289006 Thu Apr 18 00:33:55 -0700 2002 23 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1562454 Hashbrowns! I was talking to someone today and she said that she uses a waffle iron to prepare low fat hashbrowns. She heats the iron, sprays Pam on it, then throws on her hashbrowns and closes it all up, and voila, hashbrowns that have not been soaking in fat. Sounds like a perfect application for the Foreman grill, and since there will be no flavor imparted by oil or butter or grease, thrown in some sliced onion, or anything else that comes to mind. If I ever get off The Liquid Diet I am going to give it a try. Anyone else done this or contemplating doing this, please report back on your results. We may be able to save the Foreman grill from being just another useless kitchen appliance. Thu Apr 18 00:33:55 -0700 2002 0 Chino Wayne 1 1562468 I suspect the Foreman Grill would also make and excellent press for freshly laundered socks and undies...another way to save it from obselescence! Thu Apr 18 08:04:01 -0700 2002 1562454 0 GG Mora 2 1562472 It makes a great paperweight when working outside on windy days. Then if you feel like a snack... presto. Thu Apr 18 09:15:20 -0700 2002 1562468 0 The Rogue 3 1562480 Don't forget to pack that extra-long extension cord Rogue. Thu Apr 18 10:00:00 -0700 2002 1562472 0 Chino Wayne 1 1562478 I think it makes a wonderful regift. I got two grills from close relatives for Christmas last year- the year I got married and got everything on my registry which did NOT include a GF grill. I tried one out of sheer curiosity and simply do not get it. I have an oversized Belgian waffler with two types of grill inserts which I suppose could substitute, but so far, I only experimented once for pancakes without good results. But to go out and purchase one? Only if someone really needs an oversized paperweight would I buy this for someone. If they really want it, I don't want to have anything to do with it. They're on their own. I wonder about the phenomenon a lot. I just don't get it. Thu Apr 18 09:35:02 -0700 2002 1562454 0 cypressstylepie 2 1562479 I think you have hit on it, the Foreman grill can become the fruitcake gift (the gift that keeps on giving, year after year) of the 21st century. Thu Apr 18 09:58:50 -0700 2002 1562478 0 Chino Wayne 3 1562555 In fact, how about giving a fruitcake along WITH the Grill, along with a recipe for "fruitcake toast" cooked on the grill. Double whammy. Thu Apr 18 16:20:26 -0700 2002 1562479 0 cypressstylepie 4 1562561 We all know how great fruitcakes are... and the same for the grill... so what will the grilled fruitcake taste like...hmmm... Thu Apr 18 16:59:47 -0700 2002 1562555 0 NoGo 5 1562608 Dunno, but what ever you do, don't call George Foreman a "fruit cake"... Fri Apr 19 00:18:29 -0700 2002 1562561 0 Chino Wayne 2 1562623 I can explain the phenomenon. Any product advertised heavily on TV will be bought by lots of people, even if the product is complete junk. Fri Apr 19 07:59:14 -0700 2002 1562478 0 REP 3 1562646 And if you price is at $19.95 or in four easy payments of just $19.95... Fri Apr 19 12:17:47 -0700 2002 1562623 0 Chino Wayne 4 1562795 But a lot of sales are from word-of-mouth advertising. I really hear a lot of people rave about them (especially on another non-food related message board I frequent). Usually, people may buy this stuff from the advertising, use it and realize it doesn't work. It will end up at garage sales or buried in a kitchen utensil graveyard. But people buy these, use them and love them. That's what I don't understand. Sun Apr 21 11:46:16 -0700 2002 1562646 0 cypressstylepie 1 1562482 Actually, everyone I know who has one of these likes it. I don't have one, but they say that it works at least as well as a grill pan, since it does actually cook both sides at once, although the "letting the fat run off" thing is bogus. I can see this being a decent alternative if you don't actually have regular access to a grill, as most people in Manhattan don't. Thu Apr 18 10:14:07 -0700 2002 1562454 0 Caviar 2 1562508 Regarding "letting the fat run off", My sister has a F.G. which she loves, (she has it because her apartment lacks a regular stove,) and she props up the front to keep the fat from running out. She says it works much better that way. We'll try the hashbrown idea out, Chino Wayne! Thu Apr 18 13:39:10 -0700 2002 1562482 0 Jackie Avery 1 1562483 You guys really don't find it useful? My boyfriend has two (strange, considering I've never actually seen him cook) and is going to give me one. I was really excited about the prospect of grilling chicken and turkey burgers and veggies, etc. Should I decline his offer? Certainly my kitchen is cluttered enough already. Thu Apr 18 10:16:37 -0700 2002 1562454 0 JessicaSophia 2 1562487 On the contrary, the GFG is PERFECT for people who don't cook. Just leave it in the box and put it in the back of the closet. Thu Apr 18 10:47:42 -0700 2002 1562483 0 Alan H 2 1562509 If it's the first generation GFG, I would politely decline the gift. My husband got one when they first became popular. We tried it on sausages and since there is no heat setting on the old version, it just keeps cooking until you unplug it. The outside would be burned crisp while the inside would be just right. And cleaning it is no picnic...when the grease comes out the other side near the cords, sometimes it's easier to just ignore it than navigate around electrical cords. I can't speak for the newer GFGs though, I think they do have temperature settings. Thu Apr 18 13:46:15 -0700 2002 1562483 0 Can 3 1562548 Dunno about the bigger models, but the tiny one (most basic one) I got last December just had a plug for on or off. Plugged in= on, unplugged= off. The main problem is that although it has grill lines, the top is on and some things STEAM rather than grill with dry heat. The goo that drips out is not all fat, either. It's good old fashioned moisture that belongs inside the food, not outside. I thought it might be ok (just ok) for fish and burgers, but that's about it. Thu Apr 18 15:58:01 -0700 2002 1562509 0 cypressstylepie 1 1562495 Gives long hair a nice wave. Thu Apr 18 12:25:54 -0700 2002 1562454 0 2chez mike 1 1562510 FYI, there's a pretty good thread on this issue below on this board. Mind you I'm not playing site nazi as some nameless folks do but you might want to check it out. It seems that the majority just aren't a big fan of this contraption. I don't have one on principle alone and after reading these 2 threads, that ain't changing any time soon. Thu Apr 18 13:52:49 -0700 2002 1562454 0 Hunter 1 1562551 We have a GF given to me by Mom when I was a bachelor. I have tried a bunch of stuff on it and there is only one decent use. The best thing we've made on ours are hot sandwichs. As a matter of fact, it's the only thing we make on it. Do not try fish. It will smell like fish for 2 weeks and it dries it out badly--especially salmon. I know there are other tools for hot sandwiches (grill pan), but I will step out on a limb and say none quicker or easier. That said, if it broke, I would not replace it. Thu Apr 18 16:10:13 -0700 2002 1562454 0 Tater 2 1562589 In the current Cook's Illustrated they have a sidebar about trying a GF grill, and the only thing they thought was successful was grilled cheese sandwiches. Thu Apr 18 20:34:56 -0700 2002 1562551 0 Caitlin McGrath 1 1562716 I tried making hash browns in my waffle iron. They were extremely unsatisfying. The very bottom was crispy, but the potatoes did not compress properly, and the top was not full, so it didn't touch the grids and brown properly. Generally, you can make things in a waffle iron that are compressible (or squish to fill the grids, I've done leftover mashed potatoes, rice, and grits) or leavened, so they puff. I also think that your potatoes wouldn't taste nearly as good if they were greaseless. More like toasted or dehydrated, less like fried. How close do the grids come together on your George Foreman? There are ribs, aren't there? If the finished patty is more than half an inch thick (I would prefer 3/8") it probably won't be what you're looking for. My waffle iron has sandwich grids, but they don't come closer than about 3/4", so I'm not going to try to cook potatoes in them, they'll just be a huge portion that's glooey in the center. I think you could probably cook decent hash browns in something that makes thin disks, like a krumcake or pizelle iron. Anyone out there want to check and see if it works? Fri Apr 19 23:20:14 -0700 2002 1562454 0 ironmom 1 1562888 OK, I tried it. Results were fine, as good as a greaseless hash brown is going to get! I shredded & soaked one potato, mixed with salt & pepper and piled into the preheated G.F.G. Cooked for around 10 min... and it was edible. The George's grip is flexible, so it smashed the patty down thin enough not to be gummy in the middle. It developed a smooth outer coating from the nonstick surface which was strange, but it was brown and pretty. This outer shell was a little difficult to cut through. Drowned in plenty of ketchup, I hardly missed the grease flavor. Mon Apr 22 18:11:45 -0700 2002 1562454 0 Jackie Avery