George Foreman Grill

SimonCypher
SimonCypher Posts: 254 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm currently contemplating purchasing a George Foreman Grill, never owned one and want to start eating a lot more meat. Will mainly be chicken & steak and investing in one of these sounds like a good idea.

Anyone have / had one and would recommend them? I'll be getting one with removable plates for ease of cleaning and a 4 portion one so I can cook a fair few portions at one time.
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Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    They're nice, I had a different brand, same thing. Only thing I didn't like is that they didn't get hot enough for what I wanted, and there wasn't a direct dial to adjust temperature. It was on or off.

    I prefer a pan, personally, but found the grill was excellent for panini.
  • SimonCypher
    SimonCypher Posts: 254 Member
    Thanks, I've read a few reviews where they've said it wasn't hot enough also. Think I'll look at one with adjustable temperature controls. Hmmm, decisions.....
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    I thought it was pretty good with chicken and grilled cheese/sandwiches, but with other kinds of meat I felt it kind of steamed them. I think dbmata's point about them not getting hot enough is why I ultimately didn't like it. But I will say that it's quick!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I love it. Everything always turns out perfect.
  • Sweetvirgo63
    Sweetvirgo63 Posts: 119 Member
    I've had one for years. I use it to cook all my meats from burgers to lamb chops and it's great to cook bacon too, all the grease just drips right out.
  • SimonCypher
    SimonCypher Posts: 254 Member
    Champion! I'm picking one up tonight after work and shall post how my chicken comes out, :smile:
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
    I love mine. I have a small one at work which I primarily cook frozen chicken thighs on, and a large one at home. IMO, it doesn't work well for meats you want to sear, like steak or lamb, but I love it for chicken, pork, or burgers. I also sometimes put sliced sweet potatoes in it. Sausages are another good item.
  • Lorleee
    Lorleee Posts: 369 Member
    We use a Cuisinart Griddler for burgers and steaks and it works really well. Not sure how chicken would do. There are flat plates for pancakes which is a nice to have.
  • nikibean123
    nikibean123 Posts: 81 Member
    I would recommend against doing steaks in there - as all the juice drips out they're not as moist. Very good for seasoned chicken and veg/toasted sandwiches though. Happy grilling!
  • amcook4
    amcook4 Posts: 561 Member
    I have an off brand one, I don't use it that much, but it is great when I just need meat to be cooked and I don't feel like putting in a lot of effort. Super easy to quick season a chicken breast, pop in a thermometer and put it on the grill. I don't think it tastes quite as good as other preparations, but it isn't too bad.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    Wife bought one when they first came out. I tried it. Makes a pretty good grilled cheese sandwich, but I don't care for how it drys meat out. It's been collecting dust in our pantry for years. If my wife hasn't tossed it in the last decade, I'd be happy to send it to you.
  • SimonCypher
    SimonCypher Posts: 254 Member
    Really appreciate all the replies, I'm hopeful from reading comments on here and also reviews I've read online. I'm going to try and keep all I eat via the grill healthy however some great options from the sounds of it!

    @TheRoadDog , I appreciate the offer it was still there, however with me living in England it may be a bit expensive sending across the pond, lol. Might be cheaper me just getting one over here :smile:
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    edited October 2014
    I used to have a George Foreman and it worked great although I found I overcooked my meats a lot with it. I got a T-fal OptiGrill grill for Christmas a couple of years ago and I loved it so much I got rid of the Foreman. You have to select what you are grilling (steak, chicken, fish, burgers, etc.) and then it will actually alert you at each cooking stage (rare, medium-well, etc.) so you cook your meat exactly the way you like. My brother and parents ended up buying one as well they loved it so much. It's a bit more expensive but worth every penny.

    Bonus: the grills are removable and so easy to clean.

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  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    TheRoadDog wrote: »
    Wife bought one when they first came out. I tried it. Makes a pretty good grilled cheese sandwich, but I don't care for how it drys meat out. It's been collecting dust in our pantry for years. If my wife hasn't tossed it in the last decade, I'd be happy to send it to you.

    Mine doesn't dry meat out at all.
  • scottkjar
    scottkjar Posts: 346 Member
    I have the most basic (least expensive!) model, and I use it several times per week. I grill hamburgers, turkey burgers, steak, salmon burgers, fresh salmon, etc. on it. As it ages, I find the heat is becoming a little un-even. I now have to flip burgers halfway through and shift them from one side to the other. Still, I can hardly complain. I drop a frozen burger on the hot grill, flip it after 150 seconds, grill it for another 120 seconds, and remove it.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    Cast iron for the win.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    digginDeep wrote: »
    Highly recommend. It's magical. It takes meat, which some people are against- and to those people, I say, "Hey, Hitler, Iraq, and California-" I say, "Hey- whatever a man, his grill, three rolls of toilet paper and his tears want to do with a side of beef is his own garsh darn business. Keep your laws out of my kitchen!"- and turns into to a health food, like so:
    As a half german, native Californian.... I approve of this message.
  • justcat206
    justcat206 Posts: 716 Member
    I have a hamilton beach brand one and LOVE it! I make chicken on it all the time, and occasionally paninis. It does have a temperature adjuster which is great since my meats tend to vary in thickness and I hate when they get too crunchy on the outside while still raw on the inside. The only thing I don't like about it is that the plates aren't removeable so it takes some elbow grease to clean.

    Though I just googled to see if I could link you and I guess it's old enough that it's no longer being made. The new ones all seem to have removable plates.

    If you like your meat tender, I recommend using a slow cooker instead. I put a week's worth of meat in before bed (with a little liquid), move it to the fridge in the morning, then I can reheat on the stove later, or cut it up to toss into dishes etc all week long :)
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    I have the very basic original GF grill and the best advantage is the speed. It will cook a burger in four minutes, a chicken breast in ten. Jut make sure you pre-heat it, and it will brown the meat well. I have the one with un-removable plates, and have had no problem washing it under running water, just don't totally immerse it.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
    I love my George Foreman. I have one with the removable plates (they can go right in the dishwasher after use). I also made sure I purchased one with the adjustable temperature. I can place a large 8oz chicken breast on my George Foreman and its done in less than 8 minutes. Such a time saver! I haven't experienced any problems with it drying out my food unless I overcook it.

    Between my slow cooker and my George Foreman I rarely use my oven or my stove anymore.
  • derekj222
    derekj222 Posts: 370 Member
    I'm on my 2nd one...This one has a temp gauge...love it. Wish I had one with removable plates, cleaning is a b---h
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    @derekj222 - here's a tip. Right after using, unplug it and put a wet paper towel on the grill and close it. Wait ten minutes. The steam from the paper towel will do all the work. Then just sponge it off under running water, just don't immerse it.
  • missjones513
    missjones513 Posts: 345 Member
    I have the smallest one. It's good for chicken and burgers.
  • gamerguy123
    gamerguy123 Posts: 48 Member
    edited October 2014
    I couldn't do without my GF grill. I have the one with removable plates. 4 serving was worth the extra for me.

    Pros: Great for frozen turkey burgers or ground turkey. Also works for bacon. It's great because it's easy and fast. Grilled sandwhiches are a nice change of pace and are very easy.

    Cons: I find the plates don't clean as well in the dishwasher and after each use it's tough to clean it up to make it look new again. Mine had signs of use only after a few months.

  • Makterbro
    Makterbro Posts: 101 Member
    DO IT!


    Buying a George foreman grill is one of the best decisions I made after I decided to loose weight. I had no time to cook so I would always end up eating a lot of processed foods that were high in sodium. With the forman grill, I can cook chicken breasts within minutes. Not to mention that the grill drains a lot of fat from non-lean meats.
  • Ibyzr
    Ibyzr Posts: 14 Member
    Love mine, easy to clean, cooks quickly. No regrets.
  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
    I love mine. I just cooked a bison steak on it. I love it that much more, since we can't grill at our apartment complex. I love it EVEN more since I got it FOR FREE!
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    The grills aren't very expensive. Try it. I tend to use my pannini press more than the GF. My GF gets so hot that the outside of the meat is done way before the inside - making it really dry.
  • crookback
    crookback Posts: 33 Member
    Had mine for a couple of years. I use it mainly for chicken, fish and grilled veg. Quick, easy and always done to perfection.
  • VintageFit
    VintageFit Posts: 90 Member
    Quick question - can you put unthawed frozen meat on this kind of grill to cook it?

    I have a superold version from my grandma, but have never used it. My problem is that I rarely eat meat so I usually freeze it and then forget that I have to defrost it and then... never eat it.

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