odd. mine is old, but not the original model. has the little temp slider on the top, which always stays like 4/5 of the way up. cooks burgers, boneless chicken, ect in maybe five minutes without burning. even if you leave the chicken on for like ten, it's just gonna be a little dry on the outside- you have to really murder it to loose the juices in the middle. still won't turn black, though.