First, the bad thing: the dial has no relation whatsoever to any actual temperature. Use a thermometer, figure out what the dial settings are, and write yourself a little chart of what temperature it will actually reach. Now for the unreserved awesomeness: This is so much better than a nonstick griddle that has to be absolutely BABIED and will STILL get sticky over time. This is a hunk of steel that gets hot, and you can use metal scrapers and actually treat it like a griddle. And because you can actually scrape it, it doesn't get sticky like the \"non-stick\" griddles. Ditch any thoughts of a nonstick griddle you may be entertaining and get this instead. You can drop a pile of shredded cheese straight on the griddle, let it crisp, flip it, and then spread it on a burrito. This lets you do most of the stunts you may have watched in a southern california taco shop, at home. The yakisoba I make on this? Better. Quesadillas? Just the perfect amount of crispiness. The only thing to consider over this might be a slightly larger or smaller version of the same griddle, and that comes down to how much space you've got available. I find that it is just SLIGHTLY too small to do two tortillas and a pile of meat at the same time, whereas a few inches larger would be fine for that.