Before I get into this review, we have to understand the product we are looking at: a George Foreman ELECTRIC grill. George Foreman products are essentially useful variations of hotplates. In this case, the hot plate takes the form of a grill (with a stand, a dome cover, a large cooking surface with raised grooves etc...).
That being said, this product caters to people (me) willing to try a product that is not a traditional charcoal grill, could be useful in smaller spaces/porches, looks like it is easy to use and clean up, could potentially cut some fat (never hurts, right?), and seems like it will work well as a good back-up grill or a quick solution to throwing mini-bbqs requiring even heat distribution without the hassle of buying/lighting/dumping coal. If that's you, then read on...
Here, I'll try my best to outline the grill's pros and cons, as well as do a quick, inevitable comparison it to a traditional charcoal grill.
PROS:
The pros of this grill basically equal the pros of using hot plates in general:
1) Quick Heat The whole surface heats up very quickly (you'll be ready to cook in a few minutes after you twist the switch)
2) Design Basically you have the stand, a bottom dome, the flat grill that sits on the bottom dome, then the lid (top dome). You can easily remove the flat grill part to use indoors separate from the stand, and it also makes for easy cleaning since you can just throw the flat grill surface in the sink.
3) Easy to Clean The grill surface is relatively easy to clean. Understand, grease is never easy to clean. But in my situation, i wipe off the chunks of grease with paper towels, then run hot water over it in the sink (yes it fits in my sink) and wash it with a soapy sponge. It's basically like cleaning a big oily plate by hand in the sink, however easy or hard that is to you.
4) Space Saving The bulk of the materials are where it should be: the grilling surface. Everything else (aka the stand) is small and portable.
5) Easy to Assemble A no brainer. Put the pole of the stand into the foot of the stand. Attach the grilling surface to the bottom dome. Stick that whole thing on the stand. Then put the cover on top. Took a few minutes while I was watching TV.
6) Great Tasting Food Of course this part is important. I tried cooking everything unseasoned and it just tastes great. I mean, this this one thing I love about hotplates...food tastes good without a lot of seasoning. I cooked unseasoned burgers, top sirloin, chuck roast, kielbasa..it was fast, it tasted good, and it had good looking grill stripes on it when I was done.
Cons:
Seriously, not much that I can think of. If I had to be picky:
1) Could be a little heavy for people with a bad back?
2) When you lift it by the handles, the stand comes out (since they're not really "attached"....the grill just sits on the stand.) So you gotta lift it by the pole of the stand, really...this isn't even a con truthfully.
3) People complain about the grease not dripping into the pan. Well, it's a hot plate with grooves and a hole in it for grease to drip. Of course not all the grease magically swims toward the magical grease drip hole. But still, it works fine...I didn't notice sever grease build-up that stood in the way of my grilling.
Comparison to a Traditional Grill:
Really, there shouldn't be a comparison. Obviously this is not a charcoal grill and should never be compared to one. They are just 2 different things, and so they make food taste different: traditional grills basically fire cook your food through the coal's heat so you get the taste of charcoal while this product essentially "pan sears" your food. I'm a long time lover of all kinds of BBQ, and charcoal grills are great fun, make great tasting food and really cannot be replicated. You shouldn't be buying this grill to ever *REPLACE* a charcoal grill; it should be bought to be a 2nd grill that's great for rainy days or a primary grill if you really have no space and don't have time/space to deal with lighting and dumping charcoal.
Overall, this grill is an electric hot plate with raised grooves that makes great tasting food quickly, quietly, and easily. And for what it is, it's a SUPERB product (and relatively affordable too!). Go get one! I didn't regret my purchase and I don't think you will either.
Originally I saw my mother's George Forman grill (smaller indoor one with lid).Then I saw my brother's Party Size grill.Both of them love their grill.I was able to taste the food from both and found it very tasty and easy to use.I decided to do some investigating on my own intending to purchase the party size grill, when I saw the indoor/outdoor grill.I was impressed with the fact that it appeared to be a bigger cooking surface and the price I found was within reason.I purchased it for the purpose of using it as an extra grill for a cookout I was having.No one used the gas grill at all.I have since used it indoors without the stand, making it convient on rainy days.It is the easiest grill to use and clean that we have ever owned.You can cook everything evenly, because there are no coals to level out.It can easily hold 4 to 5 steaks, 10 big hamburgers, and the list goes one.I am sure there are some drawbacks to those that swear by gas/charcoal grills, but my gas grill has found a permanent residence in our shed, while George sits ready to use at any time indoors or out on our back porch.I am so impressed, that I am purchasing one for my parents for Christmas, to replace the charcoal grill that takes for ever to heat up and messy to clean. I'm sure they'll love it too!
Buy George Foreman GGR50 Indoor/Outdoor Grill Now
I bought this grill 4 months ago and have used it several times per week ever since.I am a very lazy cook with 3 hungry teens and a hubby who eats like he's a heavyweight boxer.So, I needed something that would cook and clean-up as easily as possible.I can turn on the grill (it has an adjustable thermostat), take out a package of frozen chicken, hamburger patties, whatever, prepare it as usual, and the grill is ready to go to work. Dinner is on the table in no time. Its non-stick surface is just that, making clean-up simple and quick.
I am quite happy with the surface area, as I can easily fit 8 large burgers on at once. I live in the frozen north, so the fact that this grill will also work indoors is plus.
It's portable, reliable, easy to use and clean, and a bargain compared to other outdoor grills.
George put his name on a very good product.
Update: I have owned this grill for 2 1/2 years now and it still works like new!
Read Best Reviews of George Foreman GGR50 Indoor/Outdoor Grill Here
Let's get right to it:
Pros:
1. Can be used on decks and balconies where gas or charcoal are forbidden as a fire risk.
2. Small footprint, can be used tableside or on pedestal
3. Foreman (Salton) quality is reliable
4. No gas or charcoal lighter flavor--great if you are chemically sensitive (I happen to be.)
5. Quick heating
6. No need to replenish a gas bottle or run out of charcoal.
Now the Cons:
1. Be careful of the fat drainage; if you clog the hole, it can get ugly, real ugly.
2. On that note, if you have a composite deck--one made of resin and sawdust or even a wood deck, any spilled fat or juices will stain your planks. An outdoor rug or mat under the grill is a good idea--something that will catch drips.
3. The grill really isn't as hot as really hot charcoal or gas and you won't get that char-broiled taste. No different than cooking indoors.
4. Requires an outlet.
This type of grill is very common in Europe, where charcoal and gas are not popular or outright forbidden (for example, in Germany, where fires are taken seriously. In a country where houses are cheek-by-jowl, fire prevention is of primary concern.) If you are in an area that does not allow open fire or outdoor grilling, this is a very excellent alternative.
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My only problem is the "convenient" drip pan.Maybe i'm the only one who likes to cook more than one thing at a time; but anyways, the fat and juices of the meat quickly overflowed the tiny drip pan and ran out the bottom making a mess everywhere.The "convenient" drip pan is located under the hot metal plate and you just try and empty it while cooking.Luckily I was cooking outside!! The grill works surprisingly well and the food produced was just excellent.Be aware of this problem or you might not be so lucky.
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I love this pan. My only issue is that the pan is not deep enough to cook a meal for a big family.My fault though because I didn't realize a saute pan had short sides.I have always had good success with T-Fal pans especially considering the price when compared to others such as scanpan. So far it is completley non-stick and easy to clean.I will continue to buy T-Fal pans until a better product comparably priced is introduced.
