and replace it when that happened. Since I expect the surface to fail, I only rated it 4 stars. The front grease gutter is large enough to squeeze a soapy sponge in to aid clean up. Of course, anyone buying this should realize that it is, by definition, fairly large, and may not fit in all drawers or cabinets.

I don't know why people complain about evenness of cooking. I cook pancakes and they always brown evenly. This has a large enough surface to cook 6 simultaneously. If you cook burgers, you may wish to slightly elevate the back legs so the grease flows off better. Personally, I feel that burgers brown better on plain cast iron or stainless steel (without a nonstick coating).

Bacon and pancakes both cook fine but the grease gets all over the counter. Even worse, the 4 support legs are hollow and the grease fills up the legs. I didn't realize until I unscrewed the frame to give it a good cleaning and found both front legs full of grease.

Because the slope of the grease trough is not very steep there is actually a grease level at both ends. The grease overflows the trough into the white frame, then some goes into the legs and some goes onto the counter. If you're going to cook bacon, cook just a few slices in the middle of the griddle.

To clean the grease trough I take the paper towel I use to soak up the bacon grease and use a chopstick to run it through the trough from the end to the middle so the grease ends up in the removable tray.

If you only cook pancakes I'd give it 3 stars.

I used this griddle for some time and i know it's weaknesses. The non stick surface wears WAY too soon, and i take care of my surface. Additionally, the unit should be slanted so the grease drains better, although even if it was slanted it's hard to clean the groove. It is very clumsy to store. I'm looking for a new brand now. The plus is that it is cheap.

I just finished my third batch of pancakes on this griddle and I'm ready to send it back. The heat is extremely uneven and it's nearly impossible to prepare properly-cooked pancakes. Half of the pancake comes out nicely browned while the other half is still white! At the 400 degree setting, temperatures varied from 368 to 420, depending on where the temps were taken on the griddle. This was after a 20-minute preheat.

The unit would also be better if it were rectangular instead of having curved top and bottom, at least for pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

The grease drip rail is also too narrow to clean easily. It's difficult to insert a sponge or cloth in the rail and keep it there.

The grease cup is too small to cook 1 lb of bacon; grease will run out of the cup and all over your counter if you don't empty it midway through cooking.

Basically, this unit fails at nearly all of the simple things it needs to accomplish to be called a griddle. I'm on the hunt for something better and hoping the store will accept my return.

I enjoy using this product as it is a really quick way to cook a meal for the family. I am able to fit all of my meat that I am currently cooking on the griddle and since the grease flows into a cup the meat has less fat.

This product is super easy to clean up, takes only minutes of your time.