287977 Wed Nov 28 12:25:54 -0800 2001 6 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1551935 Have heard that these grills do a nice job. has anyone had any experinces with them. Wed Nov 28 12:25:54 -0800 2001 0 john i 1 1551937 I've had one for a year or so; it's been sitting in storage for the last 9 months. It'll go in my next yard sale. First, the sizes are all off - you *cannot* grill 4 normal-sized burgers on the large size grill ($59.99, I believe), no matter what the advertising says. You can barely get two boneless chicken breasts on that size GF grill. I know some families who got the super-duper jumbo size (supposedly up to 6-8 burgers/chicken pieces) just to be able to grill 4 items for the family. Second, if the item you're grilling isn't uniformly sized (meaning thickness), parts will get overdone and some might be underdone. Boneless chicken breasts and pork chops are two items I haven't had any success with. I personally don't feel like pounding a chicken breast to get it to uniform thickness before cooking it. I also think they dry out the meats. I would rather the marinade and juices *not* run off, but you don't have a choice with the slanted cooking surface. It's also a PITB to clean up, too. You can't submerse it in water, obviously, so you have to lay folded wet paper towels on the grill, close the cover, and let the gunk steam off, and then wipe it off with a lot more dry paper towels. Overall, it isn't worth it, IMO. I recently bought a small stovetop reversible grill/griddle pan for $24.95 or so (ridged on one side, smooth griddle on the other) that does a much better job for a lot less money. Wed Nov 28 13:00:40 -0800 2001 1551935 0 Linda W. 2 1551955 Now, now, people- let's be fair. As a Texan who is now living in a tiny New York City Apartment, where bar-b-que grills are strictly forbidden, the George Foreman grill has been a Godsend for giving something of a semblance of outdoor cooking with all of the conveniences of cooking indoors. First- it doesn't cause a lot of smoke to set of fire alarms in the apartment. When cooking foods for an appropriate amount of time- yes- half the time of regular cooking- meats come out juicy and tender. I have found that by adding a bit of liquid smoke to the ground beef mixture with salt and pepper (maybe a bit of garlic powder) and forming into thick patties (about an inch tall), then pressing them into the grill, I can get a moist, well seasoned, grill-marked "almost like it was cooked outside" burger in ten minutes or so. I visited a friend in Seattle where we picked up a fillet of Wild Salmon, which we marinated for a few minutes in lemon juice and a teaspoon of olive oil, then grilled in the George Foreman. It was just heavenly, perfectly cooked, and moist on the inside. A spoonful of Jasmine rice, asparagus and soy sauce on the side; and we were in culinary ecstasy. The secret is to watch the food the first few times you use the grill to familiarize yourself with how fast it cooks. I have an older model, with no temperature control, but I believe the newer models have high, medium and low settings. Clean up? I just take a moist, soapy sponge and squeeze the water into the grill, then close it while on for a minute or two, letting the soapy water drip into the drip pan. Then I wipe it a few times with paper towels- much more convenient than scrubbing a real grill! For what it's worth, my opinion is that the grill is a terrific alternative cooking method for small apartments, and makes a great holiday gift for yourself or anyone else on your list. Wed Nov 28 15:11:47 -0800 2001 1551937 0 Stacey 3 1552077 Stacey, I'm with you. Perhaps I am, as Jaciet so judiciously puts it, "still stuck on the fat free movement." I don't use it much for cooking meat (tho I can make a mean ham- or turkeyburger on it), but Big George is worth his weight in gold for grilling vegetables. Eggplant, sweet potato, mushrooms, onions - you name it, I have successfully grilled it. For someone without any grilling aparatus and looking to cut down on fat I highly recommend. It's the toy I've yet to tire of. Thu Nov 29 21:41:08 -0800 2001 1551955 0 Lisa Bee 1 1551939 It appeals to those still stuck on the fat free movement that has otherwise collapsed. It is also still purchased by those that like their meats fully overcooked. It is difficult for most people, that can't cook anyway, to understand that food cooks in HALF the time. It bothers them to cook burgers in the 'conventional' way for less than a half hour to 45 minutes, no less ready to eat in less than ten minutes! The juices, along with what little fat is still present in comparison to broiler pan broiling, runs off leaving the food somewhat dry. My father-in-law LOVES and LIVES for the driest steaks in the world. He even covers his bbq with Al foil for the first 45 minutes of cooking and then removes it ofr the remaining 25 minutes. He cooks THIN steaks! Very thin pork chops and Paper thin chicken. He would not like this GF grill either because it would turn the food to ash before he is even half way done with his drying ritual. I recommend it for those that don't know any better. Note: I haven't bought one. I haven't the urge to buy one. I have seen it in use at family homes. It sucks.(period) Wed Nov 28 13:34:31 -0800 2001 1551935 0 Jaciet 1 1551952 I'd have to disagree with some of the other chowfolks and would suggest buying this to people who want something quick and like well-done meat. The chicken and steaks generally can come out overcooked, but if you like well-done meat then it's fine. Plus, the "fat" bucket to catch all of the juices can be collected to make gravy to go over whatever you've just made. My non-cooking friends (who like well-done everything) love the grill. In fact, one bachelor I know uses it about once a week! I myself don't use it that often since I like my stuff pretty rare, but I've had luck with other things like shrimp, fish and veggies. You just gotta figure out the timing. Also, a good way to clean it is if you hold it on a 45-degree angle under a running faucet and gently wipe it with a soapy sponge. The biggest problem is, like others stated, the sizing. You can really only fit one or two meats on any of the grills, no matter what size! But if you're only cooking for one or two, it's no biggie. Wed Nov 28 14:58:15 -0800 2001 1551935 0 erlina 1 1552155 I like the george forman. I watch the meat carefully - chicken breats only take about 5 minutes. Boneless breasts must be marinated, otherwise they taste like nothing. I have cooked salmon, cod, chiken and filet (beef) on the george. Its easier to clean up than a broiler pan, and you don;t heat up the house as you would with the broiler. Fri Nov 30 15:12:48 -0800 2001 1551935 0 MrEd