This provides a fabulous dining experience. We got this as a gift 10-15 years ago and it has become one of our favorite dining experiences both as a family and with friends. This is not definitely a quick meal. While some might consider that dinner takes less than 10 minutes to consume a negative, my family appreciates that while we all "cook" our own food, we get a chance to talk. Even my teenagers like raclette night. This is indoor grilling so we do this in the colder months of the year. Vegetables take a long time so we microwave them to reduce grilling time. For the young, we cut up hot dogs, roll up beef or chicken balls while for the adults we might have chicken, beef, tuna, shrimp, scallop, pork or all the above. Allowing kids to pick what they want makes it a fun experience for them and eliminates the "I do not like or want that" from the discussion. While we do not normally have 8 guests, the 8 trays does allows for a dinner party for eight. Provide a range of cheeses from mild to strong depending upon your guests. I have replaced the initial metal top grill with the granite top. I would recommend the granite top as it is easier to clean.

Being married to a European introduced me to Raclette. I have learned it is such a fun way to host a dinner party! Anyone who has shared this experience with us always comments about how much fun it is. Bonus for me is that all I have to do is prep; the attendees cook their own! Another perk is that clean up is a breeze with this product.

I'm thrilled w/ my purchase! Although I've just used it for crepes so far, the options are endless. It takes up very little counter space so I'm currently keeping it out to encourage myself to use it more frequently & the red color enhances the visual astethics.
After a lot of research, I chose to get the cast iron grill & I wouldn't have it any other way! It comes preseasoned so I was able to use it immediately w/o any special treatment. There was no surface sticking, clean-up is a snap & my crepes were a tremendous success; much better than all my previous attempts via the stovetop!
I'm looking forward to using the grill side as well as the dishes for fondue; the included spatulas will be very handy when I do.
*The only thing I would like to see changed is to have there be an indicator light when it's in use.

I purchased this after seeing photographs of an acquaintance's raclette party. It looked like so much fun, I thought we'd try one for ourselves. We've used it four or five times, and it's been a hit each time. Guests then go off to order one themselves. I prefer to use pre-cooked meats(ham, sausage, salami, etc.) and par-boiled vegetables. Our menu typically consists of the aforementioned meats and vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms), boiled or roasted potatoes, salad, cheeses for melting on the bottom rack, thinly sliced baguettes, pizza sauce, bacon bits, onions, etc. for pizza fixings which come out great on the bottom trays, and various salads and pickled on the side. This is lots of fun for a party. We're talking about picking up a few more so that we can expand our guest list. We're also thinking of expanding our menu and trying wraps, eggs, crepes, marinated flank steak, etc. Definitely recommended.

I was so excited to have found an electric cast iron griddle....and had such high hopes for this item. I bought this through Amazon Warehouse Deals at a reduced price. The description said that it was "Like New" and it probably was....but even like it new is less than satisfactory for this item.

First off, I love Warehouse Deals and have always checked there first to see if I can purchase any given item at a discount. Even though this item was less than stellar, I will continue to shop the warehouse...this transaction did not sour me on discounted items. My issue had to do with a poorly constructed product made with inferior grade metal, not with the Amazon Warehouse Deals.

As soon as I pulled the item out of the box I could see there was a problem. The cast iron grill/griddle portion was very heavy and seemed well made BUT the unit supporting it was flimsy and bent. The support pieces on each side of the base unit are made of a very thin piece of metal that was already bent when it arrived. Those bent pieces caused the substantial griddle to be poorly supported and cockeyed.

I immediately packed the item back up and requested a return/refund. I will not purchase another of the same item....it seems to be a definite design flaw....I will be going with another option for a cast iron griddle.