Customer Reviews

George Foreman Grilling in Hot Metals, Green

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We used a George Foreman Champ model grill for a year before dropping and breaking it. We replaced it with the George Foreman Grilleration model. Since there already so many reviews of the Champ - here's a comparison of the Champ versus the similar, but larger, George Foreman Next Grilleration:

Cleaning: The Grilleration grilling plates come off and go on easily, and cleaning them in the sink or dishwasher is a breeze. The base unit doesn't even get dirty! The Champ has fixed plates and the unit can't be submerged, so cleaning is much more difficult.

Cooking area: Grilleration: 72 sq. in., large enough for 4 hamburgers.; Champ 42 sq. in., large enough for 2 hamburgers.

Fat dripping: Both units drip into the provided tray with no leaking out the back or sides.

Floating hinges: Floating hinges on both units allow varying thicknesses of food to be held tight on the top and bottom.

Weight: Although the Grilleration can be hefted with one hand (if you have big hands), it's much larger and heavier than the light and petite Champ.

Thermometer & temperature control: Neither unit has these, but they aren't needed for most things. Price is lower as a result.

Both units offer an easy, fast, and inexpensive method to cook many foods: (chicken breasts, burgers, hot-dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.).

Taste of cooked hamburgers & chicken: The first time we used a Grilleration to cook hamburgers, we put them on when the temperature light said the grill was hot (around the 7 minute mark), as per the instructions. Instead of grilling the burgers, it slow-cooked them. We suspected this was happening, since there was no "sizzle" sound while cooking. The worst of it was, the burgers had almost no taste, as though they had been baked. Next time, we let the grill heat up for a full 15 minutes before putting the meat on. The plates got much hotter, and, as a result, the burgers sizzled. They also tasted much better.

Even pre-heating for 15 minutes, this Grilleration doesn't get as hot as the Champ. The Champ is ready to start in 7 minutes and cooks faster (because it runs hotter). The Grilleration doesn't stay as hot during the cooking cycle as does the Champ, especially if the grilling plates are covered with food (e.g., 4 hamburgers). This is easily discernable as the "sizzle sound" dies out as the cooking progresses. There are two reasons why the Champ gets hotter:

1. The Next Grilleration heating coils heat the sealed base unit, and transfers heat to the removable grilling plates, which are touching the base unit. The Champ system is more efficient, as its heating coils directly heat the non-removable plates.

2. The 760 watt Champ cooking area is 42 square inches, or 18 watts per sq. inch. The 1000 watt Next Grilleration cooking area is 72 square inches, or 14 watts per sq. inch. (That's 1000 claimed watts. According to my Kill-a-Watt meter, the Grilleration actually draws 955 watts.)

The Grilleration would need to be in the 1400 watt range to cook as hot as the Champ.

Summary of important differences:

- Foods needing high heat to grill taste better with the hotter operating Champ model.
- Champ's cooking area is 42 sq. in. versus 72 sq. in. for the Grilleration.
- The Champ is a pain to clean since you can't submerge the base unit, whereas cleaning the Grilleration plates is simple.

Recommendation:

If taste is most important, get the Champ model, or, if it's too small, buy two Champs (for less money than one Grilleration).

If ease of cleaning is most important, buy a Grilleration or other [larger] unit with removable grilling plates.

I love this appliance! I am young and single and just don't cook, but I can eat only so much of frozen foods, soup and salad. I saw this on sale at amazon one day (...Great price!) and decided to give it a try. I have friends who have made positive remarks about their own grilles, so figured at that price, I didn't have much to lose. I'm so glad I did! The grille is everything it promises to be. It's opened up a whol new world for me, eating-wise (and I'm saving money by avoiding eating out.) It's quick and easy. I'm enjoying experimenting with different foods. Tonight, I grilled 6 shrimp and a small steak, a delicious meal. It was a bit tricky to time the varying cooking times, so I recommend a kitchen timer, and monitoring it carefully when you have different foods on the plates at the same time. I've also tried hotdogs and marinated chicken, and they've all come out just great.I've read some of the reviews complaining about cleaning, but the truth is, following the instructions carefully nets the best results. I wait until the grille has dried, scrape off anything carbonized, and then just take a soapy, damp sponge to it. It cleans easily. Odors can be removed by making a paste of baking soda and leaving it on the plates for a few minutes (this is also in the instructions.) And I also highly recommend wearing oven mitts or using pot holders whenever lifting the lid or touching the food on the grille when it's plugged in, to avoid any burns. Try different things, be creative, you'll love it.Had I known I would be using the grille this much, I probably would have gone for the next bigger size. The smallest grille, the one I have, reaally is *very* small. All in all, great price, easy, quick, fun, and exactly as advertised. I'm glad I bought this. My stove and microwave may become very lonely! I can't live without George! : )

I have to admit I only bought this item to get over a certain amount to get free shipping on another item. However, it has become our favorite small appliance we own, we use it every night. We even got rid of our sandwich maker since this grill makes the best grill cheese sandwiches around. We are a family of five and yes we have to use it twice to cook our meals, since it is really only suited for 1-2 people, however it cooks the meat very fast, -you do not have to turn it. The clean up is even greater, all you have to do is take a wet paper towel and it wipes it clean, that is it. We love it so much we just bought a second.

This grill does chicken breast and fish filets wonderfully, but it's not so great on beef and pork; the outside gets too done before the inside is completely cooked.

I also don't like the nonremovable grids--makes it a hassle to clean up.

Returned unit and bought another with a thermostat and removable grids.

My reasons for buying this grill may greatly differ from most. I've been on the Atkins diet for 4 months now, and I always seem to be cooking small steaks and sausages. The problem I encountered was that I was constantly cleaning the oven, and my wife was always complaining about the grease splats on the oven door.
This product allowed me to cook my meat quickly, and with less of a mess. I can also take the grill to work when I have a late shift and cook up a quick steak or piece of chicken. While it doesn't hold a lot of meat, it's great for my uses. I hope this helps you.

What I really love about this grill is that it sears and cooks burgers, chicken cutlets, steaks, etc. evenly and within a short period of time. The lid automatically allows for thicker cuts of meat (I think up to 1" thickness) and is variable in its height adjustment, which is an excellent and useful feature.
The lid prevents any spattering of liquids or fats which are directed to empty into the plastic fat rendering container provided. Since there is a small output of smoke during grilling, I just place the grill on a thick wooden cutting board, on the stovetop (obviously with the burners in the off position) and with the stovetop hood on to remove smoke and odors; it's pretty effective.
Cleanup is relatively simple due to the grill's nonstick surface and takes just a few minutes. This model is quite small, compact and lightweight, making it easy to store. The surface area is large enough to grill two burgers at a time. I use it often and highly recommend it.

I have had the George Foreman for a while... while it is a convenient tool, it is good only for chicken and fish. The heater plates don't get hot enough to make a good steak that is seared on the outside but rare on the inside. It causes almost uniform cooking through the thickness of the meat. For the same reason it has a tendency to dry out chicken and fish.. but that being said, if you baste sufficiently, reasonably moist chicken and fish can be cooked.
If you are serious about cooking/grilling indoors invest in a cast iron skillet...

I like the way the grill cooks the food and I like how the food tastes, but....... if you cook fish (or any food for that matter) the smell stays in it until you cook something else. It's a hassle to clean. It should have removable grills. These are the reasons it only got two stars from me. Also........ if I was going to buy this again, I would buy the bigger one. It's very good for one person though. Buy it with the idea that you are going to need at least 10 to 15 minutes to clean it the correct way!

I had a white Foreman grill and recently bought this one as a gift for someone. It's easy to use, and can cook great-tasting, healthy meals. It's small, but is a great size to cook for 1-2 people, especially for college kids. I love the metallic color, (I bought green), it looks great!!! Trust me, if you cook one burger in it and watch all the fat that comes out, you'll never want to use anything else to cook with. Highly recommended!!!

The George Foreman grill is one of those items you see it yard sales per $10-$15 used maybe once. It's one of those items that people think is a hoax-a hack, but amazingly it's one of those items that works. The fact that you can get a brand new one for $15 is amazing. Sometimes you can even get a brand new one on Amazon for 10 that's crazy go nuts!

It is my recommendation by one of these grills and make grilled cheese. It's amazing, done in less than seven minutes, or try a frozen chicken breast from frozen to juicy and done in less than 10 minutes. Perfect for bachelors or moms with bachelors in training or moms married to bachelors. You get the point.

So give it a shot perfect in what it does. I liked it so much upgrade to a larger size (know I didn't buy the company), and I use it everyday.

And yes I do know that he has six children named George crazy go nuts