Presto 7046 Tilt ‘n Drain Big Griddle Cool-Touch Electric Griddle Review
With the Presto 7046 Tilt 'n Drain Big Griddle, the big griddle is a super sized 18.5" x 15" hot surface with extra space compared to rival jumbo griddles. There's space for a whole batch of pancakes, 12 french toast slices or generous portions of bacon and scrambled eggs on here. The whole family can get their freshly cooked breakfast at the same time, and it will become a stress free, more enjoyable experience.
The Presto big griddle is also ideal for grilling meat, burgers and chicken with the Tilt 'n' Drain feature. This achieves healthier grilling and reduces mess. It enables fats, greases and other liquids to drain away from the cooking meat, down into the built-in drip tray.
The Presto 7046 griddle has cool touch side surrounds in a sleek, low profile unit that, despite its large cooking area, measures just 23 by 18.5 inches, and stands 5 inches high.
Product Features
- The Presto 7046 has a heavy cast aluminum base with built-in backstop ledge. That makes a solid surface to grill food on, and it's coated with premium nonstick material.
- This griddle brings all the health and easy-cleaning benefits of a tilted grill, or alternatively offers a flat grilling plate to make perfect pancakes and eggs. Tilt 'n' Drain is easy to activate without any waste or spillage. Simply pull the handles out to the sides to raise the Presto 7046 griddle to a tilted position, and push the handles back in to return the griddle to a perfectly level surface.
- It's powered by 120v 60Hz mains electricity, and the cable connects on the right hand side towards the back, adjacent to the rotary heat control knob.
- When the power cord and heat controller are detached, the whole unit is submersible and it's simplicity to keep it clean and ready for the next batch.
- The aluminum grilling surface is smooth and easy to wipe down with non-abrasive cleaning materials, and the drip tray slides out below for easy emptying and cleaning.
What Buyers Liked
- The large cooking surface is a hit with families and great for getting whole batches of pancakes or bacon ready at the same time, or feeding 5 or 6 at breakfast time.
- Buyers appreciated the Tilt 'n' Drain feature on the Presto 7046. This can set the griddle perfectly level for cooking pancakes or scrambled eggs, or tilted so fat and grease runs off away from bacon and meat as it cooks.
- Ease of cleaning is praised by buyers. The surface is not ceramic like some griddles, but smooth aluminum, and resists scratching and flaking over a long time. Eventually the nonstick effect becomes less effective, although one owner recommended using lower temperatures (below 250 degrees) to prolong its life.
What Buyers Didn't Like
- A couple of buyers found the grill wouldn't stay completely stable in the tilted position, and a number had issues with the handles becoming loose over time. One found they had to retighten screws in the legs to fix this problem.
- Some users found the drip tray awkward to reach inside and clean thoroughly, and that it filled up with fat before they'd finished cooking meat on such a large cooking surface.
- These griddles have had heavy use with families, and one or two reviewers experienced heating element failures, or uneven patches with the center no longer heating to as high of a temperature as the outside.
Conclusion
This super size tiltable griddle from Presto is a versatile, convenient and healthy way to feed large families and gatherings. It is capable of grilling and cooking evenly for whole batches of breakfast, meats and baked foods. The extra deep hotplate makes for a versatile area where different foods can be separated and moved to prevent burning and sticking.
Pancake chefs among the Presto 7046 griddle users praised its even heating and browning across the large cooking surface. Warmup time to 350 degrees is quoted as around 10 minutes: not the fastest, but very acceptable given the size of the plate, and the indicated temperatures are accurate.
There were some complaints over the design of the handles and tilt mechanism. Some became unstable after a period of regular use, the build quality could be improved.
Obviously you'll need a larger, deeper counter top space than the average electric griddle, and at 23 by 18.5 inches it's not that easy to stow away. It's saved buyers a lot of pans and cleaning at breakfast time, and there are many satisfied reports of these big griddles getting heavy daily use.
