George Foreman Grill - love it or hate it?

[etwahl]

Some people have suggested this for me as an easy way of "grilling" foods for one. Anyone else recommend it? Or not recommend it?

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[kathsmom]

Tammy,

I have the small George Foreman grill that I bought when DH took a job 3 years ago where he travelled a lot. I love grilled chicken, burgers, etc. and was mourning the fact that my "grillmaster" husband would not be there to grill for me. He offered to show me how to use our gas grill, but ever since an unfortunate accident in my freshman chemistry lab where I caught the desk on fire, I have been afraid of anything like that (and I minored in chemistry! I also worked for an environmental lab between undergraduate and graduate school where I blew up a couple of cyanide distillation apparatus, but I wasn't the only one!!). But, I digress.

I really like mine a lot. DD won't eat anyone's chicken unless it is grilled by her daddy with the marinades we use. She will eat the chicken on the George Foreman grill when I cook it when DH is out of town. DH even likes it. My chicken turns out juicy and tender. The only caveat is that I have a small one and really need a large one. When I cook 2 chicken breasts (which is what the small grill will hold), the marinade can get stuck to the grill, and it can char on the next pieces of chicken placed on the grill. It is really easy to clean. I have had no problems with mine. My mom has a small one - she is single. Hers does not have a timer on it, but my small one does. I highly recommend getting one with a timer.

HTH and good luck with everything!

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[Rachels]

We had the George Foreman Grill and now have some other variety (but basically the same concept). We like our new one better because the trays pop out, so it's easy to clean. If you can find a grill with that feature, it's worth getting. You can just stick a piece of chicken on it, close the lid, and have an actual meal. I hadn't thought of this, but it's a good idea for you, Tammy!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[cara1]

It's very convenient, and super quick to grill turkey burgers or chicken (DH usually finished grilling before I have the side dishes ready). But we've found that it is a HUGE pain to clean. In fact, I refuse. It has become DH's official job. :)

[MartiesMom2B]

I also like the George Foreman Grill. It can get a little hard to clean though. Just a tip: wipe it with a wet papertowel while it's still warm and use the fork spatula thing to scrap out anything too while its warm.

It's pretty easy to use and makes great panini sandwiches and grilled cheese sandwiches on top of burgers and chicken.

On a side note I've met George Foreman and got his autograph while he was promoting the grill. I informed him that it was great because it got my husband to cook (we couldn't have an outside grill at a time) and I told him we had hamburgers the night before. His response "Mmmmmm hamburgers!" :)

Sonia
EDD 4/14/03

[etwahl]

If you can figure out the name Rachel, that would be great. It sounds like everyone is having the same cleaning problem, and I HATE doing the cleanup afterwards. That's usually DH's job :)

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[blnony]

We just got one for Christmas and we love it! It is amazing how fast and easy this thing is. I wasn't sure if the taste of food would be very good, but WOW! I bought the preseasoned chicken breasts from the grocery and just plopped them on, and in 10 minutes they were done and tasted great. Cleaning wasn't too bad, but I didn't let it set. I just sprayed water on it while it was warm, not hot, and wiped. Someone also suggested to use just a little bit of pam spray before you cook to help with cleaning too.

[abigailsmom]

DH andI use ours about 3 times a week and we love it. We had a different brand (GE I think) and we didn't like it as much... it took longer to cook. I second the timer thing- it's great! Pam or the like makes clean-up easier, but if you let it cool too much then it is a pain to clean.
We have cooked everything from steaks to chicken to pork loins and love the quick and easy cooking for 1 or 2.

[KimberleyDawn]

Hello,
We have the small G.F. grill and I plan on getting the larger model because we like it so much!
Kim

[Rachels]

The one we have is the Flama Contact Grill. Easy to clean-- it's great!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[stillplayswithbarbies]

We have a George Foreman grill and we love it! We use it almost every night. The best part is that it is so easy to clean, just wipe it with a damp paper towel while it is still warm.

It's great for bacon. Comes out perfect and you don't have to drain it. It's great to roast onions or peppers too. I just spritz them with a little olive oil and grill them.

I don't like hamburgers on it because all the fat comes out of them and they get too dry for me. But someone on a low fat diet would like that.

Chicken breasts come out so moist. Portobello mushrooms, spread with butter and sprinkle with garlic and grill. Yummy!

We had to go buy the biggest one they make, we were using it so much.

...Karen
EDD March 21

[etwahl]

Everyone else has mentioned they are difficult to clean, which is why I was a little worried. Sounds like you have to definitely clean them when they're warm?

I also like the sound of Rachel's suggestion, so I'm currently considering both.

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Yes, clean them when they are warm. Or at least put a wet paper towel in them as soon as you take the food out to steam off the gunk, and then it just wipes clean.

Just don't leave the towels in there too long. The water will make the non-stick coating peel off. That happened to our first one.

...Karen
Mom to Jake age 12 and expecting Logan Elizabeth or Logan Bartholomew, EDD March 21