Chefman RJ23-LG-V3 10 x 20: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-05

Summary

The complaints that do show up on this 200-square-inch, 1500 W griddle cluster around the coating and the slide-out drip tray: one exact-model owner saw the heating-element pattern come through the surface after about six months, another had the tray fall out and break from a short drop, and review synthesis describes a hot center with cool edges. There is nothing to buy but electricity, so ownership cost stays close to nothing beyond power draw, which is at most about 1.5 kWh per hour before thermostat cycling cuts it. It is a strong buy at the $29.99 sale it has run at Kroger-family stores and still good through $40, but around $45 it is merely fair and above $50 the one-year warranty and unconfirmed parts make other brands the safer spend.

Common problems and fixes

Hot center, cool edges — the most-reported behavior, but only in review synthesis, while other owners say cooking is even; no instrumented test of this exact model was found, so no rate can be given. No fix is documented; rotate the food and keep an eye on the middle of the plate. The 1-year limited warranty covers defects, not uneven cooking, which nobody has measured. [6]
Heating-element pattern showing through the coating — one exact-model owner reported it after about six months of use, and nothing else in the owner pools repeats it, so treat it as a single signal rather than a defect rate. No owner-reported fix exists; the documented protection is to avoid aerosol cooking spray, abrasives and metal utensils. The 1-year limited warranty would still be open at six months. [2] [5]
Slide-out drip tray falls out and breaks — one exact-model owner reported the tray dropping out and snapping from a short fall, and review synthesis also describes a loosely seated tray. Keep the tray seated during use, which the manual requires anyway, and lift the griddle rather than carrying it by the tray; no replacement tray price or availability is documented. [4] [6]
Aerosol cooking spray ruins the nonstick finish — the manufacturer warns of it directly, and it is the fastest way to shorten coating life. Use a little neutral oil and nonmetal utensils instead. [2]
Bottom and sides get hot enough to damage a counter — the manual warns the sides and bottom run very hot and says not to use the griddle on a finished wood countertop or table. Leave clearance on all sides and let the plate cool before washing. [2]
Water left in the control port — the electrical port must be completely dry before the thermostat goes back in, so a rushed wash can leave the griddle unusable. Wash only after the plate has cooled and dry the port fully. [2]

Parts and consumables

No consumables at all. The cooking plate is nonstick aluminum with nothing that wears out on a schedule, there are no filters or pods, and no subscriptions or accessories are required. The only parts that can fail are the removable thermostat and the slide-out drip tray, and Chefman’s document library shows no replaceable-parts listing for RJ23-LG-V3, unlike some sibling models, so neither a price nor availability is confirmed. Nobody reports replacing either part. [1]

Yearly running cost

Electricity only, and it is small. With no consumables and no required accessories, the running cost is the power the heater draws: at the full 1.5 kW the plate is rated for, one hour of use costs at most about 1.5 kWh, and because the thermostat cycles off and on to hold temperature, real draw over a session is lower than that ceiling. The sources contain no owner electricity spend and no local rate, so a yearly dollar figure cannot be computed from them.

When it is a good buy

Kroger-family stores — Kroger, Fry’s, Ralphs, King Soopers — listed the exact model at $29.99 against a $44.99 comparison value in September 2026, and Best Buy listed it at $39.99 in the same month. At $30 or below it is hard to argue with 200 square inches, 1500 W and a body that goes in the dishwasher once the control comes off. $30 to $40 stays strong. Around $45 it is merely fair, and above $50 the one-year warranty, the basic thermostat and the unconfirmed parts support push you toward a longer-established brand.

Presto large-format griddle — the better choice once you are paying $45 or more, where an established brand and a longer parts history matter more than the surface area per dollar.
Amazon Basics large griddle — the better choice for a buyer who wants the same square footage without paying extra for the brand name.
bella large griddle — the better choice when hot spots matter more than cleanup convenience, since the Chefman’s uniformity is unresolved.