A:AnswerActual usable cooking surface is 9"(W) x 7.5" (H). There's a 1/2" all around beyond the grates but it'll get messy bleeding cheesy goodness to the edges. Our largest bread is a tight fit for 4 sandwiches. 2 @ a time are perfect. Smaller slices & English muffins are up to 6, but it's messy on the sides.
A:AnswerYes you are correct. Instead, I use the cooking guide and temperature chart on page 27 to select how hot each kind of meat is required together with small temperature probe. The temp chart is a good guide for me to know how long I should leave the cook on and to make the meat moist or dry to my preference.