George Foreman Grill, just hype?

andrewj87
andrewj87 Posts: 74
in Food and Nutrition
Do any of you guys use a George Foreman grill? Does it do a good job of cooking whatever you throw at it? I'm thinking it's time I buy a decent compact indoor grill and that has always seemed to have been the most popular one around with the whole "drain excess fat and grease away from food" concept. Was just wondering if it's actually worth the premium price rather than some other generic electric grill. Thoughts?
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Replies

  • justformel
    justformel Posts: 193 Member
    I use my foreman for one thing, bacon. LOL It does a great job draining the grease. :happy:

    Bought it years ago for other foods, but never really made much on it. I have done chicken on it, but for me it came out dry, maybe I did it wrong, made some turkey burgers but same thing. But the bacon comes out awesome! haha :laugh:
  • cmurphy252
    cmurphy252 Posts: 279 Member
    I have a Wolfgang Puck grill, but its the same concept as the Foreman grill (which I've owned in the past) - drains the fat from the foods. With that being said, its basically the only appliance I use to cook my meats. I very seldom use the stovetop. It does what it claims to do and I personally think its worth the cost (you can find the smaller ones fairly cheap).
  • salladeve
    salladeve Posts: 1,053 Member
    I cook everything except chicken (too dry) on mine. It does a great job with burgers, bacon, turkey burgers ( I put shredded zucchini in mine so they won't be dry), steaks, and fish (gets done very quickly) . I've even done grilled cheese, and other sandwiches, I love my Foreman grill!

    I've been happier with the larger one I bought a few years ago because you can adjust the temps. The small one is really only good for burgers.
  • andrewj87
    andrewj87 Posts: 74
    I use my foreman for one thing, bacon. LOL It does a great job draining the grease. :happy:

    Bought it years ago for other foods, but never really made much on it. I have done chicken on it, but for me it came out dry, maybe I did it wrong, made some turkey burgers but same thing. But the bacon comes out awesome! haha :laugh:

    It's been ages since I've had bacon (okay fine, a month), every time I made it in a pan it was always drenched in grease, decided to cut back on that since trying to eat a bit better. I guess I can get back on the bacon bandwagon if a GFG really does what it claims! Sounds promising already. haha.
    I have a Wolfgang Puck grill, but its the same concept as the Foreman grill (which I've owned in the past) - drains the fat from the foods. With that being said, its basically the only appliance I use to cook my meats. I very seldom use the stovetop. It does what it claims to do and I personally think its worth the cost (you can find the smaller ones fairly cheap).

    I'm looking at this one on Amazon ($40), but there's a ton of other, god alone knows what the differences are between them.

    http://www.amazon.com/George-Foreman-Serving-Classic-Plate/dp/B002FKDZ5A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1380554304&sr=8-3&keywords=george+foreman+grill

    Guess that's a good one for starters.
  • lvendur
    lvendur Posts: 2 Member
    I have had the original for about 5 years (which still works great) and later bought a larger knock off brand and it burnt up after three months. I have to agree with the others that it really dries the chicken out. I like it for burgers, bacon, smoked pork chops etc. It is a great tool for removing excess fat!
  • Tessyloowhoo
    Tessyloowhoo Posts: 504
    Disgusting to cook chicken breasts on it... so dang disgusting and dry
    Zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, bacon, onions, burgers... all work fantastic
  • andrewj87
    andrewj87 Posts: 74
    I cook everything except chicken (too dry) on mine. It does a great job with burgers, bacon, turkey burgers ( I put shredded zucchini in mine so they won't be dry), steaks, and fish (gets done very quickly) . I've even done grilled cheese, and other sandwiches, I love my Foreman grill!

    I've been happier with the larger one I bought a few years ago because you can adjust the temps. The small one is really only good for burgers.

    I think the majority of my grilling would be between chicken breasts, steaks and burgers. Since you guys all seem to have had bad experiences with chicken I guess I'll have to find another way to deal with that. Guess it really is still good for veggies, bit more exciting than simply steaming them.

    Thank you all for the help, much appreciated.
  • tzig00
    tzig00 Posts: 875 Member
    I never thought to use the Foreman Grill for bacon...I just got a new way of cooking it. Thanks!
  • namluv
    namluv Posts: 194 Member
    About the chicken - I marinated mine every time and don't have dry chicken.
  • tim_jai
    tim_jai Posts: 4 Member
    breville halo for chicken here!
  • hananah89
    hananah89 Posts: 692 Member
    I have one and have used it for steak, chicken, burgers, and fish. Unless the one you have has a hinge that makes it lay flat on top instead of curved (think panini press) then you need to make sure your meat is thin enough. That's why chicken either drys out and takes too long (unless you open them up) and when i used it for steaks I had to watch them carefully so the outsides didn't burn because the insides weren't done yet.

    That's a great idea to use it for bacon. Never thought of that.

    Edit to add that marinating meats definitely helps prevent dryness.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    WalMart sells one that isn't a George Foreman but runs about $49 off sale... the plates flip over so you have flat or the grill type... the whole thing opens up flat, which mean you can use it for so much more than simply a burger. That means grilled veggies, eggs, etc., cooks chicken nicely, eggs and so much more.

    Definitely is worth checking out, it pretty much makes whatever I'm looking to make!

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Faberware-4-in-1-Grill/22726198 Shows it on a video being used.

    http://www.walmart.com/ip/Faberware-4-in-1-Grill/22726198#Product+Reviews
    Item Description

    The FARBERWARE 4-in-1 Grill offers four different cooking options, so you can make delicious sandwiches, quesadillas, burgers, and pancakes with ease. It's backed by the Good Housekeeping Seal. The limited warranty reflected by the Good Housekeeping Seal means that if a product bearing the Seal is defective within the first two years of purchase, Good Housekeeping will replace the product or refund the purchase price.

    Faberware 4-in-1 Grill:
    Contact grill, open grill, griddle, and combo grill functions
    Offers four different cooking options, so you can make delicious sandwiches, quesadillas, burgers, and pancakes with ease
    Stay cool handle
    Features non-stick, removable plates for easy cleaning
    Adjustable controls let you better manage function and temperature
    Includes grease drip cups and scraping tool
    Plates and accessories are dishwasher safe
    Two-year warranty
    Model# 104557
    Backed by the Good Housekeeping Seal
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    This is the ultimate grill, Brother!

    http://www.hulkhogangrill.org/
  • alliemarie77
    alliemarie77 Posts: 378 Member
    I personally love my George Fireman Grill. I grill meats, and vegetables on it all the time. Oh and instead of using cooking oils or sprays I use a spray bottle of tap water.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    I use the Gary Coleman grill.

    tumblr_inline_miqjr96Hu71qz4rgp.jpg
  • frommetobetterme
    frommetobetterme Posts: 124 Member
    I found that it cooks quickly, which is sometimes a bonus with my kids, but overall we don't use it much. I found that burgers will stick, so you have to oil it anyway. As far as draining fat, etc, I find that just cooking in the oven on a rack (bacon, burgers) or toaster oven if energy is a concern, or in a pan (I have one with ridges in it) works just as well.

    Chicken isn't very fatty/greasy in the first place, so IMO no use in worrying about the fat there.

    I think it's really just personal preference as things can be cooked with different methods to obtain similar results.
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
    I use my Foreman at least 1-2 times a week and love it... even chicken is great on it, however, I have always marinated my chicken with italian dressing before grilling of any kind. Makes a huge difference.

    I haven't tried it for bacon, but I am gonna give it a shot now :wink:
  • running_free_1984
    running_free_1984 Posts: 115 Member
    We used to have one and grill sausages . A huge amount of fat used to come out of them. Definitely getting another after our house move!
  • cmurphy252
    cmurphy252 Posts: 279 Member
    I cook chicken on mine (usually frozen because I dont plan well in advance to thaw before going to work), and I'll intermittently spray with olive oil as I turn it - tends to help keep the chicken more moist.
  • galvestongal
    galvestongal Posts: 186 Member
    I used mine for meats and veggies. The chicken is dry if you do not marinate, but the burger and such come out great. One word of advice is to buy the one with the removable plates. They are so much easier to wash, just pop them out and into the dishwasher. I had one with non-removeable plates, and it was a huge pain to clean, I'll never go back!
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    I love my George Foreman!!!
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I had one years ago, liked it for a while. Not crazy about the cleaning process. I prefer my cast iron grilled with pan press, or cast enamel griddle with press. I can adjust the temp for whatever I am cooking.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I used the hell out of my Foreman when I was in college/just graduated.
  • TheTomMalone
    TheTomMalone Posts: 3 Member
    I love my Foreman grill, and have been using one for years as a quick, easy way to grill meat. Tip for chicken: marinate it if you can, and be sure not to overcook. It cooks fast (5-7 minutes) so people tend to leave it on too long. I've never had a problem with dried-out chicken.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I had one years ago. It will cook what you need and cook it fine. But Ifound it a PITA to clean and deal with, so personally I wouldn't get another one.
  • AA1ex
    AA1ex Posts: 223 Member
    About the chicken - I marinated mine every time and don't have dry chicken.

    ^This! I grew up with a GF grill and loved it. So worth the cost, my parents' grill lasted 10 years I think.
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    A cast iron grill or skillet is a lot cheaper and easier to use and will never break on you! :flowerforyou:
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I cook everything except chicken (too dry) on mine. It does a great job with burgers, bacon, turkey burgers ( I put shredded zucchini in mine so they won't be dry), steaks, and fish (gets done very quickly) . I've even done grilled cheese, and other sandwiches, I love my Foreman grill!

    I've been happier with the larger one I bought a few years ago because you can adjust the temps. The small one is really only good for burgers.

    I think the majority of my grilling would be between chicken breasts, steaks and burgers. Since you guys all seem to have had bad experiences with chicken I guess I'll have to find another way to deal with that. Guess it really is still good for veggies, bit more exciting than simply steaming them.

    Thank you all for the help, much appreciated.
    I used to use mine for chicken breasts and they didn't come out dry.
  • spookiefox
    spookiefox Posts: 215 Member
    Do any of you guys use a George Foreman grill? Does it do a good job of cooking whatever you throw at it? I'm thinking it's time I buy a decent compact indoor grill and that has always seemed to have been the most popular one around with the whole "drain excess fat and grease away from food" concept. Was just wondering if it's actually worth the premium price rather than some other generic electric grill. Thoughts?

    Well, grills pretty much by design drain away the grease, so yeah, it's hype if you believe that's unique to the Foreman. It's not a bad grill, but I wouldn't say it's special. If I replaced mine I would not necessarily buy another Foreman, but I wouldn't avoid it either.
  • rbn_held
    rbn_held Posts: 689 Member
    I used our little one all the time but it finally broke, so I broke down and bought the standing indoor/outdoor George Foreman. I love it. I have it on the back porch right outside the kitchen door so all I have to do is go out and plug it in when I want to use it. I can fit a lot more on it at one time then I could on the counter top one so I can grill up enough so I have leftovers for the week.

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