12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
An outside version of the tried and true Foreman Grill
Date of Review: Jul 5, 2006
The Bottom Line: While this is not a model everybody will want, if you need it, it is indispensible for large-scale grilling.
I bought this grill because I needed one with a larger surface area from my old model, and because grills with open flame are forbidden in my apartment complex. Overall, this model meets both qualifications well. It's great for cookouts and parties where cooking large amounts of food, fast, is a necessity. 12 hamburgers can easily be done at one time on this grill, and it easily handles anything from veggie kabobs to salmon to whatever else you care to try on it.
The GGR50B is easy to assemble, and requires no tools or hardware aside from a standard phillips screwdriver. Most of the parts are friction fit, and they snap together into a unit which greatly resembles a standard Weber kettle grill. The detachable heating element sits on top of the grill, and the removable drip tray sits underneath. The temperature control plugs into the heating element on one end and the outlet on the other, and allows you some control over how hot the plate gets, although it's all relative - you can't set it for a particular temperature. A heavy plastic dome sits on top of the plate to protect it while it is not in use and to help seal in heat while it is.
The mechanism used by this grill for getting rid of fat and excess marinades is slightly different than that used by the indoor versions. While the latter use a slanted grill surface to drip into the drip tray at the bottom of the grill, this model has a concealed drip tray underneath the heating element, which is designed to route all liquids into a single central hole. This works, but not as well as you might like. It is not uncommon for pools of grease to sit on the surface of the heating element, and need to be pushed down the disposal slot by your spatula. Further, the drip tray cannot be removed or even seen without first removing the heating element, which is kind of difficult when it's still hot! That means it is easy to overflow the drip tray, resulting in a mess. A quick access panel of some sort would be a helpful addition.
Aside from these issues, the GGR50B is similar to its smaller cousins. It has a nonstick surface, so cleanup is a bit of a chore, especially if you let it cool down before cleaning. Also, the healting element is heavy, and difficult to manage while hot. But since it can be removed and carried to a sink, there is little danger of getting water in the electric works. It has a heavy duty cord, well-suited for outdoor use, and stands up well to climate and temperature extremes. I found the unit as a whole to be quite sturdy, even though most of its parts are made of plastic. It's not the kind of device I use every day, or even every week, but it is nice to have around when needed.
Probably if you already have a gas or charcoal grill, you will not find this unit very useful. But if you can't use an open-flame grill but still want to feed a mob, this is a handy device to have!
