Hamilton Beach 38546: problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-09
Summary
The Hamilton Beach 38546 is a 180 sq. in. electric grill/griddle that the manufacturer marks “NO LONGER AVAILABLE”, so keeping it running is about replacing worn grids and the drip tray rather than buying consumables. Hamilton Beach still sells the reversible grid for $37.99, a grid clip set for $2.99 and a drip tray for $2.99 (Hamilton Beach, 2026), so a worn plate does not retire the unit. It is a good buy near the $69.99 it still showed at on Hamilton Beach’s griddles page, and the revised 38546MN is the first-party option at $79.99.
Common problems and fixes
- Cooking too slow — listed in the manual alongside poor heating; check the temperature control setting and preheat fully before loading food. [3]
- Grease does not drain from the grill grid — a documented manual issue; check the center grease channel and clean the removable drip tray. [3]
- Food sticks to the grill grids — the manual lists sticking as a failure mode; wash the nonstick plates in hot soapy water before first use and use nonstick cooking spray before heating. [3]
Parts and consumables
- Reversible/Removable Grid — $37.99 (Hamilton Beach, 2026); replacement frequency not reported. [1]
- Grid Clip Set — $2.99 (Hamilton Beach, 2026). [1]
- Drip Tray — $2.99 (Hamilton Beach, 2026). [1]
Yearly running cost
There are no consumables and no filters, so routine running cost is effectively $0 a year and the only spend is replacement parts if the nonstick wears. Hamilton Beach lists the reversible grid at $37.99 and the grid clip set and drip tray at $2.99 each (Hamilton Beach, 2026). Electricity cost is not reported.
When it is a good buy
It is a good buy at or below the $69.99 Hamilton Beach still listed on its griddles page, where it showed out of stock (Hamilton Beach, 2026); a third-party listing put it at $127.99 (BeyondStyle/Macy’s, 2026). The revised 38546MN is the first-party alternative at $79.99 with 1400 W and a PFAS-free ceramic nonstick coating (Hamilton Beach, 2026) — the better choice when you want a new unit with the newer coating instead of hunting discontinued stock.