NFL New York Giants Sandwich Press

Since you have no way of knowing before purchase, I want to point out something that I find important. The hinge is not slotted and completely smashes the back of the sandwich and pushes the cheese to the front of the maker when the lid is closed. A simple and free improvement to this would be to add slotted hinges to allow 1/2 to 3/4 inch of upper plate travel. Then the upper plate would sit flat and not crush the sandwich. Makes me wonder if people who make products actually use them.

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler

I bought a G4 Griddler from Amazon in 2005, and used it a couple of times a week (at least) until it had to be put out to pasture in 2010 due to failure of the non-stick coating on the plates. (The coating started to bubble and peel, and no one wants that in their food...) I loved it. (See my review of the Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler Stainless-Steel 4-in-1 Grill/Griddle and Panini Press) It was still working great, but replacement plates were not available.

I was elated when offered the opportunity to review its smarter younger brother, the GR-4NAM Griddler. I could hardly wait for it to get here and run it through its paces.

At first glance, the GR-4NAM looks virtually identical to the G4. However, closer inspection reveals that it has been totally redesigned, and for the better.

Improvement: The grease catcher used to be a little cup that had to be set under a spout on the side of the bottom plate. If it was positioned incorrectly, (or forgotten about), greased dripped out on the counter. The grease catcher is now integrated into the Griddler as a drawer-like device that can be pulled out to clean, and then put back in place for the next use.

Improvement: The original G4 had two sets of plates one flat set, one ridged set (for paninis). There is now one reversible set of plates (ridged on one side, flat on the other), and therefore no need to find a storage place for the plates not in use. The new plates have a good substantial weight. I don't have the old ones here for comparison, but the quality of the plates certainly was not cheapened.

Improvement: It used to be a little tricky to put the plates in place and to remove them. There was also a difference between the top plate and the bottom, so you had to be careful not to try to put them in the wrong way. The plates now have an identical shape, so they are interchangeable, and the release buttons activate a spring-loaded mechanism that pops the plate loose for easy removal.

Now, to see how it cooks: The Griddler takes about as long to warm up as a good-quality waffle iron. Just when you start to get impatient with it, it's ready.

The first thing that I cooked was a no-no in the eyes of Cuisinart a bone-in, skin-on leg and thigh chicken quarter. Too thick, they say. HA! says I, because I am a bit of an anarchist. I marinated the chicken in olive oil and rosemary, heated the Griddler to Medium. I cooked it on the panini plates because I love those little fake barbeque stripes across my food. It worked just fine. (I should have taken a picture, it came out looking beautiful. But I was hungry.)

Word of warning: Do not cook thick or fatty meat on High you will get grease spatters all over the place. Medium works just fine in such instances.

I discovered from my old Griddler that when cooking meat it's best to turn off the heat before it's done, and let it finish cooking with the residual heat in the plates. That way the meat does not get overdone.

For clean-up, I let the plates cool down, and then put a wet paper towel across the bottom plate and close the lid and let it sit for a while. The dampness softens anything that is stuck to the plates, and then it can be easily washed off with a sudsy sponge or dish wand.

Today for lunch, I made myself a sandwich with sliced sourdough bread, cooked sliced chicken breast, fresh grated parmesan cheese and dried basil. I followed the panini directions in the small cookbook that comes with the Griddler. Well, I sort of followed the directions... Cuisinart recommends brushing the outside of the sandwich with olive oil. I prefer to use melted butter on panini because it makes the sandwich crisper.

I preheated the Griddler on High, placed the sandwich inside, and applied light pressure for about 30 seconds, and then let it cook. The directions say to cook panini for about 4 -5 minutes, but my sandwich was ready to eat in 2 minutes. Maybe the butter makes the bread brown faster than olive oil.

In any case, it was beautiful evenly browned, crunchy and delicious, and I did take a picture (see product images).

How durable will the GR-4NAM be? Good question. From everything that I can see so far, Cuisinart has only made the Griddler better. But time is the real test of quality. I will report back from time to time regarding durability.

Right now, I'd say this looks like an excellent buy.

UPDATE, January 2011:

The Griddler is still in great shape. Granted, I am not using it as frequently as I did my original one, but that's because there are fewer mouths to feed in my household now than there used to be. I have no cautionary tales to add to the review. Hmmm... I think I'll go make a grilled cheese sandwich....

Additional thought: Do not spray the non-stick plates with Pam or similar non-stick coating. I did not realize that this was not a good idea until I purchased some high-end non-stick cookware, and the manufacturer stated that doing so may leave a residue on the coating that destroys the non-stick properties.

I have tried the Villaware Uni panini grill, the Delonghi open countertop grill and another panini type grill (approx $90), and returned them all (ouch, those return shipping charges hurt). I never considered the Geroge Foreman grills because they always felt cheaply made to me, not to mention many unfavorable reviews).

None of the grills/panini presses that I tried got hot enough to work well for me. They just did not grill as much as steam,bake cook the food, and they all took a longer time to do so than I was willing to wait.

I never was bothered by cleanup, though. I always just wipe the hot plates with wet paper towel, let it then cool a bit, and wash with wet sponge. Works on them all.

So I just gave up and bought some stovetop grill pans and have used them for the past year or so. They do get as hot as you want but you do have to turn the food to cook both sides.

Being a kitchen appliance junkie, I decided to try the Cuisinart Griddler this year.

I love the size (great for just 2 people, though) as I do not anticipate using it in the full open position. And it is handsome as handsome can be to me. Very commercial looking on a very small scale. (I was chef/owner of a restaurant for 13 years.)

And cleanup is easy. Although I still use the wet paper towel and sponge for immediate cleanup, the removable plates (very easy to take off and put back on) make washing in sink or dishwasher other options, Although the plates are nonstick, it is best to use vegetable spray or oil on the food (I prefer this rather than spraying the whole plate.)

There are 3 controls--griddle temperature selector, on/off to select either griddle or panini/grill, and panini/grill temperature selector. There is no timer so there is a small learning curve to learn when your food is cooked. Expect to overcook many things at first as the griddler really cooks quickly.

There's a short electrical cord, about 34" usable length. Solid construction. Hinged top does settle squarely on the food. Because there the griddler is flat with no slope like the Foreman and other grills, vegetables will not roll off or toward the front.

It takes about 5 minutes to preheat and then, wow, it really grills. Salmon took just 3 minutes. I overcooked my halved zuchinni in just a few minutes.

You can hear the instant sizzle sound but don't go to far away as it cooks more quikly than you might be used to.

We don't eat fatty meats (like burgers) so I cannot comment on the grease/drip factor but with fish, seafood, chicken and vegetables, there is absolutely no splatter.

It can cool down quickly if left open, a disadvantage while cooking but an advantage for cleaning.

Again, the most important factor for me was how hot the grill got (and quickly as well) This, of course, leads to perfect grilling on both sides.

I just love my griddler.

Shelly

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We have had this product for over 1 year. This product has a few of great features:

1. The interchangeable nonstick plates that are dishwasher safe.

2. The unit opens up to a large griddle.

3. The cooking plates are dishwasher safe.

However, the nonstick surface has started peeling off of the plates even though the plates have never been abused, and we have never used metal utensils on them.

Our biggest complaint is the thermostat. The unit will reach the desired temperature, and then turn off. The cooking plates will actually cool off so much that the food will stop cooking. The thermostat will then kick back on and take about 3-5 minutes to get back up to temperature. It is very annoying, and doesn't always produce good results with food.

There also is a large temperature difference between the two plates when the unit is opened as a large griddle. This causes items being cooked to finish at different times.

This could have been a great product, but Cuisinart seems to have gone "cheap" in areas that are integral to the function of the griddle. I would not purchase this item again.

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We have had good luck with Cuisinart products over the years, so we decided to try this one, mostly based on the large number of favorable reviews here at Amazon. Clean-up is a dream. This product has an excellent non-stick surface, and even burned-on food comes right off with minimal effort. After reading the critique about the grease spattering all over, I tried a small experiment. I cooked salmon filets, marinated with lemon juice, dillweed and olive oil. No problem. I cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, also marinated with olive oil. No problem. So then I brought in the Big Guns skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, marinated and cooked the same way as the breasts. It did make a mess. I cooked all of the above on High, however. The problem came from the fat in the skin, and the thickness of the meat the lid sits farther open, so more splatters can escape. How to solve the problem? Put a couple of paper towels on the counter, and cook the meat at Medium. Just with any kitchen tool, there is an effective way to use it, and a dumb way to use it. A little common sense goes a long way. I am extremely happy with this grill.

_____

Update: September 2008. I am still constantly using this grill it's a winner.

Update: February 2010: I had to stop using the panini plates because the non-stick coating was bubbling up and peeling off. Very disappointing, but we all know that this type of coating has a limited life-span. Given how much it's been used, I can't get too upset about it. Time to get a new one.

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Improvements over previous model are the reversable grill plates that snap in and out very easily and now you do not have 2 extra plates to store somewhere. The grease catch pan is integrated into the bottom and removes very easily for cleaning. Cleanup is a snap: take off the 2 grill plates and they wash and cleanup so easy I don't bother putting them in the dishwasher. Clean the drip tray and you are done. Fast & easy.

I disagree with those that say it is great for cooking small meals or for a small family. It cooks the meat so fast, you better not walk away. First thing I cooked were good sized hamburgers & they were at 180° in 5 minutes. The next 4 were perfectly cooked at 4 minutes. Used the Sear setting per the instruction book with the grill preheated. New York Strip sirloins were done in 3 1/2 to 4 minutes on the Sear setting. Fast cooking & the meat is eye appealing with the grill marks on both sides. Batch number 3 will be pork chops tonight.

Granted, it doesn't quite do the job my Weber grill does outside, but when it is 15 below zero, the Griddler is very nice to have for indoor winter usage.

Great indoor grill, cooks fast, easy cleanup... I highly recommend it.

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Adams Manufacturing Quik-Fold® Cafe Table

I purchased this table because it folds flat in an instant and it has an umbrella hole, which I need. I'll be carrying this to the pool so that I don't have to search for a hard to find table, plus I get my shade with my added umbrella. This is solid, light, and surprisingly good-sized when popped up. It's light enough for my pre-schoolers to carry, plus the carrying handle is built in. The literature I've seen states that it will hold 40 pounds (much more weight than I'd ever need to put on it).

This is a very nice, light, cleverly designed little table, which can be found in many home center stores for under $40. Sellers offering this item at $150 need a reality check, and buyers should look elsewhere.

Surprisingly sturdy matching chairs are also available and will typically be priced around $20 each. HomeDepot.com sells the 3-pc bistro set (table w/ 2 chairs) for $89 plus shipping.

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This table is perfect to take for a picnic, to the beach, or use when extra table space is necessary. Purchased to use on a pontoon boat as needed. The color is as pictured. Not heavy.

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The table is everything they described and when they shipped, it came on the day that I was told. They are a reliable company to deal with. I wanted the table to take on picnics especially where they do not have tables. We like to go to the beach so we take it there and it is perfect to keep the food up off of the sand. It is light and easy to carry.

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We just moved to Hawaii and we live on the "wet" side of the island where we get daily showers. I did not want a table with any metal on it as it would rust so I was looking for a durable, plastic table with a hole in the center for an umbrella and this table is absolutely perfect. With two white chairs purchased from Home Depot, a tropical tiki umbrella also purchased from Amazon, two tiki torches; we have the perfect patio set. There was a previous review stating that this table was a yellow color but this table is pure white.

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Cal Flame BBQ07868P 2 Drawer Storage Deep Drawer

I purchased these for my outdoor kitchen, Amazon had the best price and it seemed reasonable compared to other brands I had not bought Cal Flame products before. The drawers are smooth and sturdy the finish is like all the other SS appliances that are made for outdoor use. This is not a top of the line unit, the seams are not welded like the more expensive ones everything is riveted together. I got what I paid for so I'm reasonable pleased.

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Mr. Bar-B-Q Grill Stone Pizza Set

I got this for Father's Day, and I will give Mr. Bar-B-Q kudos for making a stone the right size to fit inside the firebox on my grill. The stone seems a bit thin but that makes for more even heating, I suppose.

My main problem is with the spatula. The directions call for putting the spread dough on the spatula before adding ingredients and transferring to the preheating-on-the-grill stone. My wife, who worked at a L*ittle C*aesars in an earlier life, quickly saw the issue: the pizza will NOT transfer smoothly to the stone because the dough will sag through the slots. We tried, twice, even flouring the spatula before-hand the second time. Results: we ended up with calzones. We may try wrapping the spatula with foil next time. Meantime, Mr. Bar-B-Q might want to consider using a solid spatula in future versions.

The pizza stone is a pizza stone. Works fine. Cleaning is not a problem as I have a self cleaning oven. I just leave it in when cleaning.

The cutter is OK.

The pizza peel, as another reviewer noted, does not work as a pizza peel, only as a spatula. It works fine for taking the cooked pizza off the stone, but do not try to use it to transfer the raw pizza to the stone. Unfortunately the photos do not show this strange design.....

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I can't comment on the spatula or cutter, as I never used either before needing to return this item. The stone itself cracked clean through on the very first use, all of 2 minutes after I slid my dough onto it. All instructions were followed. I think it's a just a poorly made item and prone to a short life. I recommend buying a different pizza stone.

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We use this stone in the oven, and it turns frozen pizza into perfect pizza. (Ok, I'm being overly dramatic, but the difference between using a pan and a stone is pretty cool.) I can't tell you if this is the best stone, but it's the one I use. It's great in the oven and on the grill. As other reviewers pointed out, the slatted spatula will do a pretty sub-par job of transferring raw dough to the stone unless the bottom of the dough is GENEROUSLY coated with corn meal. That said, I love that I can fold it up and fold it in a drawer when I don't need it.

All in all, no regrets here.

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Love the spatula it's heavy duty, easy to put together. I already owned this product and wanted to get one for my mom. Be warned though, that the spatula IS HEAVY to begin with, so maybe use two hands to get your pizza safely out of the oven! The cutter that comes with it is great too! Overall, good product!

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Wilton Armetale Gourmet Grillware

I've always admired the Wilton Armetale products when I would see them in stores. They are very attractive so I was excited to get this griddle and try it out.

Upon receiving it, I first did a little research on the types of metal used in the production of this piece. I was a little concerned with the use of aluminum which I try to avoid for health concerns. I decided to try it out despite my concerns because I figured this would be used occasionally and not daily.

It fit right on 2 of my burners. I made a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches using plenty of butter. They stuck horribly to the griddle. It was quite a job to remove the stuck on food. This was just the bread itself sticking too and not cheese which is odd, I've never had a problem with bread sticking to my pans, especially since I used butter. I also tried making sautéed onions and peppers with plenty of oil. Again, horrible sticking and cleanup was a bear.

I've decided between the use of aluminum in the product and the sticking that I'm going to use this as a large and very pretty trivet and tray. I've found it nice to place on the table and set dishes on. I also sit it on my counter and place a lit candle on it.

Pricey for just a tray or trivet but it is quite attractive. I recommend using an old-fashioned cast iron griddle. You can't beat them.

We've had this Grill Tray for 5 years and it is one of the most used dishes in our kitchen. We received it as a wedding gift and its simple utilitarian design became an instant go-to cookware and serving tray. They should build tanks out of this stuff because it is extremely durable. If you are looking for an attractive serving dish that you can cook on, look no further. It is similar to cast iron but is more attractive, does not retain oils and flavors after washing, doesn't rust, and is a slightly lighter in weight. It does not mark or stain so it will always look like new. It would make the perfect gift for any cook or grill enthusiast but be sure to buy yourself one while your at it.

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The grill cooks fine, but stains easily. Initially I used it to heat tortillas and make quesadillas. Wherever something burned, there are spots that cannot be removed by soaking or scrubbing with brillo pads. Although the grill is still usable, it is not presentable and I cannot take it from stove to table-top as the item description suggested.

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I think I may have neglected to mention, I don't find this particulary easy to clean.

(incidentally, it's not love with the Polenta I made either :-( )

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This grill tray not only cooks food AWESOME!!!, it cleans up beautifully! We have grilled fish, shrimp, and veggies on it and everything has turned out great! Looking forward to trying more recipes. It is wonderful to grill and present food on the same tray. Be careful! It does stay hot!!!!!!

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Maverick Remote Smoker Dual Probe Wireless Thermometer ET-73

I recently got into BBQ smoking and realized pretty quickly that I needed a thermometer. The thermometer that came stock with my smoker turned out to be off by at least 100 degrees. An oven thermometer did the trick at first, but I found that I was opening the smoker way too often to check the temp resulting in heat loss. At the end of a smoke, I was also opening it way too often to check meat temperature. This product not only allowed me to keep track of both, but also let me keep track of it from inside the house! Since the weather is getting colder out, this is a definite plus.

The first thing I did was check the accuracy. I put both of the probes in a pan of water and brought it to a rapid boil. One probe read 212, and the other 213, one degree off. Next I put both in a large glass of water and ice. Both were showing 32 degrees between the ice and water. The tests turned out far better than I had expected.

So far I have used this for three 12-14 hour smokes, and at least 2 6 hour smokes and the batteries are still good. The probes clean easily, and I have had no significant problems.

One thing I noticed is that one of the probes sees to have a bit of melted rubber protruding between the grill temp probe and the connected wire. Since I have never had either probe about 255 degrees, I find that a bit troubling. Not sure I want to use it for a direct grilling application where the temps can go over 400 easily.

I have not had a chance to see how the outside unit handles rain.

All in all, I would not think twice of buying another one of these if I had a need.

The E-72 is a nice unit for people using a smoker, since you need to monitor the smoker temp and the meat, but this model has a few odd things you need to be aware of. It's range can be very short. It says 100feet, but that is in an open field with no obstructions. If you are going through a wall from outside to inside, expect to get about 20 feet.

Also the on/off switch for the transmitter is inside the battery case. Very odd design.

Maverick just came out with a new model (the ET-372) that corrects these problems. As of this review, it's not sold on Amazon, but keep watching it's worth getting the new one.

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I've been using this produce with my Weber smoker for six months now, and it is the most important tool that I have. I've found it to be accurate within a few degrees (on the food side) of my instant read thermometers and by not having to open the lid to check temperatures I don't have to deal with the heat you lose doing that. Even though the remote unit is plastic, hanging it on the outside of the smoker works perfectly well. Setup took a bit of time the first few tries, then I found it to be straight forward. I only have two issues. First, having to open up the unit to turn it on is a minor hassle (it isn't that big of a deal, just a minor inconvenience). The other issue had nothing to do with using it with my smoker I used it in my gas barbecue and had a major flareup (wasn't paying close attention) and that shorted the food probe WHICH they mention may happen. I'm getting the high-temp food probe from them (wish it had been included in the first place). For my smoker, it worked perfectly fine. I recommend this unit to everyone.

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My family makes hundreds of pounds of kielbasa and other smoked sausages every fall. This Maverick remote dual probe thermometer makes life so much easier. We can monitor the temperature of the meat as well as the air in the smoker without ever having to walk down to the smoker. We know as soon as we need to add more wood or as soon as the product is ready to be removed. It saves so much wasted time checking temps every 30 or so minutes.

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I bought this unit about a year ago. I liked the idea of a temp read for the smoker, and another for the meat itself.

The unit is a little tricky to figure out. (If you don't get a read or --on your receiver, then make sure the receiver is on before you turn on the transmitter.)

It seems to be fairly accurate too.

I don't know what caused the problem, but the display on the receiver started to fail. I was able to keep it limping along by applying pressure to the back of the unit. If you push in the right place the dead pixels seem to come to life for the most part.

If this unit was better made/more rugged I would have bought 3 of them to use and abuse.

I'm not sure I will by products by Maverick again.

Nuwave 20322 Pro Infrared Oven With 3IN. Extender Ring Kit Black

My husband is the cook at our house, and he uses this every day for one meal or another. It cooks everything from Steak to potatos and greenbeans in no time. He just grabs the food from the freezer, layers it around the NuWave, and starts it up. 20 min later dinner is ready. You can cook the main dish on one level and the veggies on another so you have one "pot" to clean up after dinner. It comes apart easily for cleaning and has a beep to alert you that your food is ready that is loud enough to be heard on the next floor. You should also know that it is easy to get replacement parts for the body if you use it enough to wear them out.

We are getting my mother one for Christmas...

I bought this product primarily to cook foods that have been frozen. So far all the items that I've cooked have come out tasting good and very juicy BUT they have definitely taken LONGER to cook than what is stated in the reference guide. The actual cooking times are better represented in the accompanying Nuwave recipe book. I'm still happy with my purchase though since, as formerly stated, the food comes out tasting good especially steaks which I love. Also, cooking in the Nuwave oven allows me to avoid heating up a much larger oven which saves energy and it's easier to clean. Again, just be forewarned that the cooking time (for me) was longer than stated. Bon Appetit!

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The oven does cook longer than the suggested sheet says but the food is juicy. Works great on frozen foods I love it for cooking frozen fish. My main complaint is NuWave customer service I hope you do not have to call them they are short with you and do not take care of the problem. I will never purchase anything from them again.

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Great product! Cooks quick and everything comes out great. Only set back is there are not instructions for preparing meals for more than one person.

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I have had a NuWave for over 3 years and absolutely love it. Its great for roasts, potatoes, bacon, eggs, toasts. My girlfriend went out and got one after seeing me use mine and hasn't used her oven in years. A very good product.

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Rome Super Grill Basket

It doesn't bend with the weight of the meat, chicken, etc inside the grill basket. Additionally, I was planning to use with an oven mit for the potentially hot handle but it wasn't the case. The handle remains unheated.

I'm new to products of this company. But all grill accessories I got from them are really good. I wanted a pretty big grill basket for cooking in the fireplace and this does the job for me. Steady construction and not that heavy.

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The size of the item delivered was about twice the size I ordered. It was too big and unwieldy to return. I gave it away.

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It's sticky, so you have to really coat it in oil to prevent that but even still, if you're cooking fish be careful. The handle is a little long and won't fit in the dishwasher.

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If you need to cook a lot of stuff and specially things that will crumple, then you want this thing. With this you cook more evenly as you can turn all your meats at the same time and keep them all in the same position. The construction is somewhat heavy duty and it is a pain to clean, but I just give it a quick spray and leave it in the grill, and before using it again, I just let it burn for a few minutes to clean/disinfect it...

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