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I was just with clients making the same selection (I am in construction industry) - our rep says that the grill creates smoke & that most people are more likely to go outside to grill - regardless of the weather. Personally, I'd get the griddle - I'd love to be able to do eggs & bacon & French toast!
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re: lizdixon
Of course the grill creates smoke. It goes without saying that a powerful vent hood is required. But it's required with a range of this size anyway. Have you ever seen the amount of smoke that comes off a pan in which skin-on salmon is searing? My Viking hood sucks every bit of smoke out beautifully.
I grilled some marinated skirt steak indoors tonight, during blizzard conditions outside. Love my indoor grill!
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re: baloo
I've never let it get to that stage, baloo, since I usually clean the grates after every heavy (gucked on marinades/sauces) use. It's really not a chore - when the grill is still on after use, I use a steel brush dipped in cold water to get the cleaning process going. Most of the guck comes off with this routine, and I then put the grates into hot, soapy water to finish the process. I do not clean the steel "flavourizer" bars extremely often (they do develop a patina), since drippings usually get charred and I just brush them into the drip pan. And the slide-out drip tray below is a breeze to clean (just line the large pan and the barbecue pan with aluminum foil).
The Viking vent is very easy to clean - just pop out the bars and pop into the dishwasher.
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re: lizdixon
I'd wager 99% of the anti-grill comments come from people that have been exposed to the horrible JennAir downdraft. The inefficient blower was rendered practically useless by poor installation in most I came across. A high CFM hood is necessary for an indoor grill. Get one with a remote blower and keep the motor noise outdoors.
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baloo, I think your decision has a lot to do with where you live, and if you have an outdoor grill.
I have the 48" dual fuel Viking with 6 burners and the grill. I also purchased the optional griddle that sits on top of the grill. I feel that I have the best of both worlds. When I'm not using the grill, the griddle is always in place, and serves as a base for my metal utensils, my salt dish, and my pepper grinder.
The grill is great, easy to clean (all parts are dishwasher safe, and there are no lava-type rocks - it's Weber-type metal bars). The heat/flame control is terrific, and I've used it quite a bit in the seven years I've had it.
I use it during the winter, when it's too cold/snowy to stand around the gas grill, and I use it during the summer, when it's too hot and humid to breathe outdoors.
I do sometimes think it would be nice to have the griddle, but only for use as a simmer plate.
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re: KingsKetz
Here it is, KingsKetz. I notice that it's suitable only for open gas burners, not sealed units. http://www.vikingrange.com/consumer/p...
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re: FlavoursGal
If I read it correctly, it's usable only over the burners of the dual fuel stove (I have the non-sealed burners btw) not over the grill portion. It's for the side burners on the Viking Grill which I take to mean the outdoor grill. Do you use one of these??
...I just re-read what you wrote and it seems you place it over the grill on your 48" Viking...right? Is it stable for use as a griddle -- not just as a resting spot for condiments etc. <s>
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re: KingsKetz
Sorry - my original post was a bit misleading. I place the griddle over one section of burners - not over the grill - when in operation as a griddle. When my grill is not being used, however, I do place the griddle over the grill area to hold my utensils, etc. I have unsealed burners (sealed units weren't available when I purchased the unit). And no, I do not own a Viking outdoor grill.
The griddle is extremely stable and quite heavy.
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I have a built-in 48" Viking cooktop w/ griddle and love it! Pancakes are about a twice a month option, but as a last minute dinner plate warmer the griddle is without equal. Lunchtime quesadillas or grilled cheese sandwiches are wonderful. I also use the griddle for crisping cooked bacon & sausages as well as keeping melted chocolate warm in an Apilco pitcher, ditto for a bowl of refried beans. When I'm frying eggs for a group I use the griddle instead of a pan, also wilt spinach etc on it. I've caramelized several onions on the griddle while attending to something else on a burner. I consider it a large saute pan and use it when need be.
Please do not fret about keeping the griddle pristine clean - it is meant to be used and is not a showpiece. Mine is lovely and black, like a beloved cast iron skillet. Nothing sticks to it because I simply wipe down the warm surface with water and an occasional scrape. We had a repairman comment that it was really nice to see that we used our griddle because most are perfectly clean and unused, often covered with a board. It has been a joy and a "Do Again".
I cannot speak to having an indoor grill since I use our outdoor grill regularly since I live in AZ. I did have a Jenn-Aire grill in a rented holiday house and vowed never to own one because of the afore-mentioned cleaning nightmare. The house was on Upper Captive Island and the freshly caught fish we grilled lived with us for days.
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We had a built-in grill in our range when I was growing up, and it was a *%&$# to clean. Fat always collected and caught on fire. Even when there wasn't fire, there was often smoke. Maybe our grill was particularly bad, but I think it's in the nature of these things, because they have so little room between the grill itself and the base.
I'd go for the griddle and spring for a grill plan, which work much better for indoor grilling.
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We bought a Thermador 48" range a few years ago and opted for the griddle because we have a gas grill on a covered porch that gets used year-round and figured we didn't nead another grill. We don't miss the grill, but find that the griddle rarely gets used. Maybe if we had a bunch of kids that ate pancakes a lot . . . but otherwise our particular cooking style doesn't benefit from having a griddle, which takes a while to heat up and can be a pain to clean. If we had it to do over agin we'd opt for 8 burners, not so much because we ever have 8 things going at once, but rather to have the extra space to park pots and pans that don't need attention. I did have a house a while ago that had a separate KitchenAid grill that saw a lot of use in the winter because the outdoor gas grill was not a year-round proposition.
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