Home & Kitchen · Head-to-head
Cuisinart Griddler Five (GR-5B) vs Breville the Sear & Press Grill (BGR700BSS)
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Panini Press: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Cuisinart Griddler Five is the pick because it makes an excellent panini and five other things too, with adjustable heat and dishwasher-safe plates that make it easy to live with at a fair mid-range price. Step up to the Breville the Sear & Press Grill if you want the deepest browning, the best thick-bread hinge, and premium build - and will use its grill and sear modes to justify the higher cost.
Cuisinart Griddler Five (GR-5B)
Buy itThe do-everything contact grill that also makes an excellent panini - and cleans up in the dishwasher.
- Five modes in one: contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, and half-and-half
- Reversible nonstick plates pop out and go in the dishwasher - the cleanup owners praise most
- Adjustable temperature dial (roughly 160-450F) gives real control over browning
- Floating, self-adjusting hinge presses thick, overstuffed sandwiches flat and even
- Large footprint that needs cupboard space to store
- Plastic housing feels less premium than metal-bodied rivals
- Indicator lights, not a readout, so you cook by feel until you learn it
Breville the Sear & Press Grill (BGR700BSS)
Buy itThe premium pick that browns deepest and handles the thickest artisan loaves without crushing them.
- Deepest, most even browning of the group in independent testing - genuine cafe-style crust and grill marks
- Floating hinge with height adjustment presses tall, heavily filled sandwiches gently and evenly
- Opens flat to double the cooking surface for grilling separate from pressing
- Preset Burger, Panini, and Sear modes plus manual heat control up to about 450F
- Clearly the most expensive option here
- Heavy and large - it claims real counter and storage space
- More machine (and more money) than a simple sandwich maker if paninis are all you want
Side by side
| Cuisinart Griddler Five (GR-5B) | Breville the Sear & Press Grill (BGR700BSS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Most people - anyone who wants one machine for paninis plus grilling and griddle duty, with painless dishwasher cleanup. | Buyers who want the best browning and build quality and will use the grill and sear modes, not just the press. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Cuisinart Griddler Five (GR-5B) - The do-everything contact grill that also makes an excellent panini - and cleans up in the dishwasher. Choose the Breville the Sear & Press Grill (BGR700BSS) instead if buyers who want the best browning and build quality and will use the grill and sear modes, not just the press.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Panini Press: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).