My previous one was a Black & Decker that I received as a gift. Someone thought they made high-quality items. That person was wrong. It would fluctuate not only from place to place on the surface but from minute to minute. I’d cook one pancake and it would be fine, then put another batch on and they would be burnt in the same amount of time. Very frustrating.
I have a Presto griddle. The top doesn’t tilt, but it has a nice lip that tends to keep the grease from sloshing over if I do tip it. I use it for bacon, pancakes and grilled cheese sandwiches, so it lives on the counter from Saturday morning through Sunday night. If the plate gets cruddy, cooking a scrambled egg is a good way to get the crud up. Then you can feed the egg to a small housepet or toss it.
I agree with Daerlyn about the Foreman grills. They’re great for draining grease, but the little crudniks stick and the grill is a bitch to clean. And the drip tray doesn’t attach, so if I jostle it, I get hot grease on the counter. It’s also not very useful for bacon or pancakes, and since I’m not crazy about small electric appliances that have limited utility, that stays in the cabinet.
My MIL gave me a Presto griddle as a Christmas present one year. I never had one of them before. It’s amazing – no issues whatsoever. It heats quickly and evenly. We use it for our weekly “Breakfast For Dinner” and the occasional grilled sandwich. I like that it has a fat drainage channel, but I also remove more fat when I put the bacon/sausage/whatever on folded paper towels to drain.
I appreciate what a George Forman grill can do, but as other posters have said, its bulk regales it way back in the Pit Of Seldom Used Appliances. It’s also a PITA to clean.
I’m loving our toaster oven right now. That thing can do almost anything our conventional oven can do at a fraction (I hope) of kilowatt hours. The only issue is that you have to constantly turn whatever’s in there to make sure it’s evenly browned.