A Nice Supplement to Outdoor Grilling

I added a Jenn-Air electric grill cooktop to my kitchen as a complement to my four-burner gas Dacor cooktop. While the Jenn-Air doesn't replace outdoor barbecue (at least in my opinion), it is a fast and easy way to "grill" indoors during inclement weather or just when you want to whip up something grilled very quickly. Also, I can't grill on a barbecue grill to save my life, so this Jenn-Air helps me to overcome that deficit in my cooking abilities.

The model comes with a two-burner size grill. The grill grates are non-stick and are in two pieces that fit snugly next to each other when in place. Underneath the grill is the heating element which easily plugs into the electricity source and unplugs just as easily for cleaning. Below the element is the grill liner pan that catches up the drippings from your food. This pan, which is made of steel and is also non-stick coated, lifts out for easy cleaning. These parts fit into the removable grill basin which is slightly angled in its base and has a hole to drain drippings. Drippings are collected in a glass jar that unscrews in an area hidden below the cooktop in your cabinet space.

This cooktop also features a down-draft vent that does a great job of pulling the cooking vapors and fumes down into the vent. This vent is on the side of the cooktop and runs the length of the cooktop, so it pulls from the entire cooking surface. It doesn't "pop" up or require extra room; it's simply a nice, powerful down-draft vent. The only drawback is it is a bit noisy, but nothing too overwhelming. This fan can also be used to cool fresh-baked goods by placing them on the cold grill and turning on just the fan. Cooler air is then pulled over the baked goods. I have not done this, but the instructions say it works.

The noise level of the vent is overcome by the easy operation of this cooktop. The two heat controls allow you to heat the two grill sections at different temperatures. The controls are an 'infinite' style, meaning you don't have simple settings such as "High" and "Medium-High" but rather you can set the heat settings anywhere between low and high with the smooth turning action of the controls.

My old Jenn-Air sat idle far too often because it was a pain in the neck to clean. This model is really very easy to clean. When I grill food, I spray the grill grates with a non-stick spray and then cook away! After the grill has cooled (which takes surprisingly little time), I slip the grill grates off and wash them in hot sudsy water. The heating element wipes clean (do not submerge this part in water). The grill pan and basin clean up well in soapy water. The vent filter slides out of the down draft area and all I do to clean it is soak it briefly in a liquid dish soap designed to cut grease, rinse, then air dry. It slips back into the down draft area in a jif. The vent filter will not require cleaning with each use. I clean mine pretty religiously and it looks like new. The vent filter, the grill grates, the liner and the basin are ALL dishwasher safe, but I have never put mine in the dishwasher. They are so easy to clean in warm sudsy water and my dishwasher always seems to be full of other dishes! Remember to not use an abrasive cleanser or scrub pad on them; sudsy water and a mesh scrubbing pad (if needed) should do the trick.

This cooktop comes with a five-year warranty on the heating element and two years parts warranty and a one-year warranty on both parts and labor. Extended warranties are also available.

The Jenn-Air cooktop is well designed, durable and attractive. It's easy to use and food cooked on the grill is delicious. The cooktop will accept other Jenn-Air elements (sold separately) but I have never used mine for anything but a grill. My family loves kabobs, fish, veggies and other foods cooked on the Jenn-Air. It's a great accessory for the barbecue-challenged cook, someone who wants to quickly grill food or a cook who wants to grill in the winter and not freeze!