Aroma Housewares Grillet 3Qt. 3-in-1 Cool-Touch Electric Indoor Grill

I live in a desert, where appliance cooking makes total sense. Because I take pains to avoid adding unnecessary heat to our cottage for most of the year, I have gone through a a variety of electric skillets and Foreman grills, in search of the just-right-for-my-style-of-cooking-appliance. None have been completely satisfactory, for one reason or another, but this Aroma mult-pot is almost perfect in all the important ways. I bought it as a warehouse deal, knowing I was taking a chance. Who among us has not received a broken or defective product returned by some earlier buyer? But the price was low enough that I was willing to gamble. Sure enough, the pot arrived with a the broken plastic housing on the control plug, but it was nothing a dab of epoxy glue couldn't fix. I was too eager to put it to work to be arsed to send it back. It has been used almost daily since then. It is much more versatile than a panini press type grill and a perfect size for a two-person household. Last night I grilled some burgers and then browned chicken cubes for tonight's chicken verde. I cooked up a mess of bacon in it this morning. I'll make braised escarole and beans tomorrow night and grilled cheese sandwiches the next. It will be used for a Halloween houseparty hotpot at the end of this month. This is how I know I have found a really "good," or, at least, good-for-me appliance...something about it encourages it's frequent use. This three-in-one superpot is my new favorite in that regard. Move on over, egg cooker/single serve broccoli steamer! Some reviewers say these are "flimsy" appliances, but they are judging this pot by its cover. Yes, the surrounding frame is plastic, but it is not likely to break unless it is severely abused. It is advertised as being dishwasher proof but it is easier to wipe it down after each use. The cooking portion is a snap to remove and replace and (relatively) easy to clean. I also appreciate the indicator light on the dial, which makes it easy to fine tune low temperature cooking. The overall temperature control is very responsive, with the unit heating up and cooling down quickly and the non-stick finish is superb. But the top selling point (Grill Marks!) is also my top gripe. Those luscious bown marks come from ridges. Ridges make it difficult to spatula out leftover grease, and demand the melt and pour method of cleaning, vs. the scrape and dunk method. Being firmly in the former camp, I want this with a flat bottom pan, and a removable ridged insert for the occaisional times when really want Grill Marks! I would even pay full price for it. But until then, I will just have to make do with my nearly almost perfect Grillette. Life is tough, I tell ya.